Now autumn is here, we want to preserve some of our herbs for winter cooking. Last week we froze some Basil and this week we are freezing some of our mint. We grow our herbs in pots so that we can move them around the garden to get the perfect place for them to grow. We live in a hot coastal area that has strong winds, so we are always looking for sheltered areas of the garden for our herbs. As you can see in the photo above, insects have been nibbling on our mint. It is time to preserve some while there are still healthy leaves available.
First up we picked a lot of mint, removed the stems, and sorted out the healthy leaves.We washed them and dried them in our salad spinner.
You can freeze mint either chopped or with whole leaves. We simply stacked approx 8 leaves in each section of an ice cube tray, and pushed them down so they were well packed.
Cover the leaves with water and pop into the freezer.
When it was frozen, we transferred the mint cubes to a ziploc bag for easy storage in the freezer.
When we need some mint, we can remove the number of cubes required. Frozen mint can be use in favoured waters, teas (iced and hot), soups, and sauces. Depending on the recipe, you can either use as it is, or defrost and drain before adding to your favourite recipe.
We are trying to drink more water. Adding a couple of cubes of frozen mint and a slice or two of lemon or lime to a jug of water, results in a refreshing and healthy drink.
Do you preserve any other herbs?
You may be interested in How To Freeze Basil
What a great idea, and it looks so pretty too. I’ve been thinking of freezing lemon slices, since I love a dash of lemon in my water, but lemons don’t last long in my fridge. Ada | http://www.adasinteriordesign.com/blog/
This is a great tip! A great way to keep herbs from going bad in my fridge…
Can the frozen mint be used for making mint jelly?
I haven’t ever made mint jelly (only mint sauce). I don’t see why it wouldn’t work as long as the mint leaves are dried thoroughly with a paper towel before you use them. Mint jelly recipes with pectin usually set well.
How long will home made mint sauce last?
Katherine – it usually lasts for a few days if placed in an airtight container in the fridge. I usually make it in small quantities to minimise wastage.
Very helpful, many thanks.
After you freeze it, how long will it be good for?
Hi June – If you store the ice cubes in a ziploc bag to keep them fresh, they should last for 3 months.
I own a coffee shop but one of my specialty non-coffee drinks us a frozen blended lemonade. Made from mom’s homemade simple syrup and some ice. It is wonderful when I add a couple mint leaves in the blender while making it. It also gives the lemonade a beautiful mint green hue. Anyways I wanted to thank you for the frozen mint tip. When my customers order the lemonade, very few ask for mint however the ones that do simply won’t have it without. I found that I was just wasting $ on mint that was just going bad being refrigerated not to mention upsetting some customers because I decided not to carry mint anymore due to the waste. Anyways now I can pop a “mint cube” in with the concoction and I will have happy mint-loving customers! Again, thanks for the awesome tip!!
Your frozen blended lemondade sounds divine! Mint and lemon is such a great combination.