It's an idea to buy bunches of mint from local Asian shops where it's sold for a fraction of supermarket prices. The flavour is so much more intense and fresher too.

Garden centres offer a range of fruit-flavoured mints, including apple mint and pineapple mint. Other varieties include peppermint, used in confectionary. There's even a chocolate mint, which, as its name suggests, has an after-dinner mint chocolate taste.

To store
The best way to keep mint is to plunge bunches, stem down, in a jam jar, and cover the leaves with a loose-fitting plastic bag. It's best stored this way in the fridge and will stay fresh for 3-4 days.

Dried mint is often used in Middle Eastern and Asian dishes, and is particularly tasteful when sprinkled over flatbreads. It does, however, become musty within a few weeks of drying, so use it as soon as possible, and freeze any remainder in an airtight plastic bag.

In the kitchen
A classic pairing with roast lamb - sweet, tangy mint sauce is one of the best known British uses of mint leaves.

Ring the changes by infusing the leaves in hot sugar syrup and leaving on one side for an hour before straining. Clear, minted syrup can be used to sweeten fruit salads, and is especially good with raspberries.

Make a healthy pick-me-up by steeping leaves in boiling water for a steamy drink - add sugar if you like. Infusions like this are known as tisanes in France, and aren't usually sweetened. For a sweet tea - try Moroccan mint tea, made with green tea and mint.

Mint is used in many cuisines, especially Asian and the Mediterranean. Use it in salsa verde, fresh Italian-style salads or Thai dishes.

Top tips
Celebrate summer by making your own pitcher of lemonade - toss in fresh mint sprigs for added flavour.

When boiling new potatoes, add a sprig of mint to the boiling water- it adds a subtle flavour.

Equally popular in sweet as well as savoury dishes, food pairings include matching mint with chocolate, apples and citrus fruits. Mint leaves also go down a treat with cucumber, melon and tomatoes.

For decorating and garnishing dishes, use smaller sprigs, sited near the top of the stems - they have a sweeter, more subtle taste.

Did you know...
The ancient Greeks warned their soldiers to stop eating mint before going into battle. The leaves were thought to promote lusty love-making and diminish an appetite for armed conflict.