A backyard herb garden just wouldn’t feel complete without mint! Its stems are incredibly fragrant, packed with healing properties, and stay a lush, vibrant green for most of the year. But does it always taste its best? Here is how to harvest your mint like a pro.
What parts of the mint plant can you use?
For the most part, you’ll want to stick to the green leaves and the soft, tender stems. The mint flowers are also edible, though they aren’t quite as flavorful as the leaves. They do, however, make a gorgeous garnish for drinks or desserts! Plus, if you leave them on the plant, they provide a fantastic food source for bees.
Fresh mint all season long
Most mint lovers prefer using the herb fresh. In the garden, mint starts popping up as early as March and keeps growing happily until the first frost hits in late autumn. As long as the plant looks full and green, you’re free to help yourself! Since mint is a perennial, it will come back to gift you a new harvest every year—just make sure you know how to overwinter your specific variety properly.
Harvesting for a happy plant
To keep your mint thriving even after you’ve taken a few cuttings, you need to use the right technique.
- Never just pluck off individual leaves.
- Losing leaves without the stem weakens the “naked” branch.
- Always harvest (nearly) the entire stem.
- Leave a small section of the stem with one pair of leaves attached.
- New growth will quickly sprout from those leaf axils.
- Once the plant flowers, the leaves can start to taste a bit bland.
- If you want a long leaf harvest, it’s best to pinch off the flower buds.
Pro Tip:
Always prune your mint with clean, sharp gardening shears or scissors. Don’t tug or rip the stems, as you might accidentally pull up more of the plant (and its shallow roots) than you intended!
The best time of day to harvest
If your mint is growing outdoors, Mother Nature affects its flavor hour by hour. Intense midday sun can bake off those precious essential oils, while morning dew makes the leaves wet and can “wash out” some of the aroma. Rain is even worse, as it splashes soil all over your harvest.
The “sweet spot” for harvesting is late morning. Ideally, choose a day that is slightly overcast but follows a few days of solid sunshine.
Pro Tip:
Try to avoid washing your mint if you can, as it tends to lose that signature punchy flavor once it hits the tap. Only give it a quick, gentle rinse if the leaves are actually dirty.
Harvesting in bulk for storage
Mint is great for drying or freezing so you can enjoy it all winter. However, both methods result in some flavor loss. To get the best results, harvest when the plant’s essential oils are at their peak:
- The leaves taste most intense right before the plant starts to bloom.
- This usually happens around early June.
- Keep an eye out, though—blooming times vary by variety!
- Cut the stems immediately before you plan to preserve them.
- If you want the plant to bounce back quickly, only cut it back by half.
Pro Tip:
Did you miss the pre-bloom window? No worries! Just wait until the flowering is over to do your big harvest. Just keep in mind that the leaves will taste best if the plant gets plenty of sunny days to recharge its flavor after blooming.
