The kids and I spent 3 days last week in the Southern Adirondacks. A family friend, who is quite an outdoorsman, and experienced birdwatcher, purchased about 40 acres a couple years ago near Hinckley Reservoir in upstate New York. He has been telling me that I need to come up for a visit, and we finally took him up on the offer. One thing that he mentioned in advance of the visit was that he wanted me to show him what was edible on his property. The next several posts will all be from that visit.

The mint family is rather large, containing many common mints and herbs that we are all familiar with. I wrote about one such plant earlier, creeping charley (or ground ivy). Most of these are used for either tea or seasoning in both fresh and dried forms. The plant shown here is wild peppermint. This was growing all around the many ponds my friend has created throughout the wetlands on his property.

Wild mints can be used alone, combined with other wild teas, or used to enhance your favorite commercial tea. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons of dried leaves for every cup of water, and steep for at least 5 minutes. Double the volume of the peppermint if using fresh. Honey is the preferred method of sweetening mint teas. You can use the fresh or dried leaves as a seasoning too. They add an interesting flair to lamb, chicken, or pork. Just chop some fresh wild mint and combine with white wine, olive oil, pepper, and salt for an amazing marinade. Try different combinations with fresh basil, and other fresh herbs, or a bit of lemon juice.

Just using the leaves in beverages whole to add some interest is good too. I can remember my mother putting leaves of wild mint that grew in our backyard in pitchers of iced tea when we were kids. I intend to go back to the Adirondacks soon, and want to try a mixture of peppermint and blackberry leaves, and some other combinations. I will report back on the results. Happy foraging!