Helluva reason to have a peppermint plant on your yard or windowsill.

[ForeverDiving]

Teavana discontinued the Pure Moroccan Mint that I was using for my natural mint extract and substiturted it with a blend of green tea and mint which is a pale resemblance of the original.

This morning going for my car, something in the yard caught my attention and I found myself standing next to my wife's peppermint plant. In a whim I cut two of the greenest and leafiest twigs and returned home to the kitchen. Pulled a chopping board and a large knife and reduced them to small pieces which I put in a pyrex cup. Then went for my raw materials closet and pulled out a flask of PG and covered the peppermint with about 100ml. Heated in the microwave in ten second flashes until it felt too hot to hold and let it cool to ambient temp covered with a plate.

When I returned in the evening the liquid was a brlliant emerald green and emited a dizzying aroma. Warmed the mix again to liquify it and strained into a graduate. It yielded about 90ml of extract. Added 10ml of PG, 100ml of VG and 50ml of H₂O for a total of 250ml (no nicotine, I'm already off). It has steeped only for a few hours but it's great! Not at all like the Moroccan Mint but excellent in its own way. Fresh, fruity, piquant and highly refreshing.

Started dripping it into my Helios but just filled one of my Kayfuns and it's really one of the tastiest juices I've aped, in addition to be almost the easiest.



If you can get some fresh peppermint give it a go. Easy as pie!

PS, I'm thinking of adding some Bourbon and go for a Mint Julep vape.

 

[Boletus]

Sounds like a fun project; even though I am not a fan of menthol, at least not yet, I do have mint growing in my yard right now. I wonder if I would like homemade better than the serious menthol that makes your mouth feel frozen. What did you use to strain it?

 

[DeloresRose]

Huh. I've tried making a tincture, but that never comes out well. Your method is so much simpler and faster. I'll have to try that. Mint is so easy to grow, too. Like a dang weed. I have some that was here when we bought the house - over 25 years ago!

 

[NiaJane]

And there are so many types of mint that can be grown.... chocolate mint, apple mint...
My mind is reeling!
Thanks for sharing!

 

[wallacecarey]

Makes complete scence to me. When is fresh from the garden not better than from a can or jar.......never.

 

[rvbarton]

I've watched a Youtube video of someone making their own vape with "another" leafy substance in a similar fashion. They used a crock pot on low heat for about 4 hours to achieve the same effect. If only I could do this with Cheesecake factory cheesecake!!!

 

[Alien Traveler]

Thanks for the idea. Will try it.
I think I will let it stay (after straining, before mixing) for a few days to check for sediment.

 

[Aheadatime]

Yeah I'd like to try this too. 36% extract is a big amount. Perhaps you could do a 'double over'. Extract the leaves into the 100mL like you did, then strain (90mLs left now). Take the 90mLs of strained extract, add 10mL to bring it back to 100mL, and add in a new batch of leaves so the extract is twice as strong. This would hopefully mean you only have to mix ~15% strength next time.

 

[Momato]

Has anyone tried lemon balm it's in the mint family


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[williebb123]

while im not a peppermint fan i would like to try a spearmint , looks like im planting spearmint in the garden next spring

 

[amoret]

A warning to anyone who wants to grow mint -- don't put it anywhere that you want to grow anything else, it will take over. If you want to try it and not have it spread, cut the bottom out of a large nursery pot, at least a foot deep, and plant it in that. Leave the top rim of the pot at least an inch above the soil.

 

[ForeverDiving]

Sounds like a fun project; even though I am not a fan of menthol, at least not yet, I do have mint growing in my yard right now. I wonder if I would like homemade better than the serious menthol that makes your mouth feel frozen.

I've prepared Menthol and Mint (or Peppermint) essence juices, also used the herbal Teavana Moroccan Mint —as I said in my OP– but this fresh wild mint extract is much milder, fruity and fresh, not at all artificial in taste. It has a mild aromatic flavor that is intensifying by the hour as the juice steeps.

What did you use to strain it?

An ordinary kitchen mesh strainer. Although I usually have to filter my extracts to remove minute solid particles, this one came out completely clear.

If you have mint in your yard, by all means invest a few minutes and do the extract. You can only lose half an hour and some juice base. I suggest doing the extract with a high percentage of PG rather than VG and conpensate afterwards. The thinner PG will extract the flavor much more intensely than VG.

 

[ForeverDiving]

A warning to anyone who wants to grow mint -- don't put it anywhere that you want to grow anything else, it will take over. If you want to try it and not have it spread, cut the bottom out of a large nursery pot, at least a foot deep, and plant it in that. Leave the top rim of the pot at least an inch above the soil.

Or plant it in a large pot.

 

[ForeverDiving]

Huh. I've tried making a tincture, but that never comes out well. Your method is so much simpler and faster. I'll have to try that. Mint is so easy to grow, too. Like a dang weed. I have some that was here when we bought the house - over 25 years ago!

At first I thought so too. My first Moroccan Mint extract was made like a herbal infusion, just with a disproportionate amount of tea to very little water. It came out all right but poor in taste once it was mixed with the base.

On my next attempt I used four full TBsp of the tea (which is quite dry and sucks liquid like a sponge) and added 100ml of pure PG and heated as mentioned in my OP. It immediately produced a deep color and yielded about 70% that I tripled to make 200 ml of finished juice.

For the Yerbabuena, as already said, I washed and disinfected the twigs, drained and chopped them in a block into small (~1/4") pieces and covered them with PG in a pyrex cup. Then heated to about 80°~90°C (don't know exactly what it's in F° but 100°C is boiling water temp at sea level) and let it rest. In about 5 minutes it was a brilliant emerald green and when it eventually cooled some 30 minutes later, it flooded the kitchen with a deliscious fresh aroma. I strained it and found that no filtering was needed. Made 250ml out of the extract at 40PG-40VG-20H₂O.

