Lina’s Mint Syrup
Lina is an old lady in my village in Italy who knows all the local traditions. I call her when I want
growing tips, but especially preserving tips. This is one of her recipes and is how it’s been
done in her family since she can remember. Shop-bought mint syrup is bright green, but this is
the real thing, and the colour and taste will be natural and delicious and thirst-quenching on a
summer day.
You can also use the syrup as an ingredient for cocktails or as a vodka mixer, or in cooking,
for example to flavour icing or to soak into sponge cakes.
You can try the same basic recipe with other herbs – lemon balm works well – or add
blackberries and other fruits during the infusion stage to further colour and flavour the mixture to
your liking.
Ingredients:
2 bottles of white wine
750 g granulated sugar
4 large handfuls of fresh mint leaves
First you have to make the syrup. Place the white wine in a saucepan with the sugar and
gently bring to a simmer, stirring often until the sugar has completely dissolved. You may find
some scum forms on the top of the syrup – remove this with a spoon. Allow to cool completely.
Pour the cold syrup into a large, wide-necked jar and add the washed mint leaves. Place the lid
on the jar. Turn or gently shake the jar every morning for 5 days to assist the infusion.
On the fifth day, remove the mint leaves and decant the mint syrup into bottles. It doesn’t
need to be refrigerated once bottled as the alcohol and sugar will preserve the syrup, but make
sure you put a tight cork or seal into the bottle so the ants don’t enjoy it too!
To drink, mix some of the syrup (to taste) with cold water and add a mint leaf.
*taken from the book ‘From Seed to plate’ by Paolo Arrigo, published by Simon and Schuster
