Every summer it is the same story: the mint goes nuts in the garden and you don’t know what to do with it all. This time I made some mint syrup totally inspired by re-reading my favourite Agatha Christie novels with Hercule Poirot. He loved his crème de menthe.
MINT – around since forever and grows pretty much everywhere with a moist soil. Grows fast and will take over anywhere it is able to spread roots hence I always recommend to plant them in a container. Cut them back regularly to stimulate constant growth.
HERCULE POIROT – One of Agatha Christie’s famous, intriguing characters: a Belgian police detective living in UK solving crimes along side his good old friend Captain Hastings and Inspector Japp. I have read all her books and simply adore Hercule. Immortalized on TV by the great actor David Suchet, his complex character and OCD really come to life. I am always happy to reread or rewatch Hercule! He loved a crème de menthe after dinner and so having all this mint made me think of him.
MINT SYRUP – A concentrated flavourful sugary liquid where water is added to dilute. It is pretty common in France to drink a mint or pomegranate ( grenadine) syrup. Simple to make and stays good for a long time. It is great just over ice and water, but also in cocktails and with ice cream or in chocolate sauce.
STEP 1: Clean and rinse the mint and tear the leaves, chop the stems.
STEP 2: Measure 1 cup of mint for 1 cup of sugar.
STEP 3: Melt the sugar in a 1 cup of water over a low heat while stirring.
STEP 4: Add the mint leaves and let boil for a few minutes. Remove form heat, cover and let steep till cooled to room temperature.
STEP 5: Sieve the mixture and transfer to a glass bottle ( sterilize it by washing it in the dishwasher).
My mint syrup
Yield 250 ml
Ingredients
- 1 cup of fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of water
Instructions
- Rinse and clean the mint, chop the stems and tear the leaves.
- Bring the water to a boil and add the sugar, let dissolve while stirring.
- Add the mint and bring to a boil for a few minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let it steep till it is at room temperature.
- Sieve the mixture and store in airtight ( sterilized) bottle in the fridge up to a month.
Notes
on www.leeksandhighheels.com by Sandra Slawinski
Written and photographed by Sandra Slawinski without commercial deals. I used my vintage chocolate cups, I admired them so much when visiting a house for sale, received them from the owner who’s mother was moving to a home.
