Got a field of mint you don’t know what to do with? Try making some mint sugar. It’s delicious in baking, in coffee or tea, and great to use in a dry rub mix or in a marinade.
First, you gotta pick the mint. I choose to pick mine in the early morning, because *personally* I have found the leaves seem to have much more flavor to give then.
Carefully wash the leaves and dry.
You don’t want the leaves wet at all, in order to avoid ruining the sugar.
Using choice of sugar, preferably the “larger grain” size, layer sugar and mint leaves.
I don’t really measure, I just kind of eyeball it for 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup crushed up leaves.
Continue layering sugar and mint until your jar is full.
Cap tight, shake well, and shake up once or twice a day for 10 days. After 10 days, the sugar will be ready to use.
You can remove the mint leaves if desired, but I never do. It’s too much work in my opinion, and if a leaf or two gets into my brownies, they are that much better for it.
Mint sugar is great to give as holiday gifts as well!
Heather’s homesteading journey started in 2006, with baby steps: first, she got a few raised beds, some chickens, and rabbits. Over the years, she amassed a wealth of homesteading knowledge, knowledge that you can find in the articles of this blog.
Hi Heather – nice to have met you on Pinterest today. I love this idea and as I was saying on my blog this week, boy do I have mint!
glad to have “met” you, too Donalyn!
What type of sugar is best to use? Meaning white, brown, or some kind of raw?
I use raw but feel free to use any kind you like 😉
Is that raw sugar you are using? Or Brown?
I am using raw…but you could use any sugar you like. Never thought about brown…but that’s an interesting idea!
Thanks for this post, I have tons of mint! I love making mint tea but never thought about mint sugar. I will have to give this a try. 🙂
Where can you find raw sugar?
I found it at our bulk food stores, but you can find it online here from my affiliate partner
http://amzn.to/1nQmakP
I’ve made vanilla sugar but never thought to make mint sugar. I bet it would make a tasty simple syrup for certain cocktails as well as be fantastic in iced tea. I would never have realized that the time of day you pick the leaves would be important so thank you for that tip too.
I do have some mint, so I am going to try this! Yum! Would you use it in recipes or just to flavor tea and drinks? Just curious as to the uses. Sounds delish!
I use it baking, in coffee, anyplace you would use regular sugar 😉
Yum! Mint sugar would be nice to have on hand to sprinkle on fruit and add to tea. I am going to try it. Thanks for sharing at Green Thumb Thursday.
I’m wondering how long this sugar keeps? If I make it now, would it be in ok shape for Christmas?
Also I’ve got tons of chocolate mint and I’m thinking it would make a great sugar to go in coffee.
keep it in a cool dry place, and it’ll last just as long as regular sugar…and from what I understand, that could be up to 30 years
What a great idea! I’d love to hear how you use it in a savory dry rub or marinade.
How do you use these sugars in recipes ie if it says 50 gram of granulated/brown/castor sugar do you replace it with the mint or vanilla sugar or is it portioned for example 20grms of flavoured sugar and 30 of required sugar or do you just add a few spoonfuls to the required recipe. I have no garden or fields of mint or health food shops to get organic so is shop bought bunch ok or those little pots they sell?
use the sugar 1:1 as a replacement, it only adds flavor. As far as herbs, the pots are fine, too. Whatever you can find.
How long can you keep the mint suger?