Is it possible to freeze mint for the winter. How to prepare mint for the winter - various freezing methods
Mint has been used in cooking since ancient times as a fragrant, refreshing and spicy seasoning. AT traditional medicine mint promotes relaxation, relieves stomach cramps, is an excellent remedy for nausea, a heart sedative. Peppermint essential oils are widely used in the manufacture of perfumes and aromatic oils, as well as cosmetics that cleanse, rejuvenate and tone the skin.
How to store mint
It's a shame that picked mint doesn't retain its natural freshness for as long. To extend the shelf life, fresh mint should be wrapped in a damp cloth and placed in a bag, not tightly covered. Such a bundle will lie for about 2-4 days in a cool dark place at room temperature.
How to store mint in the refrigerator
Storage temperature significantly affects the freshness of mint, so if you need to keep mint leaves for 1-2 weeks, you can use the following method:- Sprigs of mint must be thoroughly washed and dried, sorting out dry or yellowed leaves;
- Put the mint in a plastic vacuum container;
- Put the container at the bottom of the refrigerator (temperature is about 0-2 degrees).
Pure mint without air and at a stable cool temperature environment slows down the spoilage process and does not turn yellow. It should be noted that storing greens in the refrigerator kills the unpleasant smell inside the chambers.
How to freeze mint
If you have a lot of fresh and fragrant mint that you will not have time to use in the near future, we recommend freezing mint for the autumn-winter period.
Instructions - how to freeze mint:
- Wash the mint, sort and dry.
- Cut the twigs and leaves to the required size (small, medium, large).
- Put the resulting mint on a tray and put on emergency freezing mode in the freezer;
- After 5-7 minutes, remove the tray, divide the mint into portions and pack into bags.
- Squeeze out the air from the bags and store in the freezer.
Melissa - perennial herbaceous plant, which has been used for several centuries in both folk and official medicine in many countries. It grows in gardens, household plots and does not need special care. The smell of lemon balm is mint-lemon and spicy, attracting bees. The taste of the plant is bitter, but pleasant.
Melissa has many healing properties, so it is important not only to grow it, but also to preserve it. For this purpose, grass leaves and its tops are harvested.
Storing fresh lemon balm
Fragrant leaves of lemon balm turn ordinary tea into a healing drink that helps to normalize the nervous system. The plant is healthier when fresh. But it is impossible to keep it for a long period. Melissa, plucked from a flower bed or garden bed, will last no more than a week without fading.
A fresh plant should be put in a jar of water, put on a bag on top. Then place a bouquet of lemon balm on a shelf located on the refrigerator door. At a temperature of 5-8 degrees, it will last from five to seven days.
Harvesting lemon balm for storage
Ideal if the grass is fragrant on own site, located far from the places of concentration of transport, production workshops. In this case, all of it is healing, because it grew in a clean area. When starting to harvest lemon balm, one should not forget about the following:
- It is advisable to collect the leaves when the grass is gaining color or has just blossomed. Most often this period begins in July. In the middle of summer, lemon balm is simply overflowing with useful substances. They do not disappear even after the plant has faded, but they are significantly reduced in number.
- Leaves should be collected in the morning after the dew has dried.
- The weather must be dry. During rain or immediately after it, you should not collect leaves. You have to wait until they dry.
- It is better to cut the leaves from the stem so as not to damage the plant. Plucking is also not prohibited, but this must be done very carefully.
- Melissa in a cut state is undesirable to wash. If its leaves are too dirty, you need to water them with a garden hose or watering can in the evening. The water will have time to dry before the next day.
How to save lemon balm for the winter
Dry lemon balm in the fresh air in the shade or under a canopy. A room that is well ventilated is also suitable. The plant is laid out on a clean, flat surface in one layer. Turn it over once a day.
Lemon balm can also be dried in small bundles hung on a rope or hedge. In a week, the herbal bouquet will reach the desired state and will be ready for storage.
How to store dried lemon balm
Before laying the dried lemon balm for long-term storage, it is rubbed in the palms and thereby crushed. But such a procedure is not necessary.
Dried lemon balm is best stored in a glass container with an airtight lid. Suitable jars can always be found in your household or on the shelves in stores.
But plastic containers, polyethylene bags cannot be used. In such a package, lemon balm will suffocate, acquire an unpleasant odor.
Greens
Description
frozen mint will be one of the most useful preparations for the winter. Who today has not heard of useful properties ah this plant? Such greens are widely used to create various medicines and antibacterial drugs. Mint is one of the best sedatives, which is why peppermint tea is considered so beneficial. This natural product unparalleled, its aroma is used to create a wide variety of perfumes and other flavors. Fresh mint is a valuable product that you just need to try to save for the winter.
