Quick Answer: Can You Freeze Mint Leaves?
Yes, you can freeze mint leaves to store them for later use. They can be frozen in several ways, and are a very versatile type of herb to begin with, with lots of uses. Whichever method you choose, the processes are quite simple and if done correctly, can allow you to freeze the mint leaves for up to 6 months! Frozen mint leaves can also be used in a variety of ways.
This is a comprehensive guide that covers all the best methods to freeze mint leaves successfully, along with all the tricks and hacks you need, so that you are able to freeze mint leaves at the comfort and ease of your home with no hassles.
Without any further ado, let’s get right into the first method!
Can You Freeze Mint Leaves?
This method allows you to freeze your mint leaves whole. It takes a little more time and effort, but should come in handy later on because whole leaves make it much easier for you to measure proportions and ratios when cooking. The other merit of this process is that it preserves your mint leaves perfectly: leaving negligible difference between a frozen mint leaf and a fresh one.
Materials
- Knife/hatchet
- Baking tray
- Wax paper
- Airtight freezer bags
Tools
- No special tools needed
Instructions
- Prepare the mint leaves for freezing – Start by trimming the top section of the mint leaves, and do it for all of the mint stalks.
Be careful to leave two-thirds of your plant still in-tact.
Also note that not only should the mint leaves be completely fresh for you to freeze them properly, they should also be washed and cleaned thoroughly with no dirt or grime sticking to them.
Otherwise, they may not freeze well. - Line them out on a baking tray – First line the baking tray with some wax or parchment paper.
Then, arrange the washed, cleaned, trimmed and dried mint leaves carefully on the tray with considerable distance from each other.
They should not overlap or touch.
Cover the baking tray securely with some more wax paper.
You can also use plastic wrap; as long as all the leaves are totally covered. - Flash-freeze the mint leaves – Flash-freeze by keeping the baking tray in the freezer for at least six to seven hours.
To be safe, you can also leave them to flash-freeze overnight. - Put into freezer bags and freeze - Once frozen hard enough, transfer the mint leaves into airtight resealable freezer bags and label them.
Make sure they are sealed tightly and securely. They are ready to freeze!
Freezing Mint Leaves as Ice Cubes
Time Taken: 7-8 hours
What You Need:
- Knife/hatchet
- Water
- Paper towels
- Airtight freezer bags
- Ice cube trays
This is also an efficient method; you essentially turn your fresh herbs into cool, minty ice cubes that you can thaw and use whenever you need.
Freezing mint leaves in this way also makes them easier to use in lots of recipes: from cooking ones to different smoothies and beverages too.
Prepare your Mint Leaves For Freezing
Follow the same process as given before; ensure you are using healthy leaves. Trim the top sections and stalks, and be careful to leave two-thirds of your plant still in-tact.
Properly Wash and Dry the Mint Leaves
Wash the leaves thoroughly again. Pat them dry using paper towels. You must remove all the water and moisture in the leaves before freezing.
Portion the Mint Leaves
Chopping the mint leaves into defined measurements is the most efficient way to freeze them in this method.
For example, it is recommended that you chop the mint leaves and keep one tablespoon worth of mint for every cube.
Line Ice Cube Tray With Mint and Water
Once you have chopped them into the desired lengths, line the ice cube trays with mint, according to your measurements.
Next, fill the individual cubes with water. Make sure all your mint is completely submerged in the water, but at the same time the water should not be filled to the brim.
Flash-Freeze
Flash-freeze the ice cube trays for at least six to seven hours, or even overnight.
Put into Freezer Bags and Freeze
Once frozen hard enough, transfer the cubes into airtight resealable freezer bags and label them.
Make sure they are sealed tightly and securely. They are ready to freeze!
Freezing Mint Leaves in Oil
Time Taken: 6-7 hours
What You Need:
- Knife/hatchet
- One-fourth cup olive oil
- Food processor/blender
- Ice cube trays
- Airtight resealable freezer bags
This method makes the frozen mint leaves perfect to be used in sauces, stews and soups.
It is an efficient method that can be used to freeze other herbs like oregano too.
Prepare the Mint Leaves For Freezing
For every method, this is an essential step that cannot be missed. Just follow this simple mantra: Trim-Wash-Clean-Dry.
Blend With Olive Oil
Once prepped, put the mint leaves in a food processor or blender, with one-fourth cup of olive oil, and then blend until a little chunky.
Pour Blended Mix Into Ice Cube Trays
Pour the blended mint-oil mixture into ice cube trays; be sure to not fill the cubes to the brim.
Leave a little overhead space for the cube to expand.
Flash-Freeze Cubes
Flash-freeze the mint-oil cubes by placing the trays in the freezer for at least 5 to 6 hours.
To be safe, you can also flash-freeze overnight.
Transfer Into Resealable Airtight Freezer Bags
Once frozen hard enough, pop the mint-oil cubes and place them inside airtight freezer bags.
Do this very quickly and carefully so that the cubes do not start thawing.
Seal and Freeze
Seal the bags very tightly securely after squeezing out all the air from them. Label them.
They are ready to freeze!
This is a fail-safe method that should allow you to freeze your herbs for up to 5 to 6 months!
In case you are still confused or would appreciate a visual step-by-step guide, fret not and go ahead and check out this very helpful video:
Freezing Microwave-Dried Mint Leaves
Time Taken: 1-2 hours
What You Need:
- Microwave
- Microwave-safe tray
- Airtight resealable freezer bags
This method helps to maintain the intensity of the flavor of the mint leaves, and also prolongs its shelf life considerably!
