Things You'll Need
Fresh mint plant
Scissors
Blow dryer
Twine
Paper bag
Elastic rubber band
Wall hook
Glass jar or Tupperware bowl
Tart Warmer
Wicker Basket
The mint plant has been prized throughout history for its uses in medicine, cosmetics, culinary arts, and ornamental decor. Mint is best known for its sweet, uplifting, and menthol aroma. It has been noted as a symbol of hospitality and is commonly used in fragrant potpourris. Mint enhances the air with an aroma that is soothing to the senses. Its fragrance repels pests such as mosquitoes, ants, and rodents, making it a very useful household herb. With access to a mint plant and the help of some common household tools, one can easily create a deliciously delightful smelling mint potpourri.
Harvesting & Drying Mint
Step 1
Take the scissors and clip each stem of the mint plant.
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Step 2
Rinse the stems with cool-to-room temperature water to remove any dirt and debris.
Step 3
Shake excess water from the stems. Use the blower dryer on its coolest setting and gently blow air over the surface of the stems to remove any hidden water droplets.
Step 4
Create bundles of mint stems using no more then five stems to a bundle.Wrap the twine around the middle of the stems to tie them together.
Step 5
Using the scissors cut slits in the paper bags for ventilation.
Step 6
Place the mint bundle head first into the bottom of the paper bag and then secure the paper bag to the end of the stems with an elastic rubber band.
Step 7
Place a wall hook in a cool dry place that has good circulation and using the rubber band as an anchor hang the mint filled paper bag upside down on the wall hook. Allow the mint stems to dry out for two weeks.
Step 8
Remove the mint stems from the paper bag and gather the dried leaves at the bottom of the paper bag along with any leaves that have remained on the stem.
Step 9
Place the dried mint leaves in an air tight container such as a glass jar or a sealed plastic bowl.
Step 10
Display the dried mint potpourri in a decorative wicker basket or add warm water to a glass jar filled with the mint potpourri and place it on a tart warmer to dispense the mint's exhilarating aroma.
Tip
Mint has a naturally high water content which makes it susceptible to mold, so it is important to make sure that there is no water left on the mint before it is placed into the paper bag for drying. The best time to harvest the mint plant is in the morning and when its buds have not yet bloomed.This is when the mint's aromatic oils are most potent. Keep mint potpourri in the kitchen to ward off unwanted pests.
Warning
Never place dry mint potpourri alone on a tart warmer because it can cause a fire.When using a tart warmer as an aromatic diffuser, only use a mixture of 70 % water and 30 % dried mint leaves in a heat resistant glass jar.
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