In that step by step photo recipe, we will talk about how to freeze mint for the winter simply, quickly and correctly. In this way, we will not use heat treatment, as is often the case with herbs, in an effort to preserve the maximum useful properties of this plant. If necessary, after harvesting in winter, such mint can, for example, be dried and used as a spice, or brew very fragrant natural tea with it. Frozen mint can also be used to create delicious desserts and other dishes; it is up to you to decide how to use such a blank later.
Let's start freezing mint for the winter at home in the simplest and most affordable way.
Ingredients
Steps
Our most popular mint variety is peppermint. In fact, you can choose absolutely any mint and prepare it in the quantity you want. All we need for cooking is the mint itself and the containers in which it will be stored.
We cut the mint stems so that we get the same branches as shown in the photo. It is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also very convenient.
Pour clean cold water into a bowl and dip all the mint into it, rinse gently, then drain the water, and pour a new one instead. Repeat the procedure a few more times until the water is no longer cloudy.
We lay out a clean towel on a flat surface, put mint on top of it, wrap it in a cloth: this way we completely get rid of moisture and at the same time do not spend much time and do not damage the leaves.
We divide clean and dry sprigs of mint into small bunches of 3 pieces each. We spread these beams at an equidistant distance from each other in a bag with a lock.
Carefully twist the bundle of mint in the bag, first fastening the clasp tightly. We send the prepared bundles to the freezer until completely frozen.
Mint cannot be subjected to secondary freezing, therefore it is so convenient that we have several small bunches in each package. One such bunch of herbs can be removed, poured with boiling water and made tea from it, and the rest can be returned to the freezer.
Mint leaves frozen in the refrigerator are ready.
Happy tea!
Mint is a unique plant. It is widely used in cooking, medicine, cosmetology. Fragrant green bushes can be purchased at the market or in a store, or you can grow them in your garden. Although this culture is not as simple as it seems at first glance. It is much more difficult to save the product for a long time.
If you often cook with this spice, like to add the leaves to your tea, or use the plants for medicinal purposes, learn how to store mint at home. You can do it different ways, choose the option that suits you best.
Fresh storage
Mint, like any herb, has a limited shelf life. After cutting, it remains fresh for several hours, and then quickly fades. Bundles of greenery are usually large and are not consumed completely at once. Here's how to properly store fresh mint to make it last longer:
- Put the branches in a jar of clean water, after removing the lower leaves and cutting off the edge of the stems. Keep the container in a cool place and change the liquid once a day. This will save the product for 3-4 days in its original form.
- Fold clean, dry leaves into a bag and tie it tightly so that it does not let air through. Remove the workpiece in a dark and cold place. Mint can be stored this way for up to 3 days.
- If it is necessary to preserve the freshness of the product for a short time, no more than a day, wrap the branches with a dense, damp cloth. Make sure that the material does not dry out, for this it can be wrapped with a film.
If you need to keep fresh herbs longer, keep mint in the refrigerator:
- Plants will stay fresh for up to 5 days if kept in a jar of water on the bottom shelf of the main compartment. To reduce moisture loss, cover the tops with a transparent bag.
- Up to 7-10 days you can store mint fresh in plastic food containers. For this, clean, dry shoots are suitable, it is not necessary to cut off the leaves. The best place for containers with mint will be the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.
For information on how else you can store fresh herbs in the kitchen, see the short video:
However, all these are recipes for the summer. For information on how to properly collect and store mint for the winter, read below.
Rules for harvesting for the winter
Plants that are just throwing out buds and are in the initial phase of flowering have the greatest value. It was then that the concentration of essential oils and other useful substances in them reaches its maximum mark. There is less benefit in flowering plants, so it is important not to miss the moment.
- Collection time is in July-August, depending on the region and climatic conditions.
- Harvesting mint for the winter should take place in dry weather.
- Cutting greens is best done early in the morning, before dew appears on the leaves, or late in the evening, when there is no scorching sun.
Do you know that…
If you grow mint yourself, choose bushes at the age of 2-3 years for winter harvesting. Cut off the top third of the stem where the young green leaves are. The rest of the plant is not suitable for processing - too coarse.
Cutting can be done several times per season. On a 3-year-old plant - up to 3 times a month
Carefully inspect the collected branches and remove the yellowed, damaged and diseased ones. Rinse the greens under running water, dry well.
Choose in advance how to prepare mint for the whole winter. It can be frozen in the freezer or dried. In any case, do not delay the processing process if you want the mint to keep as it should.
Freezing for culinary purposes
Freezing allows you to maximize the beneficial substances that mint is rich in. Such a product is prepared for the winter by many housewives. It is convenient and does not take much time. At low temperatures 6-9 months without loss of quality and appearance.
If you choose this method, here are a few options for freezing mint for the winter:
- Prepared branches in the amount of 5-10 pcs. fold into regular packaging bags. Place them in the freezer. A day later, when the stems and leaves are frozen, put them more tightly, in one common package, so as not to take up space.
