Gadenin日本語Get the appWhen the scent is strongest
The essential oils are at their highest concentration in the morning, before the sun has been on the plant, and at the point in the season just before the flower buds open. Pick then and the difference is obvious.
Leaves picked after rain are full of water and the aroma is diluted. For fresh use it does not matter, but if you are drying, wait for a morning after two dry days.
How you pick changes what you get next
Cut whole stems above a pair of leaves rather than picking individual leaves. Two new shoots grow from that node, so each harvest makes the plant bushier, and picking and pruning become one job.
Because every cut branches the plant, a mint that is picked regularly spreads sideways by the end of the season. A single hard cut back in autumn resets the shape.
Preparing it for different uses
Mint is easy to spoil between the garden and the glass. How you handle it matters as much as when you picked it.
| Use | Preparation | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh in a cold drink | Rinse in cold water and shake dry | Crushing hard makes it bitter. Clap it between your palms |
| In hot tea | Tear the leaves off and pour water over | Boiling makes it astringent. Steep about three minutes |
| To scent a dish | Add at the very end | Long cooking drives the aroma off |
| For drying | Brush off dust, do not wash | Washing slows the drying and spoils the color |
If the plant is splashed with soil, water it the day before you pick so the leaves are clean and you do not have to wash them afterwards.
Drying it
Tie small bunches and hang them somewhere shaded with air moving, or lay the leaves in a single layer on a rack. It takes several days to a week, and they are ready when the leaves crumble between your fingers.
Drying it quickly in a microwave saves time and costs you most of the aroma. Slow drying in the shade with moving air is worth the wait.
Which storage method for which use
How long mint keeps depends entirely on what you intend to do with it, so choose the method from the use rather than the other way round.
| Method | How long | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Stems in water, refrigerated | Three to five days | Fresh use over the next few days |
| Wrapped in damp paper, refrigerated | About a week | Small amounts for cooking |
| Chopped and frozen | One to two months | Drinks and cooked dishes |
| Dried and sealed | Six months to a year | Tea and bathing |
Frozen leaves collapse as they thaw, so they are no good as a garnish. Use them where only the aroma matters.
When you stop being able to pick
A plant that stops producing usable leaves has usually flowered, become pot bound, or been left uncut so long that the center has gone woody. All three are fixed by cutting it back hard and, if it is in a pot, dividing it.
A mint that is picked regularly and cut back twice a year will keep producing from spring to autumn. One that is left alone gives you a few good weeks and then declines.