Fresh Mint Syrup

Fresh Mint Syrup Recipe

A fresh mint syrup made naturally green by briefly blanching the leaves, cooling them fast, and blending them into cooled simple syrup without artificial coloring.

Yield: About 1 1/2 cups, or 24 tablespoons Serving size: 1 tablespoon

Yield note: Carefully dried mint keeps the batch close to 1 1/2 cups. Water clinging to the leaves increases the yield but dilutes the flavor. Fine straining may retain a few tablespoons.

Shopping List

Produce

• fresh spearmint or peppermint

Pantry

• granulated sugar
• fine salt

Useful Equipment

• blender
• fine-mesh strainer
• cheesecloth

Ingredients

Simple Syrup

• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (240 ml) water
• 1/16 teaspoon fine salt

Fresh Mint

• 1 1/2 packed cups (30 g) fresh spearmint or peppermint leaves and tender tips

For Blanching and Cooling

• 6 cups (1.4 liters) water for blanching
• 4 cups ice, divided
• 4 cups cold water, divided

Instructions

1. Pick through the mint and discard bruised, yellow, or blackened leaves and tough stems. Rinse the mint in cool water, swish to release any grit, and drain.
2. Make the first ice bath with 2 cups ice and 2 cups cold water in a medium bowl. Set a mesh strainer and tongs next to the bowl.
3. Bring the 6 cups blanching water to a rolling boil. Lower the mint into the water, press it under with the tongs, and blanch for exactly 15 seconds.
4. Lift the mint directly into the ice bath and swish for 1 minute to stop the cooking. Drain, squeeze very gently, and pat thoroughly dry between clean kitchen towels.
5. Combine the sugar, 1 cup syrup water, and salt in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until clear, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 1 minute.
6. Make a second ice bath with the remaining 2 cups ice and 2 cups cold water. Set the saucepan in the bath without letting water enter it, and stir the syrup until it cools below 90 F, about 10 minutes.
7. Put the cooled syrup and dried blanched mint in a blender. Blend for 30 to 45 seconds, stopping once to scrape the sides, until the leaves are very finely chopped and the syrup is evenly green.
8. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer lined with damp cheesecloth into a clean bowl. Let it drain for 5 minutes and press lightly; hard squeezing makes the syrup cloudier and more vegetal.
9. Transfer the strained syrup to a clean container, cover, label, and refrigerate immediately. Chill fully before evaluating the flavor, which becomes rounder after about 2 hours.