If somebody wants more zest, there's always the possibility of adding some essence.

 

[ForeverDiving]

And there are so many types of mint that can be grown.... chocolate mint, apple mint...
My mind is reeling!
Thanks for sharing!

Glad you liked the tip. I must tell you that a few hours of maturing have boosted the flavor threefold. On Sunday I'll go to the local market and look for some other herbs. Eucaliptus anyone?

PS, don't miss my Orange Martini recipe. Guaranteed you'll like it.

Orange peel martini.

Peel a ripe orange, eat it and save the peelings.
Place the peelings in a suitable bowl to dry in the sun (or by a well lighted and ventilated window), covered with a light gauze, napkin or mesh to keep insects out.
When the peelings are hard, cut them in small pieces (stamp sized is good), place them in a microwave safe recipient and cover with enough VG/PG of your preferred proportion. More PG works best; I use 30/70.
Put in microwave and heat with 10 sec flashes until the mixture is just too hot to touch with your fingers or about 70°C.
Take out and stir until cool.
Repeat the two previous steps between two and five times, until you have intense aroma and some light golden coloring.
Strain on a kitchen strainer and then reheat slightly to liquify and filter with a funnel and coffe filter. Keep filtering as needed until clear.
Add double VG/PG base as that of your extract yield (67% base, 33% extract).
Top with 5~10% dry vermouth (same kind you use on dry martinis). No need to buy a bottle if you don't keep that at home, just go to your nearest watering hole and ask for a shot of Martini & Rossi, Cinzano dry or Noelly Pratt (my favorite).
You can also cut the vermouth in half and add the same amount of your preferred gin for extra punch!
Mix vigorously and let steep for at least two weeks, airing dayly or at least twice a week.
Add nic to taste.

 

[Nick N]

Currently I am vaping the following mixture:

15ml unflavored VG + 30 drops of Vaporgod Arctic Wolf Menthol.

Since I use 0mg nicotine I would rather have an all day vape that I can source ingredients locally. I have not purchased menthol crystals yet, and saw this thread.

Question: Could I make mint drops using fresh mint (purchased at grocery now, grown at home later if it works out) and use alcohol (like vodka)?

I prefer a cup of fresh ground plain black coffee, so why not fresh mint?

What would be your approach?

 

[Boletus]

I've prepared Menthol and Mint (or Peppermint) essence juices, also used the herbal Teavana Moroccan Mint —as I said in my OP– but this fresh wild mint extract is much milder, fruity and fresh, not at all artificial in taste. It has a mild aromatic flavor that is intensifying by the hour as the juice steeps.
...
If you have mint in your yard, by all means invest a few minutes and do the extract. You can only lose half an hour and some juice base. I suggest doing the extract with a high percentage of PG rather than VG and conpensate afterwards. The thinner PG will extract the flavor much more intensely than VG.

The ground is drier than a desert in my yard right now, but you have just motivated me to water the wild (or feral) mint patch tomorrow. What are you vaping this on? Does it gunk up your gear inordinately fast?

 

[ForeverDiving]

Yeah I'd like to try this too. 36% extract is a big amount. Perhaps you could do a 'double over'. Extract the leaves into the 100mL like you did, then strain (90mLs left now). Take the 90mLs of strained extract, add 10mL to bring it back to 100mL, and add in a new batch of leaves so the extract is twice as strong. This would hopefully mean you only have to mix ~15% strength next time.

That's a great idea!

I'll try to do a double or triple strenght extract. How much do you think until it saturates? OTOH, I must try a super strength juice and see how it tastes. Tomorrow the plant will lose some more twigs...

Many thanks!

 

[ForeverDiving]

The ground is drier than a desert in my yard right now, but you have just motivated me to water the wild (or feral) mint patch tomorrow. What are you vaping this on? Does it gunk up your gear inordinately fast?

It's tasting great in one of my KFL+2 but I'm also dripping it in an Omega and, no, it's not gunking the coils or wicks at all. Save for the green tint it could be clear juice.

 

[Tom Fuller]

Teavana discontinued the Pure Moroccan Mint that I was using for my natural mint extract and substiturted it with a blend of green tea and mint which is a pale resemblance of the original.

This morning going for my car, something in the yard caught my attention and I found myself standing next to my wife's peppermint plant. In a whim I cut two of the greenest and leafiest twigs and returned home to the kitchen. Pulled a chopping board and a large knife and reduced them to small pieces which I put in a pyrex cup. Then went for my raw materials closet and pulled out a flask of PG and covered the peppermint with about 100ml. Heated in the microwave in ten second flashes until it felt too hot to hold and let it cool to ambient temp covered with a plate.

When I returned in the evening the liquid was a brlliant emerald green and emited a dizzying aroma. Warmed the mix again to liquify it and strained into a graduate. It yielded about 90ml of extract. Added 10ml of PG, 100ml of VG and 50ml of H₂O for a total of 250ml (no nicotine, I'm already off). It has steeped only for a few hours but it's great! Not at all like the Moroccan Mint but excellent in its own way. Fresh, fruity, piquant and highly refreshing.

Started dripping it into my Helios but just filled one of my Kayfuns and it's really one of the tastiest juices I've aped, in addition to be almost the easiest.

View attachment 366424 View attachment 366425 View attachment 366426

If you can get some fresh peppermint give it a go. Easy as pie!

PS, I'm thinking of adding some Bourbon and go for a Mint Julep vape.

Maybe rum and lime Lemmon juice fresh, Mojito


Live Long and Vape!