If the peppermint harvest has turned out to be very large, it is worth preserving the leaves and stems. For this, the whole stems or just the leaves are dried or frozen. But peppermint can also be used well in oil or pesto.

Use these methods to preserve peppermint

  • dry up
  • Freeze
  • Put in oil
  • Process into pesto
  • cook mint jelly

Dry peppermint

Peppermint is best stored when it is dry. The preservation process is gentle, so that the flavorings are largely preserved. However, dried peppermint no longer looks very decorative.

The dried herb can be brewed as a tea or sprinkled over food.

Freeze peppermint

When freezing, many ingredients are lost and the peppermint no longer tastes as aromatic as, for example, when dried.

Frozen peppermint is added to food without being thawed or sprinkled over salads.

Soak peppermint in oil

Homemade peppermint oil tastes fruity and fresh. However, it contains too few active ingredients to be used as a medicinal oil.

Mice, however, can be deterred quite well with peppermint oil. Put a few drops in passages or mouse holes and drive away the pests in this way.

Prepare pesto

For pesto, you should use the peppermint together with other herbs. The proportion of peppermint should not predominate, as the strong aroma of the herb drowns out other aromas. The pesto tastes fruity and has a light, pleasant spiciness. It keeps for a long time in the fridge.

cook mint jelly

Mint jelly is not only suitable as a refreshingly sweet spread. Peppermint jelly can also be served with fried dishes.

To make it, boil water, turn off the heat, and put a bunch of mint in it for a long time. The brew is then poured through a sieve, mixed with apple juice and then processed into jelly with sugar.

Mint jelly will keep for several months in an airtight container.

tips and tricks

Peppermint tastes best fresh. As a herb, you can use them very well as a substitute for parsley. This gives food and drinks a fruitier and fresher aroma. In addition, fresh peppermint leaves have a very decorative effect on desserts or in cocktails.

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Category:

Vegetable garden