MINT: Best Ways to Store, Prepare, and Enjoy
STORAGE
Loosely wrap in a dampened paper towel and place in an unsealed plastic bag.
Trim the ends and place in a glass filled with an inch or so of water.
Try preserving it! Drying and freezing are great options:
Dry: oven dry on low heat for 2-4 hours or hang dry upside down in paper bags for about two weeks.
Freeze: pick off leaves, chop up, and put 1-2 teaspoons per icecube in a tray. Bag up the frozen cubes and add to your favorite beverage/dish whenever you want!
NutritionAL BENEFITS
While mint is rich in phytonutrients, as an herb, macronutrients/calories aren’t quite as relevant. But holy moly there are so many health benefits of mint!
Mint has many soothing properties, and can help fix an upset stomach or indigestion. It can also calm allergy symptoms and treat cold symptoms.
Fun fact
45% of mint oil in the US is used for chewing gum, another 45% is used to flavor “good breath” things like toothpaste and mouthwash, and the remaining 10% is used as flavoring for the confectionery, pharmaceutical, liquor, and aroma industries.
4 ways to USE FRESH MINT
Add leaves to greek yogurt
Boil leaves for a tasty mint tea that soothes the stomach and aids digestion
Add some to your smoothie for a nice flavor addition
Add to limeade or lemonade, or try one of these cocktails
Breakfast
Brew some fresh mint tea, it’s a breakfast game changer!
Lunch
Chop up a few leaves and add to your salad greens for another layer of flavor
Radish Salad with Mint and Pistachios
Pop a couple of “mint ice cubes” into your iced tea
Make some pesto for sauce, dressing, dips or spreads
Dinner
Pan-roasted Chicken with Mint Sauce
For a fun dessert, try dipping in chocolate and letting it chill on wax paper in the fridge until hardened
Try making your own tincture: mix some chopped mint with vodka in a mason jar then shake daily for at least 4 weeks before straining- use it as a mint mixer or a home medicine