- Finely chop the greens with a knife, put the sliced \u200b\u200bin containers with a lid. Then immediately send them to the storage room. You can do the same with whole leaves if you need this format of blanks.
- Freeze the tops of plants and leaves for making drinks in ice cubes. Place greens in molds and fill with chilled boiled water. After a day, remove the container from the chamber, pour the cubes into a bag and immediately hide it back in the freezer.
The latter method is ideal for making mojitos, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. In the preparation, along with whole mint leaves, you can add a piece of orange or lemon zest, cut into long strips and twisted into a spiral.
Tip of the day
Do not take the blanks out of the freezer until they are used. Do not refreeze the product. Spoil your food and your mood.
Waste-free freezing technology is shown in this video:
Frozen mint greens are ideal for cooking, but not good for medicine. If you need plants specifically for this purpose, then use the traditional method of harvesting raw materials - drying. How to dry mint and how to store it, read below.
Drying of medicinal raw materials
Drying mint is very easy. This is best done at room temperature, without using an oven or electric dryer. This will maximize the preservation of vitamins and nutrients in greens.
There are two ways to dry mint at home:
- Tie the plants into small bundles. Hang the blanks in a dry, protected from sunlight, ventilated place. It can be a shed, attic, barn or veranda in the house. The apartment has a balcony with closed windows. Preparation time - 7-10 days, but everything is individual. Plants must dry completely. Check readiness before storing bundles. Well-dried leaves and stems can be easily crushed with your fingers.
- To dry individual leaves for the winter, separate them from the stems and lay them on the fabric in a small layer. Periodically check and turn the raw material. And in this case, choose a well-ventilated, semi-dark room. Leaves that are dried in the light lose their color and aroma.
How to dry mint collected from the garden or purchased mint depends on its subsequent use:
- The stems are the basis for the medicine.
- Leaves can be used in different ways.
After the end of the drying process, do not grind them into crumbs, do this just before use. Drink with them, prepare a mint decoction or add to cooking dishes.
The medicinal properties of mint are used very widely: from brewing teas during a cold to therapeutic baths for skin rashes
We answer the question: how long can mint infusion be stored?
Mint infusion can be used no more than a day and only it is in the refrigerator. With longer storage, it changes chemical composition, it becomes at least useless.
Alcohol tincture is suitable for treatment for about a year. After that, its composition will also begin to change and deteriorate due to the interaction of alcohol and substances contained in mint.
Drying mint greens is convenient for those who want to make blanks for a long time. Shelf life medicinal plant while the maximum - until the next harvest.
Rules for storing blanks
The shelf life of any product depends on the conditions of its storage. Mint is no exception. Frozen just can not get out of the freezer. How to store dried mint?
- Put dry bundles in cloth bags or cardboard boxes.
- For crumbs and leaves, choose glass containers that tightly close with lids.
- Tin containers from under tea or are suitable for storage, but they should not have a smell.
- Keep blanks in a dark, cool place. The ideal temperature is +6 ⁰С or a little more.
- Avoid the interaction of dry raw materials with moisture, light, strong smelling substances and food.
- For long-term storage, choose a cold corridor, a veranda at home. The apartment uses a closet or a balcony for this.
- Do not leave the product for more than a year, harvest new greens in the summer.
Do you know that…
There are many varieties of mint. They need to be stored in different containers, because they have a completely different, unique smell, taste and aftertaste plume.
As you can see, keeping fresh, freezing, drying and storing mint is very easy. Try several ways to find the best one for you.
Store properly and be healthy!
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Do you like refreshing mint drinks or savory meat dishes and salads? Faced with the fact that the plant quickly withers and loses its aroma. Learn how to store mint for a refreshing smell and taste.
How to store mint in the refrigerator?
If you purchased or cut fragrant greens and did not use them, store them in the refrigerator. To prevent the mint from wilting, thoroughly rinse the twigs with leaves and shake a little to remove excess water. Wrap in damp gauze or towel and refrigerate.
Washed greens can be placed in a plastic container and closed with a lid. If you don't have a suitable container, put the fragrant twigs in a disposable bag and tie tightly to keep air out. You can also put greens in a glass of water. Mint can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
How to store mint for a long time?
The season for collecting this fragrant greenery falls on the end of July - the beginning of August. At this time, it contains the largest amount of essential oils. If you know how to properly store fresh mint, you can enjoy its pleasant aroma throughout the year.
If you want to prepare mint for the winter, then know that this can be done in two ways:
freezing;
Before freezing greens, rinse thoroughly and let dry. Fold the prepared twigs and leaves into bags or containers and send to the freezer. To make mojitos and other cold drinks, mint can be frozen in ice cube trays. Fill the molds with water, placing a couple of clean mint leaves in each compartment. Freeze.