Description of mint sauce, industrial production and home making. Calorie content and vitamin and mineral composition, benefits and harms. Application in cooking, recipes.
Mint sauce is a traditional Irish and English dish, served with fatty hot dishes, meat or fish. Initially, it was prepared from 3 ingredients (mint, vinegar and sugar), but later the recipe was complicated. Taste - fresh, sweetish with sourness and light astringency; aroma - menthol; the consistency can be either homogeneous or heterogeneous; color - from light green to dark brown, depending on the additional ingredients. Currently, the dressing has firmly entered the national cuisine of the peoples of the Caucasus, Greece, the Middle East and Indochina.
How is mint sauce made?
In industrial conditions, in the manufacture of mint sauce, a mixture is first made from dry components - mint (often dried, but sometimes fresh) with spices and flavorings. A centrifuge is used for mixing. After receiving the raw material, mint sauce is made, like mayonnaise, on the same mechanized line. The concentrate is poured into the mixing reactor, liquid components are pumped through the pipeline: acetic-salt solution, low-calorie kefir, sour cream. Flavoring additives are introduced into the emulsion before pouring the acetic-salt solution. The agitator works during all processes to avoid delamination. The homogeneous mixture enters the homogenizer, and from there to the filling device. If the product is poured into cans, a sterilizer and a twist-off for the lids are installed. When filling into bags, a vacuum machine is used.
It is very difficult to buy ready-made mint sauce. The products are supplied from the UK and are not in demand due to the high cost. In Russia, a package of 245 g sauce is offered at a price of 260-300 rubles, in Ukraine the same capacity costs from 500 hryvnia. On the Internet, prices are lower, but there is a high chance of acquiring a fake.
Before you start making mint sauce at home, you should decide on the ingredients. Mint can be used with peppermint, menthol, scented or chocolate mint. Preference should be given to grass grown in your garden (you can also buy it in the store). For dressing, use only balsamic, rice or wine vinegar with a weak aroma that does not overpower the smell of mint. The rest of the additives are at your discretion.
How to make mint sauce yourself:
- Classic version … Pour 2 tbsp into the blender bowl. l. boiling water, 8 tbsp. l. balsamic vinegar, add 1 tbsp. l. clarified cane sugar and 2 tbsp. l. crushed mint leaves. Beat and let it brew for 3 hours in the refrigerator under the lid. If you want to get the English version, then the blender is not used. Parts of the plant are mixed with sugar, rubbed with a knife blade, poured with water, and only then vinegar is added. From this amount of ingredients, 125 ml of sauce is obtained.
- Japanese-Chinese version … Half the lemon is cut into cubes along with the zest (the seeds are removed), 120 ml of boiling water is poured. Finely chop mint leaves. Combine lemon infusion with honey (2-3 tbsp. L.) And soy sauce (1, 5 tbsp. L.). Bring to a boil, allow to cool to room temperature, reheat until bubbles appear, filter through a fine sieve and pour greens. Cool after 40 minutes. Serve with fatty pork or Peking duck.
- Caucasian recipe … The texture of this mint sauce should be uniform, so it is best to use a blender. The bowl is seasoned with herbs - mint and cilantro (30 g each), garlic (3 prongs, it is better to pre-cut them), 1 tbsp. l. warm water, balsamic vinegar and sugar (1 tsp each), half a lemon with zest, olive oil (80 ml). Beat, taste, add some salt. Cooled, served with lamb.
- Universal sauce … Mix 1 tsp in a blender. lemon juice and 50 g each of mint and pine nuts. Separately, 1 clove of garlic is chopped very finely with a knife. The crusher is not needed, otherwise the juice will flow out. Mix the ingredients, pour half a glass of unsweetened yogurt (kefir), insist and cool. Beat just before serving. Often this filling is served with seafood, while adding black pepper.
Helpful Hints for Making Homemade Mint Sauce:
- It is better to use fresh young green leaves, but dried raw materials are also allowed.
- When chopping with a knife, the tops of the stems are not used, but in a blender you can grind the whole branch.
- The menthol flavor goes well with all kinds of nuts, spinach, parsley, cilantro and raspberries.
- Balsamic vinegar can be substituted with wine, lemon juice and dry wine.
- It is not advisable to subject the ingredients to heat treatment.
Read also how to make oyster sauce.
