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I really enjoy tea and especially tea that is blended with different herbs. In 2004 I was able to buy some Chocolate Mint plants which I planted down in my Mediterranean herb garden.
Chocolate mint’s Latin genus is Mentha piperita species and is not a native of our part of the world, but came from Europe. It is used in cosmetics, cooking, medicinal and even ornamental.
It took off like a “house on fire” the first year and just 4 plants have spread out all over the place. If you grow it the only trouble you will have is containing it as each plant will spread to about 36 inches in diameter.
Chocolate mint grows about 12 to 18 inches high and I had spaced them about 2 feet apart and I am truly glad I did. Chocolate mint might well be called a vine if it would go straight up. However, it does not, it just sort of rambles all over the ground.
Chocolate mint does well in our zone 6 and is hardy to zone 3a. It needs full sun and seems to do well even in drought even though it needs average watering. When planted further south, such as Florida, it needs to be planted in the partial shade and it needs to be watered regularly.
Chocolate mint blooms in late spring and early summer with violet-lavender blooms and the leaves are a wonderfully aromatic bronze-green. Like most mints it is a very invasive plant so put it where you will not mind it going crazy.
The bees and butterflies love it and even the birds seem to for some reason. Chocolate mint does not set seeds since the flowers are sterile. It has a great root system which seems to come off the stems as it meanders across the ground rooting itself in various places. One must keep cutting it back to maintain a nice plant and one must cut out any older woody stalks so the new ones can keep coming in. If you have not harvested any for whatever reason, Chocolate Mint must be cut down to ground level at the end of each season.
Chocolate mint fills the surrounding air with a grand fragrance as one walks by. It smells exactly like a mix of chocolate and mint. However, when you use it the taste is more mint than chocolate.
Chocolate Mint can be harvested continually and can either be dried out or frozen. To dry out one can do the following techniques. I have tried all of these techniques and they work well. Matter of fact all three of these techniques may be used to dry any herb and I use number 4 constantly now even though different herbs may need different harvesting techniques.
1. Cut close to the ground, tie in bunches and hang in a cool, dry place with good ventilation until dry.
2. Cut close to the ground and put bunches of it loosely in large brown paper bags, staple the ends closed and stick in the trunk of your car and keep it closed for about 2 weeks. The heat in a closed trunk will dry it all nicely.
3. You can lay the leaves out on screens to dry in the sun, but for me that would take a lot of screens.
4. But the method I use the most is as follows: Cut close to the ground; strip each stem of the leaves. I find that working from the top down towards the bottom of the stem removes them easily. I then put the leaves on a shallow baking tin such as a cookie sheet and I put them in the oven at about 250° F for about 15 minutes. Checking them, I stir them up a bit, turn them over and continue for another 15 minutes. Depending on how much moisture is in the leaves, it rarely takes more than 45 minutes. Then once they are removed, cooled down, I gently roll the leaves between my hands until they crumble. Once done I put them in a recycled glass jar and seal tightly and put in a cool, dark place until I want to use it. I also put them up in plastic bags and give lots of it away to friends with tea instructions on how to use.
This now makes the most marvelous tea and here is my recipe for making Chocolate Mint tea.
1. Use one heaping teaspoon of crushed, dried chocolate mint leaves per cup of tea.
2. I use a teapot and put as many teaspoons in as needed.
3. I boil some water either on my stove or in a 2 quart Pyrex measuring container I have filling it with as many cups as I need.
4. Once the water has boiled I pour it into the teapot and let it sit for 5 minutes. NO less.
5. Then pour through a strainer into your teacup or mug. I prefer to drink it plain. Why spoil a good thing with milk or sugar?
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Author Bio Box: Arlene Wright Correll
 For more gardening or cooking information click http://www.learn-america.com/
To see Arlene’s Gardens and to read her gardening diaries or click on Arlene’s Books where you can download or buy her gardening & cook books. Arlene says, “All my royalties from the sale of my books go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and I thank you for visiting my site.”
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