15 Ways to Use Apple Mint

If you love growing fresh herbs during the summer, you may already have spearmint, peppermint, or chocolate mint growing in your garden. Mint is incredibly versatile and can be used for everything from refreshing drinks and desserts to simple crafts and homemade household items.

But there’s another variety of mint that deserves a little more attention: apple mint.

Apple mint has a fresh, fruity scent and a mild minty flavour with a hint of apple. It looks similar to other varieties of mint, but its soft, slightly fuzzy leaves make it easy to distinguish. In late summer, it can also produce pretty reddish or pinkish flowers that add a little extra interest to the garden.

And just like other types of mint, apple mint is surprisingly useful around the house.

If you've recently picked up an apple mint plant and aren't sure what to do with it, don't worry. There are plenty of ways to use apple mint, from making refreshing summer drinks to adding it to desserts, salads, and homemade household items.

Growing Apple Mint

Apple mint is a perennial herb that can grow in full sun or partial shade. It prefers well-drained soil and regular watering, especially during hot, dry weather.

Like other mint varieties, apple mint can spread quickly, so you may want to grow it in a container if you don't want it taking over your garden. If you plant it directly in the garden, give each plant plenty of room to grow.

Because apple mint is a perennial, it can return year after year in suitable climates. If you're growing it in a container, however, you'll need to consider your local winter conditions and whether the plant can survive outdoors.

Once you have a healthy plant, you'll have plenty of fresh leaves to experiment with.

15 Ways to Use Apple Mint

Wondering how to use apple mint once your plant starts producing lots of fresh leaves? Here are 15 simple ideas to try.

1. Add Apple Mint to Tea

One of the easiest ways to use apple mint is to make a simple cup of mint tea.

Rinse a few fresh leaves, add them to a mug, and pour hot water over them. Let the leaves steep for several minutes, then remove them and enjoy. You can also combine apple mint with other herbs for different flavour combinations.

2. Make Flavoured Water

Apple mint is perfect for making plain water feel a little more special.

Add a handful of rinsed leaves to a pitcher of cold water along with sliced lemon, lime, cucumber, berries, or apples. Let it chill in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

3. Add It to Lemonade

Give homemade lemonade a fresh twist by adding a handful of apple mint leaves.

You can gently muddle a few leaves before adding them to the pitcher or simply use whole leaves as a garnish.

4. Make Mint Ice Cubes

This is a great way to use up extra apple mint.

Place small leaves into an ice cube tray, fill with water, and freeze. Add the minty ice cubes to water, lemonade, iced tea, or sparkling water.

They're also a simple and pretty addition to summer drinks when you're entertaining.

5. Add It to Fruit Salads

Apple mint pairs really nicely with summer fruit.

Try chopping a few leaves and tossing them with strawberries, watermelon, blueberries, peaches, pineapple, or cantaloupe. The fresh mint adds another layer of flavour to an otherwise simple fruit salad.

6. Make Apple Mint Syrup

Fresh apple mint can be used to make a simple syrup for drinks and desserts.

Just add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of white sugar to a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and add 1 packed cup of fresh apple mint. Cover and let the mint steep for 20 - 30 minutes. Strain the syrup through a mesh strainer, pressing gently on the mint leaves to release the liquid. Let the syrup cool completely before transferring it to a clean jar or bottle. Store in the refrigerator and use within about 2 weeks.

Use your homemade syrup to flavour lemonade, iced tea, sparkling water, mocktails, fruit salads, or desserts.

7. Add It to Desserts

Fresh apple mint makes a nice garnish for desserts.

Add a few leaves to ice cream, fruit crisps, cakes, cupcakes, pudding, or a bowl of fresh berries. You can also finely chop the leaves and experiment with adding a small amount to fruit-based desserts.

8. Make Minty Fruit Popsicles

Blend your favourite summer fruit with water or juice and add a few finely chopped apple mint leaves.

Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and freeze.

Watermelon and mint, strawberry and mint, or peach and mint are all refreshing combinations.

9. Add It to Salads

Don't limit apple mint to drinks and desserts!

Finely chop a few leaves and add them to green salads, cucumber salads, grain salads, or salads made with fresh summer vegetables.

10. Make Homemade Salad Dressing

Apple mint can add a fresh twist to homemade salad dressings.

Try combining chopped mint with lemon juice or vinegar, olive oil, and a little honey. You can adjust the ingredients to create a dressing that works with your favourite summer salads.

11. Add It to Marinades

Fresh mint can also be used in homemade marinades.

Try combining chopped apple mint with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and your favourite herbs and spices. It can work especially well with chicken, vegetables, or lamb.

12. Make Fresh Herb Butter

Soften some butter and mix in finely chopped apple mint along with a little lemon zest and salt.

Refrigerate it and use it on vegetables, corn on the cob, potatoes, or warm bread.

You can even freeze small portions so you have some ready whenever you need it.

13. Dry Apple Mint for Later

If your apple mint plant is producing more leaves than you can possibly use, don't let them go to waste.

Harvest the leaves and dry them using your preferred herb-drying method. Once completely dry, store them in an airtight container away from heat and direct sunlight.

Use the dried mint later for tea, cooking, or homemade herbal blends.

14. Make a Simple Homemade Air Freshener

Apple mint has a naturally fresh scent, making it useful for adding fragrance to your home.

Bundle a few stems together and hang them somewhere like a pantry, mudroom, or closet where they can dry naturally.

You can also place dried leaves in a small fabric sachet and tuck it into a linen closet or drawer.

15. Use Apple Mint in Summer Decorations

Apple mint is pretty enough to use as part of a simple summer centerpiece.

Add fresh stems to a vase with flowers, tuck a few sprigs around a serving platter, or place a small bunch beside each place setting.

It's an inexpensive way to add greenery and fragrance to your summer table using something you grew yourself.

More Ways to Use Apple Mint

If you have a really productive plant, don't stop at these 15 ideas. Here are a few more ways to use apple mint:

Add fresh leaves to iced tea.
Use it as a garnish for fruit platters.
Add chopped leaves to homemade salsa.
Mix it into a yogurt-based dip.
Add a few leaves to sparkling water.
Make mint-infused vinegar for salad dressings.
Add fresh mint to homemade fruit compotes.
Freeze chopped leaves in small portions to use later.
Add fresh mint to smoothies.
Use it to flavour homemade fruit sauces.

Don't Let Your Apple Mint Go to Waste

One of the best things about growing herbs like apple mint is that you don't need to use everything immediately. If your plant starts producing more mint than you can keep up with, harvest some and preserve it for later.

You can dry the leaves, freeze them in ice cubes, or make something such as mint syrup that you can enjoy after the growing season is over.

So the next time you see apple mint at your local garden centre, don't overlook it. It's a pretty, useful herb that can provide you with fresh flavour, fragrance, and lots of inexpensive ways to enjoy what you've grown.

And if you're already growing apple mint, hopefully these 15 ways to use apple mint have given you some new ideas for putting that plant to good use!

15 Ways to Use Apple Mint