Mint Sauce for Lamb

Fact #1: I don’t care for commercially made Mint Sauce. Now you know. Fact #2: We have an abundance of fresh mint in our summer garden. Now you know that, too.

My experience with Mint Sauce has been limited to the neon-green jellied kind and - in my rational moments - to the more acceptable (but expensive) bottled, liquid kind. That was before we discovered this online recipe, which has been in Ruth Bogdanski’s family for the past 80 years. Ruth hails from Grants Pass, Oregon, from where she reports: “Our gang won’t eat lamb without this Mint Sauce.” Nor will mine. 

It’s almost winter in the Time Zone and at the Latitude Where I Live, so our mint is presently sleeping, but assuming you plant some mint when summer arrives, you and I will be ready to enjoy this marvellous sauce. The recipe contains no commercial preservatives, so use or discard what’s left within a couple of weeks. 

Mint Sauce for Lamb:

1/4 c. (60 mL) loosely packed mint leaves, finely chopped
1/4 c. (60 mL) boiling water
2 tbsp. (30 mL) cider vinegar
2 tbsp. (30 mL) granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. (1.25 mL) salt
1/8 tsp. (0.6 mL) freshly ground pepper

Place mint in small bowl, stirring in remaining ingredients until sugar is fully dissolved. Cover and let steep 20 min. Serve immediately. Yields 4-to-6 servings.

- Gracious thanks to TasteofHome.com