Scotch mints are fairly large, round white mint candies. They are considered a classic type of confectionery and many of us remember our grandmother carrying them in her purse or keeping them in her kitchen. The shell of a Scotch mint is hard, but the center is chewy, powdery and mint-flavored. Scotch mints are usually very sweet and the mint flavor is quite mild and pleasant rather than overpowering.
The name refers to a type of mint plant called the Scotch mint. The Scotch mint is often used in candy making as it contains a lot of mint oil. Mint oil provides natural flavor for Scotch mints and other mint candies. Scotch mint and Scotch spearmint are both used for making mint jellies and can be used to make mint tea.
Scotch mint and Scotch spearmint plants usually grow well in a large pot or container. The roots tend to grow fast, so re-potting Scotch mint and spearmint plants fairly often is usually required. While Scotch mints would be quite difficult to try to make at home, mint teas and mint jelly are popular items for home chefs to prepare.
Dare is one of the confectionery companies that makes Scotch mints. The Dare company added to its line of confectionery by manufacturing spearmint Scotch mint candies. These are light green in color to differentiate from the regular white Scotch mints. Scotch mint and spearmint do taste differently and many people find Scotch spearmint to be a little milder tasting that Scotch mint.
The smooth, round, white Scotch mints can look quite attractive when placed in a candy jar or bowl on a table or desk. These mints are often placed in transparent plastic containers or in pieces of netting or iridescent fabric and used for wedding favors. Packages of Scotch mints are also commonly found in corporate gift baskets. Scotch mints are usually fat-free and are about 60 calories for 4 pieces.