How to properly store mint leaves. We store mint correctly - ways

A bouquet of fragrant mint fills the house with fragrance and peace. The city fatigue, insomnia and headache from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Drinking a glass of mint decoction relieves spasm, reduces nausea, cures the throat, restores appetite, relieves stomach pains and simply refreshes on a hot day. The leaves of the plant, added to dishes during the cooking process, make the food tastier. How to keep mint for a long time? A bouquet of fragrant mint fills the house with fragrance and peace. City fatigue, insomnia and headaches from the hustle and bustle of everyday days go away. Drinking a glass of mint decoction relieves spasm, reduces nausea, cures the throat, restores appetite, relieves stomach pains and simply refreshes on a hot day. The leaves of the plant, added to dishes during the cooking process, make the food tastier. How to keep mint for a long time?

Ingredients

How to store mint

1. Wet way. You can keep mint leaves fresh for up to a week by wrapping the plant in a damp towel and putting it in the refrigerator. Looks nice on kitchen table and a bouquet of mint, which for decoration can be put not only in a vase, but also in a can, a small tall saucepan, flower pot or in a jug. In this case, the water must be changed daily.

2. Dry way. Our grandmothers have been used to healing herbs dry. Dehydrated parts of the plant can be stored for many years. Truth, useful qualities herbal teas are lost over time, and therefore it is recommended to renew the supply of dry mint annually.

Dry the grass like this: flowering mint is cut with a pruner or knife, if necessary, the lower part of the plant is washed from dust in clean water let the water drain. The resulting raw materials (whole or cut into pieces) are laid out thin layer on a clean cloth in a shady place, or hung in the form of thin bunches in a ventilated room away from sunlight. medicinal properties the entire aerial part of the plant possesses, but if there is a lot of mint, the housewives prefer to collect only the leaves for storage.

3. Freezing. Modern refrigerators allow long months to store vegetables, berries, herbs. Why not freeze the mint too? Ice cubes with a fresh mint leaf in the center look especially impressive. Mint cubes can be used both in the preparation of cocktails and in soups or salads.

Mint - unique plant. It is widely used in cooking, medicine, cosmetology. Fragrant green bushes can be purchased at the market or in a store, or you can grow them in your garden. Although this culture is not as simple as it seems at first glance. It is much more difficult to save the product for a long time.

If you often cook with this spice, like to add the leaves to your tea, or use the plants for medicinal purposes, learn how to store mint at home. You can do it different ways, choose the option that suits you best.

Fresh storage

Mint, like any herb, has a limited shelf life. After cutting, it remains fresh for several hours, and then quickly fades. Bundles of greenery are usually large and are not consumed completely at once. Here's how to properly store fresh mint to make it last longer:

Put the branches in a jar with clean water, after removing the lower leaves and cutting off the edge of the stems. Keep the container in a cool place and change the liquid once a day. This will save the product for 3-4 days in its original form.
Fold clean, dry leaves into a bag and tie it tightly so that it does not let air through. Remove the workpiece in a dark and cold place. Mint can be stored this way for up to 3 days.
If it is necessary to preserve the freshness of the product a short time, no more than a day, wrap the branches with a dense damp cloth. Make sure that the material does not dry out, for this it can be wrapped with a film.

More if needed long-term storage fresh greens keep mint in the refrigerator:

Plants will stay fresh for up to 5 days if kept in a jar of water on the bottom shelf of the main compartment. To reduce moisture loss, cover the tops with a transparent bag.
Up to 7-10 days you can store mint fresh in plastic food containers. For this, clean, dry shoots are suitable, it is not necessary to cut off the leaves. The best place for containers with mint will be the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.

For information on how else you can store fresh herbs in the kitchen, see the short video:

However, all these are recipes for the summer. For information on how to properly collect and store mint for the winter, read below.

Rules for harvesting for the winter

Plants that are just throwing out buds and are in the initial phase of flowering have the greatest value. It was then that the concentration in them essential oils and other useful substances reaches the maximum mark. IN flowering plants there is less benefit, so it is important not to miss the moment.

Collection time is in July-August, depending on the region and climatic conditions.
Harvesting mint for the winter should take place in dry weather.
Cutting greens is best done early in the morning, before dew appears on the leaves, or late in the evening, when there is no scorching sun.

Do you know that…

If you grow mint yourself, for winter harvest choose bushes at the age of 2-3 years. Cut off the top third of the stem where the young green leaves are. The rest of the plant is not suitable for processing - too coarse.

