Growing peppermint in your garden or in a pot on your balcony is a total win-win. Not only do you get a gorgeous, fragrant plant to look at, but you also get a year-round supply of fresh leaves for just about anything you can imagine.
The Versatile Peppermint Plant
You can actually start your first harvest early in the spring, right before the mint begins to bloom. This is when those aromatic essential oils are at their peak concentration. In the kitchen, peppermint is a serious MVP. Everyone loves that signature cool, spicy kick it brings to the table. Here are just a few ways you can put your harvest to work:
- Brew a healthy, delicious tea using fresh or dried leaves.
- Toss leaves into a salad for a refreshing twist.
- Use whole sprigs as a garnish for cocktails, mocktails, or summer punches.
- Mix chopped leaves into homemade jams.
- Candy the leaves in sugar syrup to decorate desserts.
- Blend them into a unique pesto.
- Add them to savory meat dishes for a flavor boost.
- Tuck whole stems into flower arrangements for a wonderful scent.
- Extract them into peppermint oil.
How to Process Your Peppermint
When you’re ready to harvest, cut the stems close to the ground. A pro tip: try to pick stems that are already clean, because you really want to avoid washing them before processing. Water can actually strip away a lot of those precious aromatic oils! If they’re a little dusty, just give them a gentle brush with a soft bristle brush.
If you want to dry your mint, tie three or four stems together into a small bundle and hang them upside down in a warm, dry spot. Under a porch roof, in a garden shed, or even up in the attic works perfectly. After a few weeks, the mint should be completely dry—you’ll know it’s ready when the leaves crumble easily between your fingers.
If you’re planning to use your mint primarily for cooking, freezing it is a fantastic option. Lay the stems out on a tray so they aren’t touching and pop them in the freezer. Once they’re frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer-safe container. This way, they won’t stick together, and you can grab a single sprig whenever you need it.
You can also make your own peppermint oil. Just submerge a few stems in olive oil for about three weeks. After that, strain the liquid and store your finished oil in a dark glass bottle. This peppermint oil is super handy to have around—it’s even great as a quick natural remedy for headaches!
