Fresh Mint: The one herb every kitchen needs

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Grow this refreshing herb at home and use it to infuse recipes with flavor.

If there’s one herb your kitchen garden needs, it’s mint. Excellent in teas, fruit salads and, of course, mojitos, mint also has a long history as a medicinal herb. Since Hippocrates’ time, it’s been used to ease digestive problems. Preliminary medical research suggests that mint, indeed, may help soothe symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, a condition characterized by abdominal pain and bloating.

For ultimate variety, plant a mélange of different types of mint, such as peppermint, spearmint, apple mint and its cultivar pineapple mint. Infuse refreshing flavor into your iced tea by brewing black tea with a few peppermint leaves.

Contain your mint in a pretty pot, as the herb is notorious for overtaking gardens. It will flourish on your patio or deck—or any sunny sill. Mint is low-maintenance; just keep the soil moist with regular watering.

Ingredient Glossary

Spices, etc.: Ancho chiles; Annatto; Black bean-garlic sauce; Cajun seasoning; Candied citron; Candied orange peel; Chervil; Chile-garlic sauce; Chiles; Chipotle chiles; Cinnamon; Coriander seeds; Crystallized ginger; Curry leaves; Curry paste; Dried chrysanthemums; Dried shrimp; Dry sea scallops; Fermented black beans; Fish sauce; Five-spice powder; Galangal; Garam masala; Ginger juice; Harissa; Herbes de Provence; Hoisin sauce; Jerk sauce; Jerk seasoning; Juniper berries; Korean chili powder; Lavender flowers; Lemongrass; Lime leaves; Lingonberries; Liquid smoke; Madras curry powder; Maple extract; Maple sugar; Mint; Miso; New Mexican chile; Orange-flower water; Oyster sauce; Pasilla chiles; Pickled ginger; Piment d’Espelette; Preserved lemons; Saffron; Sambal olek; Sambhar masala; Shiso; Smoked paprika; Sriracha; Sumac; Tamarind; Thai basil; Thai chiles; Vanilla beans; Wasabi powder; Zatar

Fruits & Vegetables: Arugula; Asian pears; Boniato; Broccolini; Calabaza; Celeriac; Cremini mushrooms; Daikon; Dried mushrooms; Edamame; Enoki mushrooms; Green papaya; Haricots verts; Jicama; Kabocha; Key limes; Kohlrabi; Korean zucchini; Kumquat; Leeks; Mâche; Morel mushrooms; Napa cabbage; Oil-cured olives; Papaya; Pea shoot; Plantains; Poblano chiles; Portobello mushroom; Precooked diced or shredded potatoes; Preshredded cabbage; Purple potatoes; Sour cherries; Sprouted beans; Sun-dried tomatoes; Tomatillos; Watercress; Watermelons

Sweeteners: Agave nectar or syrup; Palm sugar; Superfine sugar

Nuts & Seeds: Black sesame seeds; Chestnuts; Flaxseeds; Marcona almonds; Pepitas; Soy nuts; Toasted sesame seeds

Oils & Vinegars: Almond oil; Chinkiang vinegar; Cinnamon oil; Flaxseed oil; Garlic oil; Nut oils; Rice bran oil; Rice vinegar; Sherry vinegar; Walnut oil; White balsamic vinegar

Alcohol: Cream sherry; Grappa; Kirsch; Madeira; Marsala; Mirin; Port; Sake; Shao Hsing; Sherry

Dairy & Eggs: Dried egg whites; Evaporated milk; Farmer cheese; Ghee; Goat cheese; Pasteurized liquid “egg products”; Quark; Queso blanco; Ricotta salata

Baking: Baking raisins; Bread-machine yeast; Candied violets; Cocoa nibs; Coconut chips; Dutch-process cocoa; Food dyes, natural; Lighter Bake; Mexican chocolate; Prune pie filling; White Whole Wheat Flour

Flours: Bread flour; Buckwheat flour; Cake flour; Instant flour; Masa harina; Oat flour; Rice flour; Soy flour; Tapioca starch; White whole-wheat flour; Whole-wheat pastry flour

Meat, Fish, Seafood, Meat Substitutes: Andouille sausage; Baked tofu; Boneless duck breast; Boneless, skinless chicken breasts; Calamari; Capicola; Chicken tenders; Chorizo; Chunk light tuna; Cod; Cornish game hens; Country ham; Crabmeat; Pancetta; Prosciutto; Rotisserie chicken; Seitan; Serrano ham; Shrimp; Skirt steak; Sole; Spanish-style chorizo; Tempeh; Tofu; Turkey tenderloin

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