Cutting can be done several times per season. On a 3-year-old plant - up to 3 times a month

Carefully inspect the collected branches and remove the yellowed, damaged and diseased ones. Rinse the greens under running water dry well.

Choose in advance how to prepare mint for the whole winter. It can be frozen in the freezer or dried. In any case, do not delay the processing process if you want the mint to keep as it should.

Freezing for culinary purposes

Freezing saves the most useful material, which is rich in mint. Such a product is prepared for the winter by many housewives. It is convenient and does not take much time. At low temperatures 6-9 months without loss of quality and appearance.

If you choose this method, here are a few options for freezing mint for the winter:

Prepared branches in the amount of 5-10 pcs. fold into regular packaging bags. Put them in freezer. A day later, when the stems and leaves are frozen, put them more tightly, in one common package, so as not to take up space.
Finely chop the greens with a knife, put the sliced \u200b\u200bin containers with a lid. Then immediately send them to the storage room. You can do the same with whole leaves if you need this format of blanks.
Freeze the tops of plants and leaves for making drinks in ice cubes. Place greens in molds and fill with chilled boiled water. After a day, remove the container from the chamber, pour the cubes into a bag and immediately hide it back in the freezer.

The latter method is ideal for making mojitos, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. In the preparation, along with whole mint leaves, you can add a piece of orange or lemon zest, cut into long strips and twisted into a spiral.

Tip of the day

Do not take the blanks out of the freezer until they are used. Do not refreeze the product. Spoil your food and your mood.

Waste-free freezing technology is shown in this video:

Frozen mint greens are ideal for cooking, but not good for medicine. If you need plants specifically for this purpose, then use the traditional method of harvesting raw materials - drying. How to dry mint and how to store it, read below.

Drying of medicinal raw materials

Drying mint is very easy. It is best to do this when room temperature without using an oven or electric dryer. This will maximize the preservation of vitamins and nutrients in greenery.

There are two ways to dry mint at home:

Tie the plants into small bundles. Hang the blanks in a dry, protected from sunlight, ventilated place. It can be a shed, attic, barn or veranda in the house. The apartment has a balcony with closed windows. Preparation time - 7-10 days, but everything is individual. Plants must dry completely. Check readiness before storing bundles. Well-dried leaves and stems can be easily crushed with your fingers.
To dry individual leaves for the winter, separate them from the stems and lay them on the fabric in a small layer. Periodically check and turn the raw material. And in this case, choose a well-ventilated, semi-dark room. Leaves that are dried in the light lose their color and aroma.

How to dry mint collected from the garden or purchased mint depends on its subsequent use:

The stems are the basis for the medicine.
Leaves can be used in different ways.

After the end of the drying process, do not grind them into crumbs, do this just before use. Drink with them, prepare a mint decoction or add to cooking dishes.

The medicinal properties of mint are used very widely: from brewing teas during a cold to therapeutic baths for skin rashes

We answer the question: how long can mint infusion be stored?

Mint infusion can be used no more than a day and only it is in the refrigerator. With longer storage, it changes chemical composition, it becomes at least useless.

Alcohol tincture is suitable for treatment for about a year. After that, its composition will also begin to change and deteriorate due to the interaction of alcohol and substances contained in mint.

Drying mint greens is convenient for those who want to make blanks for a long time. Shelf life medicinal plant while the maximum - until the next harvest.

Rules for storing blanks

The shelf life of any product depends on the conditions of its storage. Mint is no exception. Frozen just can not get out of the freezer. How to store dried mint?

Put dry bundles in cloth bags or cardboard boxes.
For crumbs and leaves, choose glass containers that tightly close with lids.
Tin containers from under tea or are suitable for storage, but they should not have a smell.
Keep blanks in a dark, cool place. The ideal temperature is +6 ⁰С or a little more.
Avoid the interaction of dry raw materials with moisture, light, strong smelling substances and food.
For long-term storage, choose a cold corridor, a veranda at home. The apartment uses a closet or a balcony for this.
Do not leave the product for more than a year, harvest new greens in the summer.

Do you know that…

There are many varieties of mint. They need to be stored in different containers, because they have a completely different, unique smell, taste and aftertaste plume.

As you can see, keeping fresh, freezing, drying and storing mint is very easy. Try several ways to find the best one for you.

Store properly and be healthy!

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So that she does not lose her useful qualities.

