Mint is a healthy spice that adds a refreshing, cool note to a variety of dishes and drinks. Unfortunately, like other greens, it is not stored fresh after cutting for long, but its shelf life can be significantly extended if you know certain tricks. Keeping the spice fresh for the winter is difficult; most often it is stored dried, but then dishes with it turn out less aromatic and rich. How long does mint last in the refrigerator and freezer? What ways can you keep it fresh for a long time? The various storage methods and nuances are discussed later in the article.
- 6.1. Video: How to preserve MINT for the winter? The best ways!
Main features of storage and collection
There are several known methods to keep mint fresh for a long time. They are simple, but some nuances are worth considering:
- The plant accumulates the maximum amount of useful components at the beginning of summer. This is the period when it blooms. The natural process indicates the need for harvesting for later storage.
- For long-term storage, choose young plants with densely planted leaves. They contain the maximum amount of essential oils.
- You need to cut mint and lemon balm in the morning, after the dew has disappeared.
These conditions are advisory in nature; you can collect herbs for preparations at other times, but following the listed rules will allow you to obtain the most useful raw materials.
Before storing, you need to prepare the raw materials:
- Sort the stems, remove dry leaves, remove other herbs and other debris.
- Rinse the plant under running water and shake off the water.
- Place on newspapers or paper towels and leave until moisture has completely evaporated from the surface of the leaves.
Attention! If only leaves are used to create the blank, they need to be separated from the stems. It is better to work with your hands; contact with a metal tool accelerates the deterioration of the product.
How to keep mint fresh
Mint leaves have delicate outer tissue, so they quickly wither after picking. The branches retain their turgor for no more than 2-3 hours after cutting, but knowing certain secrets, the duration of fresh storage without freezing can be significantly increased.
There are several simple methods:
- The picked mint is stored at room temperature in a container with clean water (like a bouquet). In this case, the stem is first cut obliquely with a sharp knife, and the leaves are cut off at the base to prevent rotting. The water should be changed every day. A simple method allows you to extend the freshness of the plant for 3-5 days (depending on the quality of the raw materials); if the mint has been without water for a long time, its freshness period will decrease to 2 days.
- The mint is washed under cold water and dried on a paper towel. The plant is placed in a sealed plastic container and placed in a cool place; contact with sunlight must be avoided. The maximum duration of freshness is 4 days.
You can preserve the juiciness of mint leaves for 10 days or more by storing it in the refrigerator. In this case, attention is paid to the original quality of the raw materials; damaged branches are not suitable for long-term storage. The spread of rot and other lesions can cause the entire stock to be lost. The branches are placed in a plastic container or wrapped in a paper towel and stored in the vegetable compartment.
If after collecting the mint it is not possible to immediately place it in a container with water, it is recommended to wrap the stems in a damp cloth and place them in a plastic bag. Then the plant will not begin to wither immediately.
Attention! When stored in the refrigerator, mint should be “isolated” from other foods because it has a rich aroma that can spread to other foods stored in the refrigerator.
If mint needs to be kept fresh for about 10-14 days, the best solution is to store it in the refrigerator. If the conditions are met, the spice will retain its smell and taste. Appearance may be slightly altered because leaves darken quickly after harvest.
When to harvest mint?
The choice of procurement dates depends on the purposes for which the raw materials are collected. If for use in cosmetics, cooking, or for treatment, then it is harvested during flowering - during this period the plant is maximally saturated with useful substances. There are no exact dates - the flowering period depends on:
- type;
- varieties;
- climate of the area;
- growing conditions;
- care
If greens are needed for flavor, for use in home canning, jams, aromatic teas, then the stems are cut off at a young age before the buds appear. Regular cutting of young shoots stimulates the growth of new ones, so you can harvest several times a season.