The composition and calorie content of mint sauce
In the photo mint sauce
The classic sauce has a low nutritional value, does not contain fats and carbohydrates. For those who are losing weight, this is an ideal product.
The calorie content of classic mint sauce is 16 kcal per 100 g, of which:
- Proteins - 0 g;
- Fat - 0 g;
- Carbohydrates - 3, 9 g.
The calorie content of mint sauce with fermented milk dressing is 54.3 kcal per 100 g, of which:
- Proteins - 2.9 g;
- Fat - 1.9 g;
- Carbohydrates - 7 g;
- Dietary fiber - 2.4 g.
Vitamins per 100 g:
- Vitamin A, RE - 77.3 mcg;
- Beta Carotene - 0.006 mg;
- Vitamin B1, thiamine - 0.05 mg;
- Vitamin B2, riboflavin - 0.187 mg;
- Vitamin B4, choline - 27.04 mg;
- Vitamin B5, pantothenic acid - 0.302 mg;
- Vitamin B6, pyridoxine - 0.076 mg;
- Vitamin B9, folates - 39.036 mcg;
- Vitamin B12, cobalamin - 0.251 mcg;
- Vitamin C, ascorbic acid - 9.96 mg;
- Vitamin PP, NE - 1.0138 mg;
- Niacin - 0.063 mg
Macronutrients per 100 g:
- Potassium, K - 262.16 mg;
- Calcium, Ca - 148.53 mg;
- Magnesium, Mg - 32.83 mg;
- Sodium, Na - 40.78 mg;
- Sulfur, S - 18.31 mg;
- Phosphorus, P - 78.4 mg;
- Chlorine, Cl - 69.26 mg.
Microelements per 100 g:
- Iron, Fe - 1.584 mg;
- Iodine, I - 5.66 mcg;
- Cobalt, Co - 0.629 μg;
- Manganese, Mn - 0.3585 mg;
- Copper, Cu - 104.83 μg;
- Molybdenum, Mo - 3.144 μg;
- Selenium, Se - 1.257 μg;
- Fluorine, F - 19.76 μg;
- Chromium, Cr - 1.26 μg;
- Zinc, Zn - 0.5838 mg.
Mint sauce contains 10 essential amino acids and 8 nonessential - most of all leucine and aspartic acid.
Fats per 100 g:
- Cholesterol - 5.03 mg;
- Phytosterols - 3.892 mg;
- Saturated fatty acids - up to 1 g;
- Monounsaturated fatty acids - 0.01 g;
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids - 0.15 g.
Despite the fact that in the classic mint sauce the vitamin and mineral composition is poorer, it contains organic acids, essential oils and has almost the same effect as saturated counterparts.
Benefits of mint sauce
The purpose of the pouring is to combine the flavors of the main course and to accelerate the absorption of animal fats.
Benefits of mint sauce
- Accelerates peristalsis, prevents stagnant processes of the digestive tract, improves bad breath.
- It has an antispasmodic and mild analgesic effect.
- Facilitates breathing in case of complications of diseases of the ARVI group.
- Stops the development of stomatitis and suppresses the onset of pharyngitis and tonsillitis.
- Accelerates reactions and impulse conductivity, normalizes the properties of memorization.
- Suppresses insomnia, promotes a good night's rest.
- Improves appetite, stimulates the production of digestive enzymes.
- Improves the absorption of vitamins and minerals from the products with which it is used.
- Lowers blood pressure.
- It has an antiseptic effect, suppresses the vital activity of pathogenic microorganisms.
The balanced composition of the universal mint sauce not only stimulates the digestive processes, but also protects the delicate mucous membrane from the aggressive effects of hydrochloric acid.
The benefits of mint sauce for women include reducing the severity of PMS and menopause symptoms, reducing the frequency of hot flashes, suppressing irritation and preventing the development of depression.
In addition, it can be used during pregnancy: despite the fact that it contains tarragon, it does not pose any danger to bearing. It is especially useful to add menthol-flavored sauce to dishes in the 1st trimester. At this time, toxicosis often occurs, due to nausea and vomiting, a woman begins to lose weight, which negatively affects the condition of the fetus - it lacks nutrients. Mint sauce relieves the manifestations of unpleasant symptoms and replenishes the vitamin and mineral reserve of the body.
