Content
- Conserve peppermint by drying
- The best harvest time for peppermint
- This is how peppermint is dried properly
- The right place to dry peppermint
- How long does it take for peppermint to dry?
- Store dried peppermint leaves
- How long can dried peppermint be kept?
- Tips & Tricks
Conserve peppermint by drying
Peppermint tea probably knows every gardener since childhood. The popular drink is made from peppermint leaves. The leaves can be used either fresh or dried for tea preparation or seasoning in the kitchen.
Previous article How and when do you correctly harvest peppermint? Next article Tips for freezing peppermintThe best harvest time for peppermint
If you want to dry peppermint, you should only harvest those stems that contain a lot of essential oils. They are then still very aromatic after drying.
The best time to cut peppermint to dry is just before flowering, which starts in June. At this time, the mint contains the highest percentage of flavorings.
After a very sunny summer, you can still harvest peppermint to dry in autumn. Then the plant had enough time to enrich new essential oils. The summer was very rainy and cool, is not worth drying the peppermint leaves.
This is how peppermint is dried properly
Harvest peppermint to dry best in the late morning. Cut the stems as low as possible above the ground.
If you can avoid it, you should not wash the harvested plants. As a result, much essential oil is washed out and the plants take much longer to dry out properly.
Bind a maximum of ten stems into a bundle and hang them upside down in a suitable location.
The right place to dry peppermint
Direct sunlight is not advisable. As a result, the plants not only bleach, they are also overheated.
The place should be airy and pleasantly warm. Suitable drying rooms are:
How long does it take for peppermint to dry?
How long it takes for the herbs to dry completely depends on the individual case. The thickness of the stems, the moisture of the leaves by washing and the humidity of the air play a role.
The drying process can take up to two weeks.
Whether the peppermint has dried properly, you realize that you can easily break the stems.
Store dried peppermint leaves
Put the dried peppermint whole in a dark container or paper bag. You should release the leaves of the stems just before consumption, so that the aroma does not evaporate.
Store the container in a dark, warm and dry place until you process the peppermint.
How long can dried peppermint be kept?
Peppermint, which has dried well, lasts several months. Check from time to time if the stems are still ok and no mold has formed.
Tips & Tricks
When drying peppermint, make sure that you touch the stems as little as possible with your fingers. This volatilizes the ingredients of peppermint.
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