Posts Tagged ‘growing mint’

Organic Vegetable Gardening with Herbs

Saturday, November 21st, 2009


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This past summer, we were so excited with our first attempt at growing cabbage. The whole row was looking great and then one day we went out to discover that the cabbage worms had attacked.

I just wonder, what good are these worms anyway?

Today, I was looking at the latest book by Edward Smith called The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible: Discover Ed’s High-Yield W-O-R-D System for All North American Gardening Regions, and saw that it has a great idea for using mint in the vegetable garden to discourage cabbage moths.

Simply place large pots of mint among the cabbages to help discourage the the moths from laying their eggs in the plant. I suspect this works much like the moth chaser sachets I make to keep moths from smelling the wool in the closet. If you can keep the moths from smelling the food source, they won’t lay their eggs there. They are just trying to be good parents and lay their eggs where the babies will have food to eat.

If you decide to try this, remember, you need to put the mint in pots in order to keep it from spreading like a weed. It sure beats going out each day and picking them off!

For more information about organic vegetable gardening, please visit www.flowers-plants-gardening-advice.com/organic-vegetable-gardening.html .

Using Mint Herbs

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

This summer I’m committed to do more with my mint herb than just putt it in my ice tea.  While that’s an excellent way to use it, here is a recipe for making a mint cream that may be served on top of any dessert.   I just found the recipe in the May 2009 edition of The Herb Companion Magazine.  They served it on top of  a brownie with strawberries and a little sprig of mint.  It looked delicious! It would also be great with chocolate cake or cherry pie!

Growing mint is one of the easiest herbs to grow. Just be sure to keep the roots separated because once they grow together, the mint herb loses its taste and flavor.

Here is our herb garden in the spring

Here is our herb garden in the spring

Hope you enjoy the following recipe! Let me know some of your favorite ways to use mint.

Mint Cream

4 mint sprigs, each 4 to 6 inches long

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

3 drops vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Several hours or the night before serving, lightly bruise mint sprigs and place in a bowl.

2. Pour  whipping cream over the mint, cover with plastic wrap and refreigerate.

3. An hour before serving, remove the mint.  Begin whipping the cream with whisk or egg beater.  As cream thickens, add powdered sugar a little at a time.

4. Add 3 drops vanilla extract and finish whipping the cream until it forms soft peaks.  Refigerate until serving time.