Too Many Herbs? Not Anymore!

Although spring has only just begun, my little herb garden is already overflowing. In fact, my thyme, oregano, and basil are growing faster than I can use them, and my mint is positively out of control. I’m reluctant to let it go to waste, since I invested time and energy into planting them, so I’ve been looking for creative ways to put my herbs to good use.

There are the obvious ideas—sauces, soups, stews, salads—but that can get old quickly, and I want to embrace more creative uses for my bounty. I spent a few weeks going through my grandmother’s old cookbooks, some kitchen witch Pinterest boards, and reminiscing over favorite meals and I finally have come up with an excellent list of uses for my prolific herb garden. And unlike Pinterest recipes, these are all tested by a real human being without a crafting gift, so I promise they’ll work perfectly for you, too!

Pineapple Mint Ice Cream
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 ¼ cups water
½ cups light corn syrup
2 cups loosely packed mint leaves (I used spearmint)
2 cups pineapple (canned or fresh, as long as it’s crushed)
1 ½ cups pineapple juice (canned or fresh)
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
¼ cup white crème de menthe
1 cup lemon juice (fresh or bottled)

In a sauce pan, bring the sugar and water to a boil, cooking until the sugar is fully dissolved. Boil for 8-10 minutes and then add the mint leaves, simmering over medium heat for another 8-10 minutes. This is a delicious simple syrup recipe and can be used with any herbs! Remove from the heat and allow it to cool.

Grab your blender and pour the mint syrup to puree it. Pour it into a large bowl, using a colander to strain the leaves out. Then add in the corn syrup.

Throw the pineapple and pineapple juice into your rinsed blender and puree until smooth. Add the puree into the mint/corn syrup bowl. Then stir in the milk, crème de menthe, cream, and lemon juice. Let this chill for a minimum of four hours, but ideally overnight. From there, transfer it into your ice cream maker and follow the directions. Allow the ice cream to set overnight in a large bowl in your freezer. Serve garnished with shortbread cookies, frozen raspberries, and a few mint sprigs. This also makes a delicious addition to any kind of ice cream punch!

Dried Mint/Herbal Bath
Gather your herbs first thing in the morning, just after the dew has dried—this ensures they will be at peak freshness! Gather your sprigs into a loose bundle, securing the stems with a rubber band or twine. Hang the bundles upside down in a dry place out of direct sunlight. If you can’t avoid direct sunlight, place each bundle into a small brown paper bag with vents cut into the sides for airflow (important so your herbs won’t mold!) If you use the bags, check the bundles daily to make sure nothing is growing inside of them, like moisture or fungus. It takes about two weeks for the herbs to dry, and they should be brittle to the touch before you take them down.

You can also dry herbs in the oven at the lowest setting on a cookie sheet if you don’t want to wait two weeks. Either way, place your bundles on a piece of wax paper and separate the leaves from the stems, crushing them as you go. Then use the wax paper as a funnel to slide the herbs into air tight jars—easy!

With dried herbs, you can do so many excellent things. You can use them in future recipes, you can make gifts, and you can even make incredible homemade bath products. I made the following bath salts for myself and some friends and they are fantastic.
2 cups Epsom salts
1 cup sea salt
½ cup baking soda
1/8 cup dried mint (I used peppermint)
1/8 cup dried lavender
15-18 drops of peppermint and lavender essential oils (which you can DIY or buy pre-made.)

Grab a large bowl and mix everything together except the essential oils. The key here is to mix until its smooth—no lumps! The baking soda might clump and if it does, just break it apart gently. Once you have a smooth blend of salts, herbs, and baking soda, begin adding the essential oil drops 3-4 at a time. Mix them thoroughly before adding more and stop once you’re pleased with the level of scent. Store the salts in an apothecary jar or similar airtight container.

Basil Lemonade
Using the above simple syrup recipe, substituting basil leaves for mint. Mix this into lemonade and cut it with sparkling water before serving for a bubbly, fresh summer drink. This is also a great mixer for summer cocktails! Garnish with a lemon peel and a basil leaf if you’re feeling fancy.

So, that’s how I’m putting my garden to good use! Let me know how you get the most out of your herbs in the comments.