How to Dry Peppermint

Buying dried herbs and spices is like tossing your money down the kitchen sink! At the store you pay for packaging, shipping, marketing and more…all for the weak, stale taste of herbs that are up to a year or more old! Buying certain herbs, like peppermint, is especially pointless. For almost no effort at all, you can dry fresh peppermint from your garden – and since peppermint grows like a weed under even the worst conditions, you’ll be up to your ears in the stuff in no time, for pennies! Here’s how to dry peppermint:

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• peppermint plant
• kitchen sink
• paper or cloth towel
• cookie sheet
• oven

1. Whether you’ve started with a small plant, or grown your peppermint from seed, you’ll want to wait to harvest until the plant is strong enough to survive the removal of some of its leaves. Peppermint plants grow quickly and like to be picked regularly, but be careful to take only what you need until you know your plant is hardy.

2. Select healthy leaves to pick. The healthiest peppermint leaves are unspotted and have a vivid green color – they are not pale or transparent looking.

3. Pick your peppermint leaves and take them into the house for cleaning.

4. Clean the peppermint leaves by holding them under gently running water. Once you’ve rinsed them, partially fill your kitchen sink with cool water and gently swish the leaves through the water a few times to remove any remaining dirt or other organic matter. Use this time to re-examine your peppermint leaves for any signs of discoloration or spotting.

5. Remove the peppermint leaves from the water and blot them dry with paper or cloth towels.

6. Place the peppermint leaves on a cookie tray and put the tray in your oven. Do not turn on the heat! Leave the peppermint in your oven overnight. In the morning, it will be completely dried and ready to store or use as tea or as a garnish for your favorite dish.

Tips & Warnings

• Peppermint leaves will dry quickly from the residual heat of an oven. Turning on the oven may burn the leaves.

[mweise]

on 10/9/2009 I really needed to know how to dry peppermint - I use herbs for many purposes :) Great article, 5*

[moonsun55]

on 9/8/2009 Great tips. My mother always grew her peppermint and dried them, but never like this. Your tips are quick and simple. Thanks for sharing.