You see, it grows fast and will spread and sprawl if not contained. The mojito – a beautiful concoction of mint, sugar, lime, and rum. Planted in the ground with no boundaries in a vegetable garden, mint might just take over. It is well known that mojitos were a favorite drink of Ernest Hemingway. Use equal parts sugar and water. A combination of raspberries, mint, and BACARDÍ Raspberry, this one lends a berry kick to the traditional mojito. This way will not be as strong as #1 and won't last as long. The CSU Master Gardeners recommended that I plant mint in a pot to constrain its growth. Make sure you layer your drink in this way, so the mint leaves … Many variations of the drink abound, but this recipe calls for the five customary ingredients of During our recent visit to Cuba I discovered the ultimate use for the mint that has taken over my garden…mojitos! By Wendy Morrow-Kelly. One of our favorite winter fruits. Mmmm…pears. Add the mint leaves, mushing them against the side of the glass. Mildly oaky and tropical, Havana Club Añejo Blanco is one of the all-time best rums for mojitos. The company is Colombia's largest mint producer and number one in sales. The rum is very important, but the lime, mint, and sweetness really are the superstars of this cocktail. In our quest to make mojitos out of, well, everything, we tried making a mojito with pears. Substituting mint extract for actual fresh mint in mojitos requires a little caution and a lot of attention because of the extract's strength. And here are a few fruit mojito variations to try! This basically means crushing it all in a jug, or glass to release the flavours of the fruit and herbs. A new use for mint. Yes you can get just mint in this section of the store. Find the recipe here: Dark Mojito. Ask for mint. Mojito Mint, Mentha x villosa, was brought to North America from Cuba about 15 years ago. bad bad vegastud. The splash of sparkling wine makes them extra special. I'm in the process of tracking down some sugar cane juice but I want to get the mint right too. Like many cocktails, the true origin of the mojito has been largely disputed, although Havana, Cuba is largely recognized as its birthplace. and the average customer thinks that it is the same everywhere. But what is overmuddled mint, what does it do to a cocktail, and what's the right way to muddle mint, or for that matter, any herb? Both are delicious in a Mojito. But what makes it even better is that we will be infusing it with mint to add to the flavor of the drink. This is one drink you want to do right. (If you wish to makes more mojito's, increase the ratio). Do use this recipe to make yourself a mojito at home. stalks tend to make mojito's very bitter. A combination of raspberries, mint, and BACARDÍ Raspberry, this one lends a berry kick to the traditional mojito. Pear Mojito. This refreshing version of mint mojitos features a springtime kick of cucumber. I’ve compiled a small list of the mints that I prefer to use and grow for my cocktails and to accompany the drinks conjured up by my bartenders. We love these at special gatherings and summer barbeques. 3) Cut long sprigs of the mint and hang upside down for a week to dry. Then store in an airtight container (like a bell/mason jar). "The closest we can come to this, and it's very close, is Mentha spicata, aka regular old spear mint.. Pepper mint (Mentha × piperita) is a hybrid of spear mint and water mint (Mentha aquatica).I find pepper mint to be not very harmonious in cocktails due to its high menthol content. i know, i know, bad bartender. Cocktail Physiology. Just say mint. To be honest, I was planning to dig up my mint plant this year because it is out of control. But we can't get the taste right. Bergamot. If my memory serves me correctly (bought mine last year), it's a variety (heirloom?) Fill glass 2/3 with cracked ice and pour in the rum. It has a sweetness like mint, with just enough eugenol in it to be suggestive of cloves. Demand for this herb has soared in recent times and "70% of fresh mint consumed is used in mojitos," points out Santiago. A pitcher of this can be made a few hours in advance--just add alcohol at serving time. One thing that is important to consider when looking for the best rum for Mojitos is what the cocktail really is. In … Those veins contain chlorophyll, and as it turns out, chlorophyll is bitter. Savory, citrus-forward, and designed to be paired with mint and lime, this Puerto Rican rum reflects some of the oldest distilling traditions in Cuba. https://www.thespruceeats.com/mojito-cocktail-recipe-759319 Also known as Mentha Citrata, this is by far my favorite mint. Mojitos come in all shapes and sizes. The key to a good mojito is muddling lime, sugar and mint together first. For Mojitos, I used either Kentucky Colonel mint which is a strong and sweet spearmint, or go to the other end of the spectrum and use my lime mint. Go the grocery store and the area where you get fresh herbs, not the spice section where the herbs are dried and in jars, but the section where you find the herbs with leaves on stems. Crushed ice will melt faster, which is a good thing in a drink with such strong flavors. The Richters mojito mint does not claim to be a flavored mint, I don't believe. To make the simple syrup, dissolve sugar in water by heating it up in a saucepan on the stove. For mojitos, I use #1, for tea it is #1 and/or #2, and for cooking it is #1 and/or #3 Add mint, sugar, lime juice, and strawberries to a tall, sturdy glass. The Real Mojito Rating: Unrated 493 This is an authentic recipe for mojito. Use a dark rum for this one for a full and rummier tasting mojito. The extra surface area of crushed ice also means a colder drink. Up until 2005 or 2006 this mint was rare and hard to get outside of Cuba. First, take a close look at a mint leaf; you should see little veins running through the leaf. For a bartender, mojitos mean that your sink gets clogged up with mint, with flecks ending up in the next 10 drinks you make. Like; Save; joannaw. A meticulous and involved way to prepare the drink with mint extract is to daub a little extract on a lime slice, straw or even your finger, moisten the bottom and rim of the glass with the extract-covered object, then add the other ingredients. If you're in Cuba, you're likely making your Mojitos with Mentha nemorosa, aka "Cuban mint. In this recipe we will use 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. It is especially important you use a tall glass with the strawberry Mojito, since the strawberries add some volume to the cocktail. A Mojito is flavor punch of freshness. Mint is a good container plant. According to the barmen in Cuba (and several books I've read since) the mint they use in the Mojito is unique to Cuba, but no-one seems to know what species it's supposed to be. These puckery Champagne mojitos have rum and fresh mint like classic mojitos. the problem is everyone everywhere makes mojito's different. That's why every recipe asks for just mint because you can get just mint.. Do not use a pre-made mojito mix out of a bottle. A Mojito is the tastes of Summer. when i do that i find that people order something different the following round. i tend to use as much stalk of the mint as possible. Secrets to REAL AUTHENTIC Cuban Mojitos: So the first secret to making your mojitos as the Cubans do is to use aromatic bitters! 11 years ago. By Magnus Manske (Own work) CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Do use crushed ice in your mojitos. Ocimum tenuiflorum, aka Holy Basil, aka tulsi would make an interesting substitution. 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