There are a few ways how to make mint jelly – I like the option of using apple juice as it’s quick and easy.
In addition the lemon juice adds a lovely freshness to the flavour.
Below you will find 6 ways to use mint jelly, with the recipe further down the page
What do you eat mint jelly with?
The advantage of mint jelly is that there are lots of ways you can use it. For example:
- Combined with Roast Lamb, Pork, etc,.
- Mixed in with peas or new potatoes
- Or even with crumpets, toast or croissants
- Quite sweet – so you don’t need to use much.
Mint jelly is very easy to make at home and will taste much better than the ones from a jar. In addition you can also experiment with different mint types – as that will add an extra unique flavour.
It is such a lovely and versatile product you can use it with virtually any meal.
As an example here are 6 different ideas
Idea 1 – What does mint jelly do for lamb?
I had to start with this one because using it with roast lamb is the obvious one.
Although in England lamb tends to be eating with mint sauce, this has not been the case in the US. Where even as early as 1901 (According to the Homestead Museum) the Americans switched to using mint jelly. However it got a real boost when American servicemen serving in Britain during WWII returned home. They had eaten a lot of roast lamb with mint sauce and started asking for it when they returned.
What else is good with lamb other than mint jelly?
It’s important to note that Roasted or grilled lamb has a unique meat flavor, unlike any other meat. This is caused by the fatty acids released by the fat of lamb. Uniquely mint has similar but slightly different compounds which makes it an unique herb for a scientific match in flavours. Both mint jelly and mint sauce will combine well with lamb – it’s your own personal taste if you prefer the slightly more sweet taste of the jelly.
Idea 2 – Does mint jelly go with pork?
Yes it does. especially with pork tenderloin or pork chops.
For example the picture above right shows it combined with Chinese style pork loin steaks, potato croquettes and peas
Idea 3 – Crumpets, toast & croissants
The beauty of the jelly is the sweet apple & mint flavour. As opposed to mint sauce (which is much more vinegary) this means that you can easily use it as an alternative to jams, etc.
Idea 4 – New potatoes
Similarly adding it (and maybe a bit of garlic) to new potatoes will add a lovely unique flavour.
Idea 5 – Peas
As you might have noticed from the minted peas with mint sauce article the mint flavour is ideally suited for peas.
Even adding a small spoonful to freshly prepared peas (served with mashed potatoes) will add something extra.
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How to make mint jelly
Equipment
- 1 Chef Knife
- 1 Saucepan
Ingredients
- 400 ml Apple juice
- 500 g Caster sugar
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 cup Fresh Mint Leaves Chopped
- 1 sachet Gelatine powder
- 1 drop Food colouring Optional
Instructions
- Add 60 ml cold water into a bowl, sprinkle the gelatine powder on top, stir to dissolve and leave for 5 to 10 minutes
- Chop the mint leaves into very small parts.
- Pour the apple juice into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
- Add the caster sugar and lemon juice and boil for 1 minute.
- Then add the chopped mint leaves and (optionally) the food colouring. And boil for 2 minutes.
- Heat the gelatine in a microwave for 10 seconds until runny again and then add the gelatine to the mix and stir until dissolved
- Pour into the resealable jars and seal. Optionally use a sieve.
- Cool in a fridger for about 4 hours until set.
Video
Hopefully the guide to how to make fresh mint jelly might inspire you to grow your own fresh mint at home.
When you are cooking fresh herbs tend to make a real difference to the results. Herbs are really easy to grow at home and many of them grow really fast.
To grow your own mint
It’s not very difficult to grow your own at home – even indoors (in your kitchen, spare bedroom, garage, etc. All you will need are seeds, growing system and some growing lights. There is detailed description of the – indoor herb growing system
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