Would you like to drink tea with a mint leaf? We invite you to learn how to freeze mint for the winter with whole leaves in ice cubes. Mint frozen in this way will retain its shape. Make it easy, we suggest you detailed instructions. It is also easy to do at home. 
Ingredients:
- pure water;
- fresh mint.
Recipe with photo step by step:
Rinse fresh mint well, soak it in ice water. This will help the leaves spread. Leave the mint in the water for five minutes. It is best to collect mint on your own, early in the morning, when the sun has not yet risen high, and the dew has not yet dried. If you buy mint in the store, make sure that the leaves are not dry and withered. Such mint is suitable if only for drying, but not for freezing in ice cubes. 
Separate the mint leaves from the sprigs and carefully place a few leaves in each cell into an ice mold. You can take molds of different sizes depending on your needs. Do not place damaged leaves in ice cube trays. 
Fill with water, leaving a couple of millimeters to the side and put in freezer three hours. Take filtered water so that there are no impurities in it. 
Once the ice is frozen, remove the ice cubes from the ice cube mold and place them in a ziplock bag. It is important that frozen mint be stored in an airtight bag. Otherwise, the ice cubes will absorb all the indescribable aromas of the freezer. 
These cubes can be added to hot tea, compotes, fruit drinks and other drinks. They will cool the hot liquid and add a minty flavor. Well, plus a beautiful mint leaf will remind you of the summer time. IN winter period, when there is a high probability of getting colds, you can cook fruit drinks from frozen raspberries and add a cube of frozen mint to each glass. If you cook, you can immediately add mint cubes to it, there will be two in one at once: ice and mint.
In the same way, you can freeze lemon balm, parsley, chamomile. If you freeze chamomile, you can use it for your morning wash. The skin will tighten well, the rejuvenation process is obvious.
Additives, without which it is almost impossible to do in the kitchen. In addition, the leaves will appeal to any gourmet. Besides, whatever, is one of the best medicines, the main component in decoctions that are designed to heal from diseases. In this regard, consumers often wonder how to keep fresh on. The best method to achieve such a goal is mint, the main secrets and methods of which will be discussed.
Advantages of the method
- Frozen twigs or leaves of the culture completely retain their aroma and taste.
- During the freezing process, the mint vitamin complex is preserved, which brings invaluable benefits to the human body.
- Freezing is a unique opportunity to enjoy fragrant tea from fresh mint winter time, decorate it with leaves fresh salads and desserts.
- The color of the thawed leaves of the culture is saturated and bright, which cannot be achieved with.
- This method of storing fragrant spices is absolutely simple and accessible to everyone, does not require material and time costs.
Did you know? Thanks to its unique and inimitable aroma, mint has become one of the most sought-after ingredients needed for the preparation of perfumes, both for women and for men. It is mint that underlies the smells of the world's most popular brands.
When is the best time to collect
Often people complain that they adhered to all the conditions for preparing this magic potion, but the effect was not the same: Mint tea practically devoid of an attractive aroma. 
The thing is that the culture was collected at the wrong time. The optimal period for collecting mint is its flowering stage. It was at this time that the leaves, inflorescences and shoots of the plant accumulate the most essential oils, menthol and useful substances, which are, among other things, producers of a rich smell.
If you want to prepare the leaves of the culture, they must be collected before flowering, at the stage of inflorescence tying. If you want to harvest whole stems, cut them exactly at the time of flowering, which occurs in late July - early August.
Did you know? Mint is one of the most powerful natural sedatives. She is able to relieve stress and lull even during a nervous breakdown. That is why neuropathologists advise drinking mint tea after every hard day at work, or after any stressful situations.
Freezing preparation
The process of preparing mint for freezing is quite simple: harvested healthy leaves and stems of the culture need to be thoroughly washed under running water. A clean workpiece should be laid out on a towel, or put in a colander so that it dries well. 
Freezing methods
Freezing mint raw materials is a fairly new process that has only recently begun to be resorted to. Despite this, there are many ways to freeze a culture: whole leaves, twigs, finely chopped and in ice cubes. The last option is a godsend for those who are wondering how to freeze mint for the winter for Mojito.
whole leaves
For this method of freezing, you will need to select exceptionally healthy mint leaves, without damage and stains. Clean leaves must be packaged in plastic containers or small jars and place in the freezer. Jars are best for preserving the integrity of the leaves. It is not recommended to freeze the leaves in bags, as they will lose their attractiveness.
Freezing mint leaves for the winter as a whole is the best solution that will allow you to use the fragrant plant in winter for both tea and desserts.
Whole branches
In addition to the leaves, you can also freeze whole sprigs of mint. The collected branches of the plant are inspected, cleaned and washed. After drying, they are wrapped in cling film, foil or regular plastic bag, trying not to squeeze the branches, and placed in the freezer.
Important! It is worth remembering that the mint leaves that you are going to freeze must be fresh, in no case should they be wilted in the freezer. Withered mint loses its aroma and nutrients.
finely chopped
TO this method they do not often resort, since it is believed that in the process of grinding mint raw materials lose their amazing aroma and juice, in which beneficial trace elements are concentrated.
However, this is the best option for harvesting mint. The collected raw materials are crushed (you can cut with a knife, or you can use a blender or food processor). The resulting product must be decomposed into small molds and frozen, after which, already frozen spice, pour into a tighter bag and close tightly.
Important! It is best to freeze mint at a temperature of -18°С to -23 °С.
