Mint — season, tips, and recipes in New Zealand
Mint is a herbs available in New Zealand during September, October, November, December, January, February, March, peaking in November, December. This page is a practical guide for home cooks: when to buy mint, how to pick a good one, how to store it, what it goes well with, three original recipes, and detailed nutrition information.
Plant in a pot unless you want it everywhere. Spearmint and peppermint are the two most common NZ varieties.
How to pick a good one
Strong fresh smell. Vibrant perky leaves, not wilted or brown-tipped.
How to store it
Stems in water on bench or fridge. Grows so easily, just plant it in a pot.
Goes well with
peas: Mint and peas share a freshness that amplifies each other. The combination is specifically English, which is a reasonable indication that they go together: not much else from English cooking is worth preserving.
lamb: Mint sauce with lamb is traditional British food that has genuine logic: mint's clean freshness cuts through lamb's strong, fatty flavour and resets the palate.
chocolate: Mint's menthol triggers cold receptors, which makes the chocolate's bitter sweetness taste cleaner and more intense. After Eight exists for a reason.
watermelon: Mint's coolness amplifies watermelon's refreshing quality. Both taste colder than they are. The combination is particularly effective in drinks.
yoghurt: Mint's clean freshness and yoghurt's mild acidity are used together across Middle Eastern, Indian, and Greek cooking in raita, tzatziki, and sauces. Both are cooling.
Recipes
Mint Sauce
For lamb. 5 minutes.
Ingredients: big handful mint, 2 tbsp boiling water, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, pinch salt
Method: Finely chop mint. Pour boiling water over with sugar and salt. Stir to dissolve. Add vinegar. Rest 10 min.
Mint Tea
Fresh, simple, digestive.
Ingredients: big handful fresh mint, boiling water, honey (optional)
Method: Bruise mint leaves. Place in pot. Pour over boiling water. Steep 5 min. Strain or drink around the leaves.
Mint & Pea Dip
Green, fresh, party food.
Ingredients: 200g peas (cooked), handful mint, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 50g feta, salt
Method: Blend peas, mint, oil, lemon until almost smooth. Stir in crumbled feta. Season. Serve with crackers or crudités.
Nutrition
Two tablespoons provide 10% of your daily vitamin A. Contains menthol, which relaxes the smooth muscles of the digestive tract (hence peppermint tea for stomach aches). Studies show even the smell of mint can improve alertness and memory. Contains rosmarinic acid, a potent antioxidant.