TravelTalkOnline Forums People Talk Recipes spearmint vs peppermint

does anyone know which "mint" is sold in grocery stores? i don't cook with this often enough to know, although i do know that spearmint is milder than peppermint. i have a couple of recipes i'd like to try out and figured i should know what i am cooking with.. thanks in advance.

I've always seen Spearmint. In fact, I grow some on the deck. Man does it take over! Not a bad thing. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />



<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> Contessa

I planted peppermint in our woods years ago, and it has taken over like wildfire!

The original plants came from the market... and still had some roots attached...
I used what I needed and planted the rest... they all took, and we now have about 1/3 acre of woods covered in it...
makes a good groundcover & forced out a lot of the bad undergrowth...
smells good too...

in brooklyn, i wouldn't have this problem, as our backyard is a cozy concrete slab. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> i've heard that mint grows abundantly and well and should be grown in containers (if u don't want it to take over the garden).

so you're saying spearmint is "mint"? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Yes. If a recipe asks for 'mint' it's asking for spearmint. If it asks for
peppermint, it will be specific. At least that's my observation after cooking for nearly 1/2 century! And miles to go before I learn it all!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />


<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> Contessa

I do believe, when you buy just "mint" at the market... it is spearmint...
When you buy peppermint, it's... well peppermint...

I prefer the taste of peppermint to spearmint myself... I like a few leaves crushed up in iced tea once in a great while...
I also like it chopped and added to a fresh garden salad...
and always lots of it, chopped and crushed, added to my rub for a Leg of Lamb (along with a lot of garlic & rosemary)!

In our speciality markets they have both. We buy it every year and grow inside in a window box type planter and it grows very well. In the past we have gotten spearmint and didn't like it so now if we can we get peppermint. Or is it visa versa? Since I didn't keep the identifying tag I'm not sure only that this years mint is much tastier in our ice tea that the one from last year.

Think of the differance in taste between spearmint & peppermint gum... that's the differance...
I definately don't like spearmint personally...

Brian, do the deer like the mint?

don't recall ever seeing specifically peppermint or spearmint when out food shopping, just mint, hence my dilemma. thanks for the clarification.

someone once told me, if u like peppermint then u will like colgate and if u like spearmint then u will like crest... i like colgate, so perhaps this theory is correct. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

I don't think so... but it's hard to tell at our house, as Deb feeds them whole kernel corn and apple deer food every morning and night! Two gallon buckets each time...
we go thru 150 pounds a week...
two 50 pound bags of corn, one 50 pound bag of apple deer food...
costs about $20/week... and the deer no longer eat her flowers...