When to collect and how to dry and store mint
Having planted mint on your site or in a pot, further, you need to know when to collect it and how to store it properly in order to preserve its properties as much as possible. This is what our article is about.
How and when to harvest peppermint
It is very important to collect medicinal plants exactly during the period when they are most saturated with essential oils. This moment occurs at the very beginning of flowering, usually from mid-July to the first half of August. Young mint has no medicinal value and is not suitable for harvesting. It is good only fresh, as a flavorful additive for tea or desserts.
Raw materials should be collected by cutting off the branches along with the flowers. This should be done only in dry and preferably cloudy weather. If the bright sun shines day after day, then it is better to collect early in the morning or at sunset. Morning collection should be started only after the dew has completely dried.
What are the healing properties of mint? How and where to plant mint ?
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If you are harvesting wild mint, then the collection site should be ecological, i.e. located away from roads, landfills and industrial plants.
When the plant has a lot of dust on it, it should be thoroughly shaken off, but in no case washed. Wet raw materials cannot be dried qualitatively so that they do not become moldy and darken.
Green tea with mint – recipe
Take porcelain or glassware, pour 1 tsp. green tea and add a couple of sprigs of fresh mint (you can use dried mint), fill with hot water. Let it brew for 10 minutes. Lemon and honey can be added to taste.
How to dry mint properly
Even if you collected the raw materials at the right time, they still need to be properly dried so as not to lose all valuable properties.
Lavender comes in pink, purple, white, and even yellow.
There are two ways to dry mint: whole twigs or only leaves
To dry the cut mint stalks, they must be tied in several pieces in loose bunches and hung under a canopy or in the attic, that is, in a place where there is good ventilation and there is no direct sunlight. The latter have a detrimental effect on essential oils, completely nullifying all the medicinal value of the finished raw materials.
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To dry mint leaves, they are carefully separated from the stem at the very beginning of flowering and laid out in a small layer on cardboard or thick paper. The conditions for high-quality drying are the same: lack of sunlight and good ventilation. An additional factor is the obligatory periodic mixing of raw materials to prevent the appearance of mold.
It is strongly not recommended to use thermal methods for drying (dryers, ovens, stoves), since in conditions of elevated temperature, all essential oils evaporate, and the raw materials lose their aroma and medicinal value.
Finished raw materials should retain their green color and characteristic aroma.
How to store mint
For storing mint (in bunches or leaves), use only a container that is well ventilated. These can be fabric or paper bags, cardboard boxes, wooden or clay containers. Glass jars are also suitable if their lid does not fit very tightly. But plastic containers or plastic bags should not be used, as the grass in them will quickly become moldy and deteriorate.
Sometimes, for ease of storage, dried mint is ground into powder, but it is better not to do this. In this form, the grass loses its unique smell much faster, and with it the beneficial properties.
When properly stored (in a dark, cool and dry place), mint retains its valuable qualities and remains fragrant for two years.
