Harvest mint stems often for the kitchen. Take a larger cut just as flowers begin, then dry or refrigerate the sprigs.
Harvest stems often, and cut just as flowers begin
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| When | Pick as needed once stems are a few inches tall. For drying, cut as flowers begin, in the morning after the dew dries | Waiting until the plant is in full bloom, when leaf flavor drops |
| How much | Cut stem tips often. For a large cut, take stems to about an inch above the soil, two or three times a season | Stripping every leaf and leaving a bare stump in the first year |
| Kind | Spearmint, peppermint, and apple mint for the kitchen | Cutting pennyroyal as a cooking herb |
| Store | Stand fresh stems in water in the refrigerator about a week, or hang-dry and jar the leaves | Leaving cut stems in the sun or a damp pile |
Young leaves have the best flavor. Cut often so the plant stays bushy, and take a larger harvest just as flower spikes show. [1] Late morning on a dry day is the usual window, after the dew has dried. [2] spearmint is the kitchen cut. peppermint uses the same timing for a sharper leaf. Corsican mint and pennyroyal are not a weekly cooking harvest — pick the kind on Types of Mint. [3]
When do I harvest mint?
Pick stems as you need them once the plant is a few inches tall. For drying, cut just as flowers begin, in the morning after the dew dries.
How to harvest and dry mint
Cut a handful of stems, leave enough growth to reshoot, and hang the bunch until the leaves crumble.
- Snip stems just above a leaf pair, or cut a larger flush to about an inch above the soil as flowers begin.
- Rinse, shake, and pat the stems dry. Surface water darkens the leaf in the drying bunch.
- Stand fresh sprigs in a glass of water in the refrigerator for up to a week, or wrap them dry in plastic for about the same time. [4]
- To dry, tie a small, loose bunch and hang it in a paper bag in a cool, dark room until the leaves crumble, about two weeks. You can also freeze clean leaves in a bag or in ice cubes.
- Strip the dry leaves from the stems and store them whole in a jar, out of sun and heat. Crush them when you cook.
How do I dry mint?
Hang a small bunch in a paper bag in a cool, dark room until the leaves crumble. Store them whole in a jar, and crush them when you cook.
If the plant is already in bloom, cut now anyway — waiting longer only weakens the next flush of leaf.
FAQ
Can I eat the flowers?
Yes. The flowers are milder than the leaves. For the strongest leaf flavor, cut as they begin to open.
Should I cut mint to the ground before winter?
You can cut spent stems to the ground after frost so the bed stays clean. New shoots come from the rhizomes in spring.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] North Dakota State University Extension -
https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/field-fork-mint - [2] Illinois Extension -
https://extension.illinois.edu/herbs/mint - [3] University of Maryland Extension -
https://www.extension.umd.edu/resource/growing-mint-home-garden - [4] University of California IPM -
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/cultural-tips-for-growing-mint/
This note is part of Mentha Guides.
More harvest timing notes by plant live in Harvesting Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors