Last updated on October 23rd, 2023 at 09:00 pm
Hardly any seasoning herb can be used in the kitchen as versatile as peppermint. The green herb is slightly pungent and gives food and drinks a fresh, spicy aroma. But you can also process peppermint into oil.
So versatile can be processed peppermint
- Tea
- Salad
- Desserts
- Cocktails and soft drinks
- Decoration
- Peppermint oil
You can use fresh and dried peppermint for all dishes and drinks. Only for decoration and in cocktails you should take only freshly harvested herb.
You can also freeze peppermint. It then loses its aroma, but in desserts or salads, the aromatic herb still comes into its own.
Processing peppermint
Peppermint can be used fresh and cooked. When cooked, however, many vitamins are lost.
Pluck the fresh leaves from the stems and add to dishes or drinks.
Dried peppermint, depending on the intended use, rub off the stem or pour boiling water over the whole stem to make tea.
Peppermint tea – the most popular herbal tea.
Along with chamomile, peppermint is one of the most commonly used herbal teas. Therefore, it is worth harvesting and drying a larger supply in the summer before flowering. Then you can enjoy aromatic peppermint tea even in winter. Tea from self-harvested leaves is uncontaminated and healthier, unlike teas for sale.
Making peppermint oil
Peppermint oil is easy to make yourself. To make it, add a handful of stems to virgin olive oil and seal the bottle airtight. Place it in a warm place for about three weeks.
Less is often more
This also applies to peppermint. It often has such a strong aroma that it quickly masks other spices.
Therefore, use peppermint sparingly and take fewer leaves at first until you have found the ideal amount.
People with stomach problems should also be careful when consuming peppermint, as the essential oil can cause heartburn and attack the stomach walls.
Tips
Love jelly or jam with a little pizzazz? Add a few leaves of fresh peppermint when cooking cherry, apple or raspberry jelly. This gives the sweet spread a particularly fresh taste.