A little about useful properties

Did you know? Mint is even mentioned in the Bible among the products that were going to be served.

mint preparation

Before drying mint at home for making tea or other purposes, it is necessary to prepare the collected greens.
Sometimes it is necessary to perform rinsing of the branches cold water from the tap. Paper towels will help dry them completely dry so you can move on.

After that, lay out in a single layer on a towel and leave for a while to completely dry the stems and leaves.

You can also use a centrifuge. But still, after it, you will have to dry the mint with towels. Other methods will require the leaves and stems to be separated before drying.
This can be done either with your fingers or with a knife. Get rid of damaged and diseased leaves, and keep the good ones.

How to dry mint at home

There are several ways to dry mint, but you need to know how to do it right at home.

Outdoors

Group the greens in bunches. Having tied the branches tightly with a thread or twine, take care of the free space for the leaves.
For drying, use dark, enough warm place with free access to fresh air.

Plants should be hung upside down to aroma oils flowed to them, and did not accumulate in the trunks.

If you do not have a room with minimal light, then carefully place paper bags over the bundles so that they do not suffocate. The temperature in the room should be from 20 degrees.
After a week or two, the mint will dry out. Tear off the leaves by running your hand from the tip of the stem to the top. You can tear off the top leaves yourself.

in the microwave

Mint leaves are laid out in a single layer on a microwave saucer. This will dry faster and more evenly than in a heap.

Run dry for short periods of 10 seconds, checking when they start to curl and become crumbly.
On average, you will spend about half a minute. Try to leave the leaves green, they will have more flavor and aroma.

If you want to dry in a bunch, then stir the grass every half a minute. In two minutes, the mint should dry out, but not the fact that evenly.

Important! Mint can be harmful to men. With intensive use, there are problems with potency.

In the oven

Almost everyone has an oven at home, so it will be useful to know how to dry mint using this unit at home.

Bring the temperature up to 65 degrees. In essence, provide the most low temperature, which is only possible. At high temperatures, the mint will dry out too quickly and lose its flavor.
The temperature limit for drying is 99 degrees. Turn off the oven after 4-6 minutes. Drying conditions for grass should be warm, but not hot. Divide the leaves over the baking sheet so that they do not touch one another.

This will protect against an uneven result, where burnt leaves can turn out next to wet ones. By this logic, dry approximately the same plants.

Do not pour anything on a baking sheet, you can only cover it with parchment. Drying will take about 10-15 minutes. Don't let the mint get too hot.

In an electric dryer

If you have an electric dryer, then you will be wondering how to dry the collected mint using this device at home.
Lay the grass in a single layer on the dryer tray. This will give uniform drying, since they will have to be constantly stirred in a pile.

Dry on the lowest setting temperature regime. Mint needs a minimum of heat to dry.

If you can't get a consistent temperature, then check every few minutes to keep the grass from burning out.

As a result, the leaves should turn out a little tucked up and crumbly, but retain their natural green color.

Product storage rules

There are several guidelines for storing dried mint. Store mint in a clean, dry container. To do this, use jars with sealed lids, plastic containers, resealable or vacuum bags.

Mint - fragrant plant used in various fields. This is cooking, medicine, cosmetology. The question of how to properly store mint occupies many, since the period of natural growth of the plant is short, and you want to keep memories of summer throughout the year.

On winter evenings, it is pleasant to treat yourself to tea with a refreshing aroma of menthol, which is an expressive component of the plant with an additional tonic effect.

Having familiarized yourself with popular recipes for storing a green miracle, you can stock up on mint taste and smell for a year. You can use prepared greens:

for cooking and decorating various dishes;
for the purpose of refreshing and whitening the skin of the face (masks, lotions);
as a soothing drink (mojito, cocktails with the addition of mint flavor);
for baths and trays;
how medicine(infusions, decoctions).

So that mint does not lose its qualities, it should be harvested for the future, following simple recommendations.

Features of mint storage

The plant has the most useful properties in late June - early July, that is, during the period active flowering, therefore, harvesting for the future must be planned for this period.
Young stems are suitable for storage with an abundant amount of fragrant leaves, which contain a high concentration of essential oils.
It is recommended to collect mint after the dew disappears, but no later than 11 am.

Only mint collected in specified period time, will please with its minty taste and delicious smell. Of the most successful storage methods, the usual drying of the plant or its freezing is used.

Mint can be harvested whole sprigs or individual leaves.

Raw material preparation

Harvested plants need careful preparation before storing in any way you like. The algorithm for preparing raw materials is almost the same for all recipes.

