The Content Of The Article: Cultivating the perennial plant in the garden is easily possible, only on foothills must be respected. Even in the bucket or in the balcony box peppermint can be grown. The leaves are the valuable of the plant. They are used for many things, fresh or dried. The harvest begins before flowering. It is possible to cut off only as much as can be consumed or cut down the mint all at once and process. What should be noted when cutting and drying, read in the following text.
Short profile for peppermint
- Genus of mints
- Mentha x piperita
- Popular medicinal and spice plant
- Difference to other mints - high menthol and low carvone content
- Stronger taste - hence peppermint
- Arisen by accidental crossing
- Frost hardy perennial
- Flachwurzler with numerous foothills
- Pink to purple flowers from July
- Dies in the autumn, drives out again in the spring
- Leaves contain peppermint essential oil
- Ideal for making tea or as a spice
- Main ingredient Menthol
If you want to harvest the peppermint in stock, the first harvest takes place shortly before flowering. These leaves have the best quality. For the second time harvested in autumn, these leaves are no longer of such good quality. The leaves can be cut off in between as needed, whenever needed. Peppermint should never be harvested wet. Therefore one does not cut after a rainy day. The best is when the last days were nice and warm and sunny. So there is a lot of essential oil in the leaves and they are dry enough. The actual drying is faster. On sunny days it is best to pick and cut in the late morning hours. The leaves are then full of flavors that have not yet evaporated. On cloudy days you can grab a bit later, around noon.
- On a dry day
- In the sun - in the late morning
- Cloudy - around noon
If you want to dry the peppermint, it is advisable to cut off the whole stem just above the ground. Who wants to continue to use for your daily needs which leaves a few stems. Individual stems are best cut off below, above the last pair of leaves. Tearing is unfavorable, as break points form, which open the door to pathogens.
- Just above the ground
- Leave bottom pair of leaves
- Do not tear, always cut
The harvested stems are best placed in an air-permeable basket. But they should be processed as quickly as possible. Alternatively, you can always just cut so much that the amount is enough for a bundle. You tie them together, hang them up and then cut the next bundle. That's the fastest option. I do it that way and it works very well.
- Air permeable basket
- Alternatively - just cut as much as tied together and dried
- Just bundle and hang up
Dry the peppermint
In order to preserve the essential oil in the mint leaves, the stems and leaves should not be washed. There are several ways to dry peppermint. It is favorable to form small bundles, always some stems together and tie them down. These bundles are hung upside down to dry. It is important that not too many stems are summarized, so that the inner can dry well. It is favorable if there is some air movement at the drying place. Sunlight, on the other hand, is bad. Better to hang in the shade, protected from rain, but airy. When the leaves have dried, open the bunches and pluck the leaves. Use only the perfect leaves. These are then kept. Alternatively, the leaves can also be detached from the stems immediately after cutting and dried on a grid or grid. Again, this should not happen in the sun. A wind-exposed course is also not cheap, because the leaves can be blown away quickly.
- Tie into small bundles
- Hang upside down
- Not in the sun
- Dry and a bit airy
Microwave drying is possible but the leaves lose much of their precious essential oil. Place a thin layer of the leaves on the microwave dish. Although you can take more, but it takes longer and is even more damaging to the leaves. Then heat at 10 second intervals. Check again and again how the level is, if the leaves are already dry. It should not take more than 15 to 45 seconds.Brown should not be the leaves. The greens not only have a better taste, they also have more good ingredients.
However, I can not really recommend this procedure.
- in 10 second intervals
- Take care that leaves do not turn brown
In the oven, the drying is also relatively fast in front, but it is also lost a lot of essential oil. I'm more of a fan of natural methods. Place the mint leaves on a baking sheet, but only in one layer. They should not touch or overlap. The oven is preheated to 60° C. When it has reached the temperature, wait 5 minutes and then switch off the oven. Put the tin in the middle of the oven and leave it there for 5 to 20 minutes. Check the dryness every few minutes. Again, make sure that the leaves do not turn green.
- Preheat oven
- Turn off
- Dry only briefly
- Constantly check
The Dehydrator is a good alternative to air drying. Unfortunately, the devices are found in only a few households. You lay out the leaves in just one layer in the trays. The Dehydrator is switched on at the lowest level. Then the trays are pushed into the device. Check the degree of drying every 5 minutes. The leaves should be green and slightly arched upwards.
- Good method
- At the lowest level
- Constantly check
Dried peppermint leaves can be stored well, but only if they are stored accordingly. The best way to do this is in hermetically sealed containers. Suitable are airtight plastic containers, mason jars with ironing or screw cap, special tea cans with rubber in the lid and similar containers. Do not crush the leaves, better keep them whole. Just fill in the containers and close them. Keep glass container dark. Opaque ones can also be stored normally in the room. He should not be too warm. The best is a cool, located on the north side utility room. The important thing is that it is dry. The vessels label that facilitates content and timing of storage.
Conclusion
Peppermint is not for nothing such a popular crop and can be found in almost every garden. The plants are not only extremely easy to care for, they can also be used in a very versatile way. For those who want to dry and store peppermint, the right time to cut and quick drying are important. In order to conserve as much essential oil as possible in the leaves, only dry peppermint should be cut, depending on the position of the sun in the late morning or midday. For drying there are different methods, depending on the quantity, the space available and the technical devices. It is important not to dry too long. Brown leaves not only look unattractive, there are hardly any valuable ingredients left. The correct storage of the leaves is important, so that the aroma is preserved for a long time.
FAQ - 💬
❓ How do you harvest and dry peppermint?
👉 A dehydrator is ideal for drying mint and other herbs quickly and gently. It is quicker and takes up less space than air-drying leaves, and is gentler than using an oven – the temperature can remain low and the air can circulate. To use a dehydrator, spread out individual leaves so that they do not overlap.
❓ How do you dry fresh cut mint?
👉 So this is how I dry mint at home gently. Pull the mint leaves off of the stem. Fun fact you can actually plant those stems in your garden. And they will grow in abundance thoroughly wash.
❓ Where do you cut mint when harvesting?
👉 ' Catherine Wallsgrove, owner of Pepperpot Nursery also adds that, 'Mint and rosemary are best cut back to just above a set of leaves on the stem, and not into the older woody parts. Use a sharp knife, or secateurs, to get a clean cut and this will encourage new growth. You can harvest from all over the plant.
❓ What do you do with dried mint leaves?
👉 Dried mint is also excellent with heavier meat-focused dishes, like roasted lamb shanks or a layered moussaka. Dried mint has a special affinity with dairy: Use it in a tzatziki or in a Turkish hot yogurt soup, made with chicken stock and seasoned with plenty of dried mint stirred through the rich, creamy, broth.
❓ How do you harvest peppermint mint?
👉 The essential oils that give the herb its flavor are at their highest concentration in the morning, so it's best to harvest mint leaves early in the day. 2. Technique: Pluck the leaves directly off the stems, or cut mint sprigs just above the leaf nodes where new leaves emerge from the stem.
❓ Can you eat dried peppermint leaves?
👉 If you aren't an active or experienced cook, you can enjoy dried mint leaves sprinkled over soups, salads, cooked vegetables, fresh fruit or yogurt.