Spearmint Tincture & Alcohol-Free Extract

Spearmint (Mentha spicata) is a spreading perennial of the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to Europe and southwestern Asia and grown in gardens and commercial plantings worldwide, with large acreages in the US Pacific Northwest. It forms colonies 30 to 100 cm tall from creeping runners, with square stems and nearly stalkless, bright green, lanceolate leaves with sharply toothed margins and a wrinkled surface. Slender, tapering spikes of small pink to lilac flowers appear in summer. Crushed leaves release the sweet, carvone-rich scent familiar from chewing gum. We extract the dried leaf.