Is it possible to freeze mint: three ways to keep it fresh and fragrant until spring

The only way to preserve the beautiful green color and fresh menthol flavor of mint is to freeze it. You will need for this an ordinary household refrigerator with a freezer and 15 minutes of time. But in the winter you can enjoy any drinks and dishes for the preparation of which this herb is needed.

Which mint is suitable for freezing?

The first and main requirement for mint sprigs intended for freezing is that they must be fresh. Not even so - super-fresh. The greens, which were plucked a long time ago and have already managed to fade, it is better to dry.

It is also important that:

• there were no traces of diseases on the leaves and stems (white or gray coating, rust, black dots);
• the plant was not too young (it contains a minimum of aromatic substances) or old (the leaves of the mint are coarsened and the content of essential oils decreases) - if possible, this herb should be prepared at the beginning of flowering;
• collection took place in warm sunny weather.

Categorically it is impossible to freeze (and generally eat) mint collected on the side of roads, next to industrial enterprises and in other places unfavorable from an environmental point of view.

Preparation of greens

First of all, mint should be sorted out - remove crushed or damaged stems, as well as weeds, which could accidentally fall into a bunch. After that, they begin to wash the greens under cold running water.

It is impossible to allow contact with warm, and even more so with hot water: mint will lose some of the aroma and will look lethargic.

Next, the washed sprigs of mint are dried with a clean waffle towel or gauze folded in several layers. But if freezing occurs in molds for ice, this stage of preparation can be neglected.

For decor, you can freeze mint whole. If the grass is intended to be added to drinks, it is better to separate the leaves from the stems.

Freezing methods

Depending on how and for what mint will be used in the future, you can harvest it for the winter in several ways.

In vacuum bags

Ideally, aromatic herbs should be frozen in this way, because when they stay for a long time at low temperatures the plants “dry out” - moisture evaporates from their tissues, and with it essential oils, which provide a pleasant smell. If the greens are in a bag from which air is removed, moisture simply has nowhere to go. This means that even after 5-6 months, mint will completely retain its taste and will look fresh.

In ice molds

This preparation is perfect for cocktails, iced tea. If it is planned that the mint should convey its aromatic and flavoring notes to the drink, the leaves should be finely chopped, immediately put into molds, filled with drinking water (pure or with lemon juice) and sent to the freezer. The faster this task is completed, the more essential oils will remain in the green.

In the case when the mint inside the ice cubes is an ornament, it is better to use whole leaves. The tops of the stems look most beautiful.

In plastic containers

If there is neither a vacuum cup nor ice molds, you can freeze the mint in an ordinary plastic container.It is important to ensure that the operating temperature range is indicated on it: a container that is not intended for use at temperatures below zero degrees can emit harmful substances or simply become unusable.

Freezing in a container will be a good option in the following cases:

• The need to use mint often arises, while consuming it a small amount (it makes no sense to open the vacuum bag, and opening and closing the container is a matter of two seconds).
• The estimated shelf life is less than two to three weeks (during this time the grass still does not have time to lose its aroma and dry).

A prerequisite for this method is the presence of a sealed cover.

Important questions and answers to them

Still, mint is more often dried than frozen, so people who decide to try a different method of harvesting fragrant greens face many questions, the answers to which are not so easy to find.

• How long can mint be stored in the freezer?

The lower the temperature, the longer the plant retains its properties.

At -20–23 ° C, the shelf life of the grass in a vacuum bag is 6–8 months. It is not recommended to store ice cubes for more than 2-3 months, especially if water with natural juice was used to fill them. It is advisable to use the mint in the container for a month or a half - then it will noticeably lose both in taste and quality.

• Is mint thawed before use?

If you need to decorate a dish, mint is pre-placed in a container with very cold or even ice water and put on a shelf in the main compartment of the refrigerator. After the greens are warmed to plus temperature, you can use it for its intended purpose.

When defrosting without water, the leaves become sluggish and may lose color. To brew tea, mint is not thawed.

• Can mint be re-frozen?

Such mint becomes unsuitable for eating. Moreover, its appearance leaves much to be desired - the leaves lose their attractive color, shape and elasticity. If the temperature difference was very large, mint will sprawl in your hands, like a boiled cabbage leaf.

It is so easy to freeze mint that it makes no sense to buy it in the winter for fabulous money. However, this is not only a way to make blanks for future use, but also an excellent tool to survive the heat - ice cubes with menthol taste and aroma will make any cold drink refreshing. In addition, they can wipe the face and neck in the morning - this will help maintain youthful skin and give it a natural glow.