Ray wrote:
> I have a mint plant that has been growing all summer. I was wondering if it
> would be worthwhile to pull all of the leaves off and dry them before the
> cold weather arrives.
>
> Or would the dried mint be like dried parsley and lose all of the flavor?


I've had excellent results with freezing mint. I put it in the food
processor with the steel blade and add a little vinegar. Process to
make it all choppy. Then freeze in ice cube trays and remove to a
plastic bag. For tabouli, thaw a cube into the bulgur wheat. For
quinoa tabouli, substitute quinoa for the bulgur. For iced tea, use
lemon juice instead of vinegar. (I haven't personally tried that, but
it should work.)


It hasn't been a big problem, but sometimes mint leaves this time of
year can be on the fibrous tough side. Chopping and freezing helps but
doesn't totally solve the problem. I just put up with it, but if you
wanted to experiment with blanching the mint before chopping and
freezing, I'd love to learn the results.


By the way, I've chopped and frozen parsley with vinegar too. It works
great, really preserves the flavor.


--Lia