To obtain high-quality and healthy raw materials, you need to follow certain rules:
- do not harvest mint growing near a road, industrial zone, or within the city - the leaves and stems accumulate harmful substances;
- for medicinal preparations, collect mature plants in the flowering stage;
- choose specimens that have sprouted side shoots, without signs of disease, bright, juicy;
- cut (do not tear off) 1/3 of the length, not the entire stem - if you cut the entire shoot, new ones may not grow back;
- The collection should be carried out in dry weather, when the dew has dried, preferably before the midday heat, in order to preserve essential oils;
- to preserve them during long-term transportation, wrap the stems in a damp cloth;
Attention! First spray dusty plants with a hose or watering can, allow them to dry and only then cut them off.
Freezer storage
For long-term storage, mint should be frozen. To do this, the spice must be properly prepared:
- the raw materials are washed under running water;
- lay out on newspapers or paper towels and wait until the moisture is completely removed;
- If you plan to freeze only the leaves, you need to remove them from the stem.
It must be remembered that mint, like any greens that have been frozen, should not be subjected to it again after thawing. Periodic temperature changes during storage will inevitably lead to loss of taste and aroma, then you won’t be able to please your loved ones with mint tea in the winter.
Freezing mint leaves
Leaves should be removed from the stem by hand, without using metal scissors or pruners. There should be no traces of moisture on their surface. The raw materials are placed in a thick plastic bag equipped with a zip fastener. If there is no special bag for freezing, the air from the package must be removed using a straw. Mint leaves frozen using this method in compliance with all conditions retain their taste and beneficial qualities for 1 year.
Freezing whole branches
Raw materials are used to create various dishes and cocktails, prepare medicinal decoctions and infusions used for cosmetic purposes. To ensure freezing, washed and dried raw materials are packaged in ordinary plastic bags, placing 3-5 branches in each. Freezing in large portions is pointless; the required amount of frozen mint will be difficult to separate. Packets of mint are rolled into a tight tube and placed against the back wall of the freezer, in the compartment with vegetables and fruits.
Freezing leaves in ice cubes
The advantage of this method is the portioned packaging of greens. Mint is frozen in ice cube trays or candy boxes. The cooking process is as follows:
- 2-3 washed mint leaves are placed in each compartment of the mold;
- add water, filling it completely;
- place in the freezer for 3-4 minutes.
It is not necessary to store the product directly in ice trays. You can remove the cubes after freezing and place them in a plastic container so as not to occupy the mold.
There are enough ways to ensure mint is frozen for the winter, so the housewife can choose the optimal method at her discretion. If fresh mint is used for cooking, consider freezing the leaves and whole branches. If the main purpose is making cocktails and using them in cosmetology, the method of freezing in cubes is convenient. You can make the preparation in several versions, in small portions.
How to dry mint at home?
Drying mint does not require much labor or complex preparations. Prepared, clean, without traces of moisture mint:
- disassembled into small bundles;
- the tops of the shoots are dropped into spacious paper bags;
- bandaged and hung in a dry, ventilated place without access to sunlight.
With this method of drying, the grass is not exposed to ultraviolet radiation and thermal radiation, wind and dust, and it is also inaccessible to insects.
If desired, other spicy-flavoring herbs are included in the bunches, for example, oregano, St. John's wort, thyme or sage. Such sets will not only help diversify winter tea drinking, but will also become an excellent healing remedy.
If mint is dried on pallets, the plant material is spread in a thin layer and also provides protection from the sun, draft, insects or pollution. In this case, in order for the process to proceed more evenly and quickly, the grass will have to be carefully stirred from time to time.
Dried mint
Most often, mint is dried for long-term storage. The optimal collection time is July-August. At this time, the leaves retain essential oils in maximum concentration, so the pleasant menthol smell, if dried raw materials are properly stored, lasts for several years.
Recommendations for creating a blank come down to a simple algorithm:
- the branches are washed and slightly dried;
- collected in bundles of 10-15 pieces. and hung or laid out in a dry, dark place (contact with sunlight should be excluded);
- after complete drying, remove leaves and inflorescences from the branches;
- the raw materials are ground in a mortar or crushed by hand.
