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Drink

Peppermint Water

A distilled beverage made from fresh peppermint leaves and water.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 2 ingredients
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Peppermint Water

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Cut peppermint into short lengths.

  2. Fill a still with the peppermint and cover it with water.

Distill

  1. Heat the still until it is near boiling and begins to drop.

  2. Adjust the fire to prevent boiling over for clearer water.

Bottle and store

  1. Once distilled, bottle the water and let it stand for 3-4 days to mellow the taste.

  2. Cork the bottle well for long-term storage.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

Explore the science

What each ingredient does

Peppermint leaves
Supply the aromatic oils that flavour the distilled water.
Water
Carries the peppermint aroma over during distillation and forms the finished liquid.

The step that matters

Adjust the fire to prevent boiling over. If the still boils over, liquid and plant matter can carry into the condensate, making the water cloudy and less clear. Gentle heat keeps the distillate clean and the aroma steady.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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