Minty.

Back in April or so, I decided I wanted to grow some mint. Every year I’m going to add a few new herbs to my little kitchen garden. I know I can buy a whole bunch at once but I want to have the chance to really focus on each one individually, learning all I can. In this post, I’ll share with you all what I’ve learned about my mints so far. This is only a novice’s experience and I’m open to any advice or knowledge you more-experienced growers can offer.

I have two mint plants in containers. One is Peppermint the other is Chocolate Mint.

Planting & Caring
Most people buy mint plants or propagate cuttings from other plants. You can plant mint in your garden or flower bed but I opted to plant in containers because they are infamous for spreading like crazy. Actually, most gardeners have a problem with mint taking over their flower beds/gardens. To my knowledge, mint isn’t that finicky so any potting soil will do. Keeping them in a container also means you can move the plant around. I found my herbs have been getting too much sun on our deck (it’s been so hot and so dry) so I moved them along the house and they get the eastern sun in the morning but in the afternoon they are shaded. I water them a little everyday since it’s been so hot. With that said, mint likes partial shade and plenty of moisture. Another thing of note is that mint has a rapid growing root system, so if you are growing in containers, you’ll need to divide and repot every year or two (usually in the fall.)
Overall, mint is a great beginner herb to grow because it doesn’t require too much attention. They are pretty hardy. I’m curious to see how they survive the winter. Some folks say they will survive in the pots (the leaves will die but the roots remain fine) others suggest to temporarily plant the pot in the ground to insulate the roots a little. I’ll cross this bridge when I get to it.

Harvesting/Storing
You can harvest mint any time throughout the season. You can either break off fresh leaves as you need them or clip off sprigs to store. When cutting be sure to clip just above where there are two new shoots starting. There are usually two leaves each with a little itty bitty growth in the crook between the leaf and the stem. Clip the stem just above that. Those little shoots will grow. (The first photo in the above set shows how I cut and the shoots and continued to grow.) I always rinse my leaves and pat dry gently with a cloth or paper towel after harvesting.

Storing
Mint is tastiest fresh. But there are a couple different ways to store your mint leaves for later use.
Freeze – My favorite is to freeze them in a jar. They will turn dark but the flavor will remain. You can also freeze them in water in an ice cube tray. This should help keep the pretty green color. When you need mint, just melt the cube and discard the water. Or if you are putting it in a soup or stew where a little extra water won’t hurt anything, toss the whole cube in.
Dry – You can also dry them. Hang a few sprigs up in a dry, dark, warm place for a week or two. If you store them too soon and they still contain moisture you risk growing mold. When they are completely dry, pull them off the stems and store in an air tight glass container and keep in a cool dark place. Don’t crush the leaves up yet. Herbs are best left intact until just before you want to use them. Then when you’re preparing, crush between your fingers and add to your dish/recipe. (And remember that most dried herbs tend to be twice as strong as fresh.)

Culinary
The first and most obvious is tea.
Mint Juleps or Mojitos or throw a few sprigs in citrus-y ades or fruit juices.
Dip them in chocolate for a nice after dinner treat or dessert garnish.
Put a few in hot cocoa (or chilled cocoa with whipped banana “cream”—recipe coming soon!)
Mint pairs well with chocolate (as stated above), lamb, cucumbers, watermelon, pineapple. The ideas are endless.
It’s also great in jellies, sauces and marinades.
Don’t worry, you’ll find ways to use it!

Medicinal
Mint is great for upset stomachs, flatulence, headaches, toothaches, bee stings/bug bites, among many other ailments. A simple internet search will give you recipes for different remedies.

Now maybe you who already know a lot about mint can answer a question I have: Should I cut off the runners I have on my Chocolate Mint? I know you can use them to propagate a new plant but I’m wondering if you don’t want to start up a new plant, should you clip the runner(s) off? Do they suck energy from the rest of the plant? (I have been searching but can’t find my answer on the web.)