🍃 Mint- So Fresh and So Clean-Clean!🙋🏾‍♀️ + My Radiant Summer ☀️ Drink Recipe

Let me introduce Myself for those that don’t know me…. I’ve got a bit of country in me 😉. There’s nothing that represents summer more than when I get to pull out my mason jars and go to town making favored water drinks. This little combo is one of my favs…

Personally, I prefer spearmint in drinks or baked items, Catmint in my teas, and peppermint when cooking. 🪻

When you include cultivated varieties and hybrids, there are hundreds of different types of mint grown around the world.

By the way, no one culture discovered mint. Although written about in greek literature early on, traces have been used across continents for centuries ✅.

🍃 Mint…. My Herb of the Summer!

🍃 Mint is getting it’s due in my kitchen these days. I’m finding it everywhere in the store’s and I’m totally here for it. I’ve been using it in drinks, lunch recipes and playing with it’s varied flavors and textures.

Mint is one of the easiest and most rewarding herbs to grow in the Midwest. Beyond its refreshing flavor and aroma, mint contains antioxidants and plant compounds that have long been used to support digestion and overall wellness.

Many people enjoy mint after meals because it may help ease occasional indigestion and bloating.

Its cooling sensation comes from menthol, a natural compound that can create a feeling of freshness and comfort.

Whether added to water, tea, salads, smoothies, or fruit dishes, mint is a simple way to add flavor without added sugar or sodium.

Spearmint is one of the most popular culinary mints, prized for its sweet, mild flavor. It shines in infused waters, mojito-inspired beverages, fruit salads, sauces, and savory dishes.

Peppermint has a more intense menthol flavor and is commonly used in teas, candies, and desserts.

Apple mint offers a gentle fruity sweetness that complements fruit salads and herbal teas,

Pineapple mint adds a tropical note to beverages and garnishes.

Chocolate mint brings hints of cocoa and is a favorite for smoothies, desserts, and iced drinks.

Catmint (Nepeta). While technically a cousin of true culinary mints rather than a traditional mint used in cooking, catmint is beloved for its beautiful lavender-blue flowers, drought tolerance, and ability to attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies. It is most often grown as an ornamental garden plant and is less commonly used in the kitchen due to its more earthy, herbal flavor.

According to Chef’s at America’s Test Kitchen, Tasted plain, our tasters found the peppermint to be stronger, sharper, and spicier than the spearmint. “Supercooling,” “tingly,” and “prickly” were a few of the adjectives they used in describing peppermint.

Spearmint, on the other hand, was described as “sweeter” and “milder.”

🥒 Radiant Summer Refresher

Ingredients

2 cups raspberries (or sub watermelon if you prefer)
1 cup fresh mint (spearmint) leaves, lightly torn
½ cucumber, thinly sliced
4–6 cups cold water
Ice, for serving (optional)
Lime slices, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Add the raspberries, mint, and cucumber slices to a large pitcher.
Gently muddle the watermelon to release some of its juice. No need to crush everything—the goal is a light infusion.
Pour in the cold water and stir well.
Cover and refrigerate overnight, allowing the flavors to blend and deepen.
The next day, give it a stir and strain if desired, or leave the fruit and herbs in the pitcher for a beautiful infused presentation.
Serve over ice and garnish with a slice of lime.

☀️ If you want to join me in “My Radiant Summer” here’s one principle! I’ll share more with each post!