Preserving mint for winter use

Hi, My mother used to dry mint for use in the winter, I've always thought dried mint doesn't taste as good as fresh, has anyone tried alternative methods like freezing or in vinegar or other preservative or a pot growing indoors. Which holds the flavour best. I mainly want it for mint sauce, but could also use some when cooking peas or new spuds.

I don't have much space for growing indoors, but that outdoors now is rampant so I could pick plenty, should I chop it and cover it in vinegar so it's ready for mint sauce just needing a bit of sugar, or freeze it chopped; as for use with spuds and peas would whole leaves freeze OK?

 

Wouldn`t it work better with balsamic vinegar Mike?

I haven`t tried pickling it-I have it growing but still prefer to use the Colmans garden Mint on my peas.

When I have my annual family booze up (or at least the one my family are invited to), I have herb leaves and little flower heads suspended frozen in the ice cubes . And in cooking I just chuck one over the top and mix it in.

 

Funny you should ask this question Mike as I had the same thought a few years back so I tried several ways.

One way was drying in the oven and powdering up....not recommended in my opinion.
Another way was the chopping up and ice cube tray method....that worked. To use it, put several ice cubes in a sieve and let the ice melt. Third way was freezing the sprigs in plastic bags. I didn't blanch them so they changed colour but still tasted of mint when boiling with spuds and carrots etc.

I'm not sure if blanching would work or would remove the essential oils??

So overall, I would go for the ice cube method. Bit more labour intensive but the colour and mint oils remain.:thumb:

I wouldn't advocate freezing the mint in vinegar, as all you would taste is vinegar. I'm not sure how you make fresh mint sauce, but I still do it the way my granny used to.

Method.
Finely chop the amount of mint you require.
Put in bowl or cup. Teaspoonful of sugar. Add enough boiling water to melt the sugar. Stir and leave for a while to stew in the cup or bowl. Then add the vinegar and stir again.:thumb:

 

Do you have a greenhouse? I had a big pot with some transplanted into it that survived in an unheated greenhouse in winter 2006/2007, even through the hard frosts, although I could have simply been lucky..... Bringing the pot indoors would definitely work. Not enough for sauce, but for the odd sprig here and there.
If you can find a suitable mint sauce recipe, you could always try making the sauce in a big batch and preserving in sterilised jars using the boiling water bath canning method ( google for that if you haven't already tried it)
The key is to make sure the sauce has at least 4-5% acidity, and the filled and sealed jars are covered in boiling water and re-boiled for at least 10 mins to create a partial vacuum between the top of the sauce and the lid so any bugs can't grow.
I've had tomato-based pasta sauce that has kept at room temperature for a year or more this way. An apple and mint sauce *might* be acid enough so that you don't need any extra vinegar.
Home canning can be good fun.......

cheers,
Dave
(who's just finished canning the first batch of sweet chilli apple sauce. Yum Yum )

 

I never use boiling water when making mint sauce, dilutes the vinegar!! I always used to make the mint sauce well in advance and found the sugar would dissolve sufficiently in the vinegar, (I use red wine vinegar), I also sprinkle some sugar on the leaves before starting chopping and recently I have been putting the made sauce in the microwave for about 20 seconds, this seems to work for dissolving the sugar.

If I was to try preserving (not freezing) in vinegar I would not add sugar until I was ready to use it.

Sounds like the ice cube method is favourite, plus I will try a pot plant indoors as well.

 

I put the mint leaves in to freezer bags (make sure there is no air left in the bag) and just freeze it. When you take it out you can crush it while still frozen. I find it's okay for mint sauce or raita if we're having an Indian meal.
(I also freeze coriander and basil this way).

 

Mike, Re mint I put a big bunch (minus storks) in the food processer with half pound butter whizz it round till it looks well chopped, roll in in cling film like a sausage back in the fridge till firm , then slice it into inch lumps pop into the freezer this is foolproof if you don 't have a food processer you can do it by hand, bit labouris tho, this I drop on to hot potatos,or add to pea soup it keeps the full flvour and colour this way.

 

I have over wintered my mint in an unheated greenhouse for the last couple of years quite successfully. I have also taken acuttings towards the end August/beginning September, and grown in pot on the Kitchen windowsill through the winter. Seems to work quite well.

 

I have a question with regards Mint. Some of my mint has gone to flower. Should I cut these flowers off or should I leave them as they are? Should I cut my mint back ready for winter and if so, how far?
Thanks

 

If you leave the flowers, then they'll produce seeds, and those seeds will leave home and set up home in your neighbour's garden.

As for chopping it down, I take the lawn mower to mine once a year, it just comes back thicker.

 

And thicker and thicker until like me you end up like thiss00k

 

What time of year should you chop it down? Is now a good time?