[AG-EQ] Mint: Important Tips to Grow, Harvest, and Use It Correctly

[dogwood farm]

Mint: Important Tips to Grow, Harvest, and Use It Correctly
By: Annie / On: October 16, 2017

With herb gardens becoming a common item in most homesteads nowadays,
herbs are becoming used more and more for everything from cooking to
medicines. One of my favorite herbs for the garden is mint. It comes
in a variety of flavors for you to plant and harvest on your
homestead. You can usually find peppermint, spearmint, chocolate,
pineapple, and a multitude of other flavors.

This herb spreads rapidly in all directions in the garden, can be
harvested up to 3 or more times per season, is a perennial in the
south, can be grown in containers or between pavers, and is readily
available in the marketplace.

Growing Mint
Mint is planted in the spring in northern climates, usually in pots,
and directly in the garden in late fall or early winter in southern
zones. It prefers moist, damp ground. It does very well in hydroponic
systems.

This herb prefers full sun or partial shade and requires a ph of 6.0
to 7.5. Although this herb does well with fertilizer it is not needed
and it is not recommended to fertilize it when planting.

Replanting is required every 3 to 4 years to keep its flavors and
scent strong. The tops will die back in winter except in zones 8 and
south. The roots are hardy to zone 5.

Mint is vulnerable to whiteflies, blackflies, spider mites, snails,
and slugs when the plant is young.  Because this herb travels and
spreads so quickly you will want to pinch the top stems often to
encourage bushier growth. Buds should be trimmed to encourage bushy
growth also. This happens between June and September.

Propagation is easy. Simply cut a stem from the plant, place in a
small jar of water and wait for the roots to form. This usually
happens within 2 to 3 weeks. When the roots are formed transplant to a
bigger container with dirt and good drainage until new growth appears.
At this time you can transplant the new plant into the garden or
another more permanent container.

Mint is compatible with brassica, peas, and tomato, and is not
compatible with any other spices in the garden.

Harvesting Mint
When harvesting mint, the more you pick the better! Because you do not
want the oils on your hands to interfere with the drying process it is
important to use gloves. Gloves will keep the oil from your skin from
covering the pores of the leaves and thus cause problems with drying.

For a good amount of mint to be harvested, it is best to cut the stems
just above the second or third groups of leaves. Remove any yellowed
or bug-eaten leaves underneath that are on the plant and in no time
the plant will show new growth. This process can and should be done 2
to 4 times per season.

If you only need a few leaves or stems you can simply snip the leaves
of the plant or take end cuttings of the stems.

Large harvests should be washed and dried and then tied in bunches of
only 4 to 5 stems and hung in a cool, not humid, dark place until
dried, usually three weeks. You can also place in between 2 paper
towels on a cookie sheet and placed into an oven set on “warm”
overnight.
Preserving Mint
Fresh mint can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Dried leaves
if kept in an airtight container will keep up to 2 years. A food saver
can come in handy here. Just place the dried leaves in a mason jar
with the seal on and seal with the food saver. If you don’t have a
food saver you can seal the leaves in an airtight plastic bag and use
a straw to remove the air as much as possible.

Mint can be chopped finely, mixed with olive oil and placed in ice
cube trays in the freezer until needed. When frozen simply transfer
the cubes to a freezer bag and use as needed for recipes calling for
mint. Mix the fresh chopped mint with water using the same method and
use in lemonade and cold teas after straining or placed in homemade
tea bags.

The leaves can be preserved in vinegar also.

Uses for Mint
Mint is known to calm the stomach and relieve sore muscle spasms. It
is also a great compliment to lamb, fish, poultry, peas, new potatoes,
carrots, green or fruit salads, punch, lemonade, and teas, and can
also be used when dried in potpourri and in sachets. It is even used
in candy making.

To make tea with fresh mint, simply wash the leaves, tear into smaller
pieces, place in a food processor with enough water to barely cover
the leaves. Blend until mostly smooth. Add mixture to a teabag. Add
hot water and let it steep for 2 minutes.

When making a large batch, after processing place the mixture in a
cheesecloth and strain. The juice can be frozen or used as-is. The
pulp that is left in the cheesecloth can be spread out into ice cube
trays and frozen. These cubes can be used later for smoothies and
recipes requiring mint.

More Information on Mint
An extensive website on herbs and veggies is VeggieHarvest.com. You
can learn about many veggies and herbs and how to grow, harvest and
use each one.

Susan