Prep the Mint Leaves For Freezing
Follow the process described earlier to carefully prep your mint leaves. You can leave the mint leaves whole for this method.
Spread Out Leaves on a Microwave-Safe Tray
Once the herbs are cleaned and dried, arrange them out on a microwave-safe tray, and let the leaves further air dry on the tray for at least one to two hours.
Pop the Tray in the Microwave
Once the mint leaves are nice and air-dried, put the tray inside the microwave and nuke on high for one to three minutes.
Pause every 30 seconds to flip over each leaf so that they dry evenly.
Transfer into Resealable Airtight Freezer Bags
Once the mint leaves have dried nicely, take them and place them inside airtight freezer bags.
Seal and Freeze
Seal the bags very tightly securely after squeezing out all the air from them. Label them.
They are ready to freeze!
How to Freeze Fresh Mint Sauce
Time Taken: 6-7 hours
What You Need:
- Microwave
- Microwave-safe tray
- Airtight resealable freezer bags
Mint sauce is a delicious condiment and a must-have in your kitchen!
And thankfully, just in case you don’t use it too often and would like some long-term storage options, freezing is right there!
Now then, let’s move on to the freezing guide
Transfer the Mint Sauce into Ice Cube Trays
Carefully pour your fresh mint sauce into ice cube trays. Again, be careful to not fill the cubes to the brim; leave a little headspace as they will expand while freezing.
Flash-Freeze the Mint Sauce For Six to Seven Hours
To be safe, you can even go with flash-freezing the mint sauce overnight.
Remember, the top of the cube may have frozen but the rest not yet, so be generous with the amount of time you prescribe to flash-freeze the mint sauce into solid frozen mint sauce cubes.
Transfer Cubes into Airtight Resealable Freezer Bags
Once the cubes have frozen hard enough, transfer the cubes carefully and quickly into airtight, resealable freezer bags.
Seal and Freeze
Squeeze out all the air possible from the freezer bags, and then be sure to seal very tightly and securely. Label the bags, and they are good to freeze!
You should be able to freeze your mint sauce cubes just fine for at least 2 months, but it is best to consume it within that time.
To use your frozen mint sauce, simply move the frozen sauce cubes in a sauceboat, and allow them to thaw out.
Then, mix in a little amount of vinegar to taste. Your tasty mint sauce is good to use!
How Long Can You Freeze Mint Leaves?
Like most other herbs, mint leaves can actually be kept in freezer storage for quite a long time.
However, when it comes to optimum flavor, it is obviously not recommended that you freeze it indefinitely.
Mint leaves should be consumed within 2 to at the most, 3 months of freezing for the best quality and flavor.
How to Store Frozen Mint Leaves?
As described in detail in the methods, mint leaves can either be frozen as whole leaves, in water when frozen into ice cubes, or also in oil when frozen into mint-oil cubes.
For all the processes and methods prescribed here, using heavy-duty, airtight, resealable, freezer-friendly bags and pouches to freeze your mint leaves is a must.
And they need to be sealed really well.
A vacuum sealer is actually a great investment for this purpose, especially if you freeze food often.
It would help get all the air out.
How to Defrost Frozen Mint Leaves?
Frozen mint leaves as well as any kind of cubes do not need to be defrosted as such, you can simply add them to your recipe, or in some cases to your beverage directly.
For example, popping a mint-water ice cube into your cocktail, iced tea or lemonade, would simply make it a delicious addition while at the same time cooling your drink and giving it a minty flavor.
Can You Re-freeze Frozen Mint Leaves?
While it is technically safe to refreeze mint leaves, be open to the possibility of losing out some of the minty flavor, of even the texture of the leaves if you re-freeze.
Our advice would be to use re-freezing only as a last measure, and otherwise to try your best to use it up the first time it is thawed.
This is why freezing in portions also helps: you can only take, thaw and use the amount you need at that time.
Do Mint Leaves Freeze Well?
Mint leaves do indeed freeze well! In fact, freezing it actually helps maintain its nutritional values and even distinct flavor.
However, make sure it is not left in the freezer indefinitely, in which case chances are that it will get bad and inedible.
Also ensure the freezer temperature stays steady and consistent and that the bags or containers you are freezing the mint leaves in are sealed really tightly and securely.
FAQs
This is not too highly recommended as fresh leaves freeze the best. Always try to choose to the freshest, healthiest mint herbs to freeze.
Another tip: herbs are the most intense in terms of their flavor in the morning, so it is a good idea to freeze them at this time.
Yes, definitely! If you don’t have access to a microwave or a food dehydrator, you can also use the oven. Roast the mint leaves at 170 degrees, for 3 to 4 hours until they get completely dry and then move on to freezing.
Yes! The methods described here can also be efficiently used to freeze several other herbs. Herbs that freeze well include cilantro, parsley, chives, sage, oregano, thyme and dill.
Yes! Our research says freezing mint leaves, in addition to significantly prolonging their shelf life, also helps retain their original flavor, color and texture.
Yes, you can also try out methods like drying to store mint for extended periods of time. Check out the guide here to know more.
In our experience, however, freezing is the best method.
Bottom Line
We hope this detailed, comprehensive guide covering all the best methods to freeze mint leaves successfully at the safety and ease of your home has helped you!
For any further questions you may have, please reach out and let us know, we would love to help!
If you have any other tips and tricks you would like to add here, do let us know, we will add them to the guide so they can reach and help more people!
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