To get a good result you need:

sort out the stems with leaves, removing dry fragments, weeds, accidentally caught debris and insects;
rinse the plants under running water, put in a colander;
lay out on a towel and wait for the removal of excess moisture;

If only leaves are to be stored, they must be removed from the stems. To do this better with hands, without using metal objects - secateurs, scissors, knife. This will prevent the possibility of an oxidative process that provokes early spoilage of products.

How to store fresh mint

The collected mint quickly fades, as a result of which it loses not only its original freshness, but also its useful qualities.

Refrigerator storage - best option, which allows you to keep the freshness of the product for a week.

Having prepared emerald greens in the manner described above, they are kept in a refrigerator using simple tricks:

Put the stems of the plant in a jar of water. By changing the water daily, you can keep the freshness of greens up to 10 days.
Place the bunch of mint in a plastic container with a tight lid to keep air out. The duration of use is 5-7 days.
Spread the stems in a thin layer on a damp cloth, roll it into a roll. Shelf life - 3-4 days.

These recipes allow you to briefly prolong the good condition of mint. However, it quickly loses color saturation. In addition, other products have the ability to absorb odors emitted by the plant.

Drying mint

An old tried and tested method of storing plants is drying. Its use allows you to save all taste qualities, color and menthol smell. There are several drying options:

natural - in a well-ventilated place;
use of a microwave oven;
drying in the oven.

Drying in the oven and microwave reduces harvesting time, however, as a result of heat treatment, the product loses a significant amount of useful properties, essential oils with such processing simply disappear.

Air-drying naturally produces a truly amazing result, provided that all requirements are met. preparatory phase described above.

The rest of the steps will not take much time:

it is necessary to collect mint in small bunches;
tightly tie the lower part of the stems with a strong thread or twine;
hang bunches of mint down with inflorescences so that all substances are concentrated in the leaf zone.

The room should be well ventilated without direct sunlight on the plant.

After the stems and leaves have completely dried, the resulting raw material must be placed in a dry glass container (preferably dark in color), tightly closed and placed in a dark place.

Such a blank is stored for more than a year without losing its properties. Tea, meat dishes, dessert are the main uses of dried mint.

plant freezing

It is possible to prepare mint for the winter with the help of a freezer. Frozen mint, as well as when dried, retains all its qualities for 7-8 months.

whole leaves

Well-prepared greens are placed in a plastic bag with a sealed clasp.

If it is desirable to freeze only the leaves, they are first removed from the stem by hand.

An important requirement: there should be no moisture on the leaves, and air is removed from the bag using a cocktail tube.

Whole branches

For decoration festive dishes freezing of leaves with stems is suitable. This mint is also used for the preparation of infusions and decoctions used for cosmetic and medicinal purposes.

The branches of the plant are placed in a plastic bag, from which air is removed. Then the package is tightly folded into a tight tube and sent to the freezer.

finely chopped

Convenient packaging of products is more suitable for cooking first courses.

Greens are pre-chopped with a knife or in a blender, laid out in small containers and frozen.

The disadvantage of the method is that there are difficulties with separation the right amount product.

In ice cubes

The most convenient option for freezing mint is in special molds designed for freezing ice. Candy cells are also used for this purpose.

The advantage of the method is portion packaging.

Do you like refreshing mint drinks or savory meat dishes and salads? Faced with the fact that the plant quickly withers and loses its aroma. Learn how to store mint for a refreshing smell and taste.

How to store mint in the refrigerator?

If you purchased or cut fragrant greens and did not use them, store them in the refrigerator. To prevent the mint from wilting, thoroughly rinse the twigs with leaves and shake a little to remove excess water. Wrap in damp gauze or towel and refrigerate.

Washed greens can be placed in a plastic container and closed with a lid. If you don't have a suitable container, put the fragrant twigs in a disposable bag and tie tightly to keep air out. You can also put greens in a glass of water. Mint can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

How to store mint for a long time?

The season for collecting this fragrant greenery falls on the end of July - the beginning of August. At this time, it contains the largest number essential oils. If you know how to properly store fresh mint, you can enjoy its pleasant aroma throughout the year.

If you want to prepare mint for the winter, then know that this can be done in two ways:

freezing;

Before freezing greens, rinse thoroughly and let dry. Fold the prepared twigs and leaves into bags or containers and send to the freezer. To make mojitos and other cold drinks, mint can be frozen in ice cube trays. Fill the molds with water, placing a couple of clean mint leaves in each compartment. Freeze.