Mint is one of the most fragrant spicy additives, without which you can hardly do in the kitchen. In addition, tea made from mint leaves will suit any gourmet. In addition, mint, regardless of the type, is one of the best traditional medicines, the main component in decoctions that are intended to heal from diseases. In this regard, consumers often wonder how to keep the mint fresh for the winter. The best way to achieve this goal is to freeze mint, the main secrets and methods of which will be discussed.
Advantages of the method
Hearing about freezing fragrant spicy plants, many people ask almost a rhetorical question, is it possible to freeze mint at all. 
We affirm that not only is it possible, but necessary, since the freezing of this culture has many benefitsif to compare this process with drying:
- Frozen twigs or leaves of the culture fully retain their flavor and taste.
- In the process of freezing, a mint vitamin complex is preserved, which brings invaluable benefits to the human body.
- Frost is a unique opportunity to enjoy fragrant tea from fresh mint in the winter time, decorate it with leaves of fresh salads and desserts.
- The color of the thawed leaves of the culture is saturated and bright, which cannot be achieved by drying.
- 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 components required for the preparation of perfumes, both female and male. It is mint that underlies the smells of the most popular world brands.
When is it best 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 is almost devoid of an attractive flavor. 
The thing is, the culture was collected at the wrong time. The optimal period for collecting mint - flowering stage. It was at this time that the leaflets, inflorescences and shoots of the plant accumulate the most essential oils, menthol and nutrients, which are, among other things, the producers of saturated odor.
If you wish to prepare the leaves of the crop, they must be collected before flowering, at the stage of making inflorescences. Wanting to prepare whole stems, cut them just at the time of flowering, which occurs in late July - early August.
Did you know? Peppermint is one of the most powerful natural sedatives. It is able to relieve stress and lull even during a nervous breakdown. That is why neurologists advise to use mint tea after each hard day of work, or after any stressful situations.
Preparing to freeze
The process of preparing mint for freezing is quite simple: collected healthy leaves and culture stems need to be thoroughly washed under running water. Clean the workpiece should be laid out on a towel, or put in a colander so that it dries well. 
Ways of freezing
Freezing mint raw materials is a fairly new process that has recently begun to be resorted to. Despite this, there are many ways to freeze crops: whole leaves, sprigs, finely chopped and in ice cubes. The last option is a find for those who are wondering how to freeze mint for the winter for Mojito.
Learn how to dry mint for the winter, to preserve the taste and healthy qualities, as well as how to make a mint liqueur.
Whole leaves
For this method of freezing you will need to select only healthy mint leaves, without damages and stains. Blank leaves must be packaged in plastic containers or small cans and place in the freezer. To preserve the integrity of the leaves are best suited banks. It is not recommended to freeze the leaves in bags, as they will lose their attractiveness.
To freeze mint leaves for the winter as a whole is the best solution that will allow the use of an aromatic plant in the winter both for tea and for desserts.
Whole twigs
In addition to the leaves, you can also freeze whole mint twigs. The collected branches of the plant inspect, clean and wash. After drying, they are wrapped in plastic wrap, foil or a regular plastic bag, trying not to squeeze the branches, and placed in the freezer.
Important! It is worth remembering that the mint leaves, which you are going to freeze, must be fresh, in any case, do not allow them to fall into the freezer faded. Faded mint loses its flavor and nutrients.
Finely chopped
This method is not often resorted to, since it is believed that in the process of grinding the mint raw material loses its amazing flavor and juice, in which the beneficial trace elements are concentrated.
However, this is the best way to mint. The collected raw materials are crushed (you can cut with a knife, and you can use a blender or a food processor). The resulting product must be decomposed into small molds and frozen, after which, already frozen spice, poured into a more dense package and sealed.
Important! It is best to freeze mint at a temperature of -18 ° C to -23 ° C.
In ice cubes
Ice cubes with mint leaves are a great way to mint for flavored drinks and cocktailsin particular, "Mojito". We recommend a fairly easy recipe for how to freeze mint in cubes.
To implement this technique, you will need ice containers or small silicone molds, in which mint leaves are placed and poured with cooled boiled water, so that the edges of the leaves are in the water. After this, the containers are placed in the freezer. When the cubes are frozen, they can be poured into a large package for easy storage. 
Learn how to freeze for the winter strawberries, blueberries, cherries, apples, tomatoes, carrots, corn, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms (white), green peas, eggplant, pumpkin.
Shelf life
There is no exact shelf life for mint. To understand that this period is expiring, it is possible by the way the product will lose its taste and aromatic properties.
Important! It is recommended to use frozen mint for one year, subject to the temperature storage conditions specified above.
How can I use
Frozen mint is the best ingredient for making fragrant healing tea during the winter, which will not only act soothingly, but also help to defeat the common cold, problems with the digestive tract and other diseases. 
Crushed mint leaves are an integral component of favorite homemade treats: both desserts and main courses. Frozen mint is used for cooking meat, vegetables, salads, soups, fish dishes, various casseroles.
Mint ice cubes - an excellent flavor additive to almost any cocktail (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), fragrant component of fresh, smoothie or ordinary compote. For the cocktail "Mojito" you need to select the most beautiful leaves.
Mint is very easy to confuse with melissa. Read also about varieties, useful properties, growing at home and in the open ground fragrant biological "relative" mint - lemon balm.
Now you know how to freeze mint for the winter. This technique will allow not only to pamper loved ones and guests with delicacies and mint flavors, but also to stock up with an invaluable amount of vitamins and healthy substances for the winter.
