Does Mint Go Bad?

Mint is an aromatic herb, available in three varieties, Pepper Mint, Spear Mint, and Apple Mint; it has a sweet, delicate flavor that adds a bright taste to teas, soups, and other dishes. Mint leaves have a strong cool aftertaste, and their aroma is most strong when it is fresh, and they lose potency when dried.

Fresh mint leaves can remain fresh for a week in the fridge and if stored properly, but they can go bad if they are not refrigerated or handled inappropriately, while dried mint leaves can last for a long period and can be used in cuisines.

How To Store Mint?

Mint is a versatile herb and gives soothing flavor to your drinks and dishes; it is worthy enough to store properly so that you can enjoy the same freshness of mint whenever you use it. Normally mint has a short life span of 2-3 days at room temperature, but you can preserve it by keeping it in the refrigerator and even freeze it.

Following are some tips to properly store mint leaves,

Keep it in Water Jar

To keep mint leaves fresh, you can store it in a water jar, take a small jar and fill it with water, dip the stems of the mint leaves into it, cover it with a plastic bag, make sure the plastic bag is not compressing the leaves as it can damage their texture, now put this jar in the refrigerator, change the water after every two days when it became cloudy. This way, mint leaves can last for seven days.

Wrap it in Kitchen Towel

Mint remains useable for a week if stored properly; it is better to not wash mint before storing it because it can cause spoilage, first take a kitchen towel or napkin damp it with cold water, then wrap it around the stalks of mint leaves, now put this into an airtight plastic bag and refrigerate.

Make sure to check the zip of your plastic bag; it should be perfectly zipped, otherwise lose zip can trap moisture into a plastic bag and leads to molding in leaves eventually.

Store it in Dried Form

If you want to use mint for a long time, you can store them in dried form; to do this; you can use a dehydrator, microwave, or simple air-drying methods. In all the methods, start from cutting the leaves off the stalk, lie them on to a baking tray and then keep it into either dehydrator or microwave and follow the machine directions.

Can You Freeze Mint Leaves

Freezing mint can extend its life span over six months; you can freeze them to use it for a long time. You can store mint leaves via two methods: whole leaves or put them into an ice cube tray.

First, cut the leaves off the stalk and wash them, lay them over a baking tray so that they don’t stick with each other, but this tray into the freezer for one night now transfers all freeze leaves into freezer bags.

In another method, the procedure is the same till the washing of leaves, after washing put them into an ice cube tray that each leaf is stored in the separate cube, now fill these cubes half with water and freeze them.

How Long Does Mint Leaves Last

Mint leaves have a short life span, but it also depends on how properly you store them. If mint leaves are refrigerated, you can use them for a week, but only if they are stored carefully; if you are using the damp paper towel method, make sure to remove all excess water from the towel.

If you are using the water jar method, always check the water for turbidity and change it right away if you see that it is turbid. This way, mint leaves remain fresh and useable, and you can use them whenever you need them. After freezing, you can use them for up to 6 months, but again only if you freeze them properly.

How To Tell If Mint Leaves Are Bad

Fresh mint leaves add a soothing effect to your dishes; they must be stored properly to retain their freshness. If they are not stored carefully, they will go bad. Some physical changes occur in the texture of mint leaves; always check for these indications before using them in your food items because spoiled mint leaves are unhealthy to consume.

• Check for Brown Spots: Before you buy mint leaves, check for the appearance of brown spots; if you notice any, then don’t buy because it means they have got attacked by mold.
• Bad Odor: Fresh mint leaves give a refreshing aroma; always take a sniff before buying mint leaves; if there is a bad odor coming out of leaves, this is the sign of spoilage.
• Soft Texture: Fresh mint leaves have a perky appearance; if mint leaves don’t have a perky texture and seem soft when you touch them, it means they have started to spoil.

Sources

• Fresher Pantry
• Garden and Grass
• The kitchen