Harvesting mint for the winter. How to dry and freeze mint for winter

The spring, summer and even autumn is very simpleto prepare a menthol refreshing drink! You need to pick mint, wash, pour boiling water, add lemon - and tea is ready. And what to do in the winter? What is the best way to conserve the fragrance of a plant?

How to dry mint for the winter, the right recipe

The most common and economical optionit is drying to make mint. The plant for drying is best collected after the beginning of flowering - in June-July in dry weather. It is in this phase that the maximum quantity of valuable essential oils is concentrated in it. The stems are tied in small bundles and suspended in a shaded place (attic, balcony, which does not receive sunlight).

You can separate the leaves from twigs and preparethem separately, spread out on clean sheets of paper (only not on newspaper!) or pieces of cloth. The electric dryer will help to speed up the process of harvesting. For several hours of its work (from 3 to 6 depending on the load, that is, the number of pallets used and the density of their filling), an excellent product is obtained, which will be stored for 2 years. Do not dry mint in the oven: the whole menthol fragrance will leave, and the product will turn out to be an ugly brownish shade.

Note: Before drying with mint, it is necessary to carefully removeexcess moisture, then a beautiful green color will remain. Vigorously shake the sprigs, dry with paper napkins. The temperature regime in the dryer is no more than 30-40 degrees.

How to freeze peppermint for the winter, a simple recipe

If the volume of the freezer allows, you canmint and freeze. Separate leaves from twigs, wash them, dry them with paper towels (napkins), put them into sachets and put them in the freezer. If there is a desire to surprise guests, you can prepare ice cubes with a green leaf inside, which you then use for cocktails.