You need to store mint in linen bags or jars with a lid. The spice is added to ready-made dishes: soups, roasts, pilaf. In this form, it is stored for 1-2 years, but if the expiration date has expired, you should not throw it away. You can prepare a decoction based on it for taking baths.
Attention! Do not dry mint in the oven or microwave.
Fresh mint all year round
If it is possible to grow greens at home, then there is no need to resort to freezing or drying - fresh aromatic mint will be on the table all year round. A young low bush is dug up, replanted and grown in a pot - like a houseplant. Twigs and leaves are cut off immediately before use.
You can grow mint in a pot from a cutting - cut the top of the branch (8-10 cm) obliquely and place it in a glass of water for rooting. As soon as the roots are formed, the seedling is transplanted into a pot, covered with a jar for 2-3 days. Store-bought mint is also suitable for cutting cuttings if it is elastic and juicy.
With any method, spicy herbs, including mint, retain their qualities for a long time, if they are prepared correctly and on time, and the storage recommendations are followed. There are many ways to preserve the aroma and nutrients in the plant, but you need to choose a method taking into account the purpose for which the spice is prepared.
If you have your own experience of storing spicy herbs, then share with us and tell us in what form it is best to store mint: dried, frozen. In which case does the scent last longer?
Is it possible to store lemon balm in the refrigerator and freeze it for the winter?
Melissa is an aromatic medicinal plant common in central Russia. When a few leaves are added to ordinary tea, it becomes therapeutic: it normalizes the functioning of the nervous system and stabilizes blood pressure. But this decoction can only be consumed in the summer; keeping the plant fresh for a long time is quite difficult.
Homemade lemon balm collected at a summer cottage retains its freshness for about 7-10 days. The concentration of beneficial properties is constantly decreasing. To preserve lemon balm for a week, it should be placed in a vessel with water immediately after collection. The container is sent to the refrigerator. It is not recommended to freeze plant stems. Under the influence of low temperatures, the bulk of the beneficial properties are destroyed, therefore the optimal solution to ensure long-term storage is drying.
Mint Green Syrup
For one and a half glasses of chopped mint from your garden, you will need a glass of sugar and the same amount of water. Sprinkle mint leaves with half the sugar and leave for several hours so that the herb gives juice and the sugar begins to dissolve. Make syrup from the remaining sugar and water, checking its readiness after boiling, drop by drop on a saucer. If the drop does not spread, the sugar syrup is ready and you can pour it over the mint.
To preserve all the properties of the plant, the syrup should not be kept on fire for too long. Immediately after boiling, remove the pan, cool the syrup and, after rubbing it through a sieve, pour it into sterilized dry bottles or jars.
How to properly store mint syrup? The vitamin-rich and very aromatic syrup can be stored well for up to two months if the sealed jars are stored in the refrigerator or cellar.
The best method for long-term storage
The simplest, most convenient way to store mint for a long time is in dried form. But, if you plan to use mint to create cocktails, drinks or any savory dishes, it is better to freeze it fresh. The best method is freezing in ice cubes. A lot of useful properties are partially lost in any long-term storage option.
The maximum duration for storing mint in the refrigerator is no more than 2 weeks, but it must be taken into account that the plant will gradually lose some of its beneficial properties. Freezing the plant allows you to preserve its benefits and freshness throughout the year. There are several ways to provide it: mint is frozen with leaves and stems, as well as in ice cubes. With so many options, choosing the one that suits you is very easy. It is much more difficult to ensure long-term storage of another aromatic herb - lemon balm. It retains its freshness in the refrigerator for no more than 10 days, and cannot be frozen. The optimal solution is to dry the raw materials for the winter.
Video: How to preserve MINT for the winter? The best ways!
How to preserve MINT for the winter? The best ways!
Watch this video on YouTube
Video: How to prepare mint for the winter? Drying or freezing?
How to prepare mint for the winter? Drying or freezing?
Watch this video on YouTube
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