How do I make mint sauce from scratch?

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves


1 cup malt vinegar


2 tablespoons white sugar


small bottles for storage


Copyright Terms:


Free for personal use only. Do not reprint or copy for any other purpose.


See our Terms of Service for more information.








Mint Sauce


Instructions:





Rinse young, healthy mint leaves, strip from the stems, and chop into fine pieces. I usually process most of the leaves in the blender, with a little of the vinegar, leaving some aside to chop by hand. The leaves chopped in the blender will be very fine, and infuse a fine flavor, while those done by hand are a little coarser and will be more visible in the decorative vinegar jar.





Bring vinegar to a simmer in a small saucepan, add sugar and chopped leaves. Simmer for about 20 minutes to infuse. Add more sugar or add a little water to taste, depending on how strong or how sweet you want the sauce. (I add no extra water or sugar to this recipe, but you may prefer a less strong infusion.)





You can re-use lots of different bottles for mint sauce...I've used bottles and jars that once contained steak sauce, olive oil, baby food and salad dressings. Tall narrow jars look elegant, but short, squat jars allow you to use a spoon to serve the mint sauce. Make sure the bottles are free of nicks or cracks and sealable with either a screw top or cork. Wash containers thoroughly, then sterilize by immersing the jars in a pan of hot water and simmering for 10 minutes. Once jars are sterilized, remove from the simmering water and invert on paper towel to dry. Fill while the jars are still warm and seal tightly. If using corks and you intend to store the vinegar for an extended time, seal the corks by dipping in paraffin; if using a screw top, place a small square of waxed paper on top of the jar before screwing the lid on tight.





You can add a small fresh sprig of mint to your jars, if you wish, for visual appeal - just insert into the jar before adding the mint sauce. Use a funnel to add the sauce, stirring as you pour it into the funnel to make sure you get lots of mint leaves mixed with the vinegar. You'll find that the mint settles to the bottom of the jar, so the mint sauce should be gently shaken or stirred before serving.





Vinegar has natural preservative qualities, and mint sauce should keep for 2 to 3 months in cold storage or for 6 to 8 months in the refrigerator.

How do I make mint sauce from scratch?
FRESH MINT SAUCE





1 lg. bunch fresh mint leaves (about 1/2 cup minced leaves)


1 c. dark brown sugar


1 c. tarragon wine vinegar





Wash the mint and pull of the leaves. Combine leaves, stems, sugar and vinegar in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Lift the leaves and stems from sauce. Discard stems. Chop the leaves very fine and return to sauce. Serve warm over roast lamb.