In ice cubes
Ice cubes with mint leaves great option mint preparations for flavored drinks and cocktails specifically the Mojito. Recommended quite easy recipe how to freeze mint in cubes.
To implement this technique, you will need ice containers or small silicone molds into which mint leaves are placed and poured with chilled boiled water so that the edges of the leaves are in the water. After that, the containers are placed in the freezer. When the cubes are frozen, they can be poured into a large bag for easy storage. 
Shelf life
There is no exact shelf life for mint. You can understand that this period is expiring by how the product will lose its taste and aroma properties.
Ingredients:
- mint fresh
Do they freeze mint for the winter
How to freeze mint whole leaves step by step instructions with photos:
Step 2
Wash the mint well. Shake off moisture. Dry by spreading in a single layer on a kitchen towel.
Step 5
Send for storage in the freezer. Such mint can be used to decorate dishes, to stuff meat rolls as a green layer, to prepare drinks.
We will need:
- Ice Freeze Mold
- Food processor
Ingredients:
- mint fresh
Do they freeze mint for the winter
Mint is one of the most famous spices. It is used in cooking fresh, frozen and dried. Mint has a pleasant refreshing spicy taste. Mint is also characterized by a sharp aroma caused by high content in the menthol plant.
Mint is added when preparing sauces, drinks, confectionery, baking bread. Mint is added to salads, soups, meat and fish dishes. Fresh mint is added when brewing tea, decorate dishes with it. And if in spring, summer and autumn fresh mint is always available, then in winter it is not always possible to find it in supermarkets.
It turns out that mint tolerates freezing very well. It can be frozen in portions during the season, and then used for cooking in the winter. Frozen mint perfectly retains color, aroma and taste. It can be added to all dishes instead of fresh.
This is very profitable and practical, since in winter fresh mint costs a lot of money, and in season it costs a penny. And many grow mint on their plots on their own and can freeze it for themselves. required quantities free, which is great.
How to freeze mint in the form of cubes step by step instructions with photos:
Step 1
For work, we need fresh mint, a food processor with a metal knife attachment, water, an ice freezer.
Step 2
Rinse the mint well, strip off the leaves and place with water in the bowl of a food processor.
Step 4
Divide crushed mint into ice cube trays. Send to the freezer for 2-3 hours.
Step 5
Frozen cubes are ready. Transfer them to a freezer bag and send them to the freezer for long-term storage. Use as needed.
We will need:
- jar with lid
Ingredients:
- mint fresh
Do they freeze mint for the winter
Mint is one of the most famous spices. It is used in cooking fresh, frozen and dried. Mint has a pleasant refreshing spicy taste. Mint also has a strong aroma due to the high content of menthol in the plant.
Mint is added when preparing sauces, drinks, confectionery, baking bread. Mint is added to salads, soups, meat and fish dishes. Fresh mint is added when brewing tea, decorate dishes with it. And if in spring, summer and autumn fresh mint is always available, then in winter it is not always possible to find it in supermarkets.
It turns out that mint tolerates freezing very well. It can be frozen in portions during the season, and then used for cooking in the winter. Frozen mint perfectly retains color, aroma and taste. It can be added to all dishes instead of fresh.
This is very profitable and practical, since in winter fresh mint costs a lot of money, and in season it costs a penny. And many grow mint on their plots on their own and can freeze it for themselves in the required quantities for free, which is very pleasing.
If you purchased or cut fragrant greens and did not use them, store them in the refrigerator. To prevent the mint from wilting, thoroughly rinse the twigs with leaves and shake a little to remove excess water. Wrap in damp gauze or towel and refrigerate.
Washed greens can be placed in a plastic container and closed with a lid. If you don't have a suitable container, put the fragrant twigs in a disposable bag and tie tightly to keep air out. You can also put greens in a glass of water. Mint can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
How to store mint for a long time?
The season for collecting this fragrant greenery falls on the end of July - the beginning of August. At this time, it contains the largest number essential oils. If you know how to properly store fresh mint, you can enjoy its pleasant aroma throughout the year.
If you want to prepare mint for the winter, then know that this can be done in two ways:
freezing;
Before freezing greens, rinse thoroughly and let dry. Fold the prepared twigs and leaves into bags or containers and send to the freezer. To make mojitos and other cold drinks, mint can be frozen in ice cube trays. Fill the molds with water, placing a couple of clean mint leaves in each compartment. Freeze.
When the greens are completely dry, fold them into glass jars and close with lids. You can also use linen bags to store dried mint. In this form, the fragrant plant is used to make tea, and when crushed into powder, it is used as a seasoning for meat dishes, salads and appetizers.
Knowing how to store mint, you can use it both in summer and in winter. There are several simple ways. You can store fresh herbs in the refrigerator for several days or stock up for the winter.
Rinse a bunch of mint under cold running water. Place in a colander to drain the liquid.
Then spread the sprigs of mint on a towel, leave it for 5-7 minutes.
To freeze mint, I use this plastic container, you can take any suitable form.
For the first freezing method, rip the mint leaves intact and place in a clean food container. Leaves should lie freely, do not stuff tightly. When frozen, they will not lose their shape, they will easily separate from each other. Cover the food container with a lid and place in the freezer. 
For the second method, I take small sprigs of mint (sage mint in the photo), rinse, let the water drain.
We put a little mint on a cling film or bag, fold the first layer, then put the mint again, wrap it again and continue to spread the mint and wrap until the bag runs out.
We remove the rolled bag with mint in another bag and send it to the freezer. I recommend this method to those who have little space in the freezer.
Delicious and pleasant preparations!
