How-to guide
How to Store Fresh Mint — Keeping It Perky for Tea and Cooking
Fresh mint is central to Moroccan life — the great bundle of spearmint for the teapot, the handful in a salad or lemonade — but it wilts fast if you just leave it in a bag. With a couple of simple tricks you can keep a bunch perky, green and fragrant for a week or more, and freeze the surplus for cooking. This guide covers the best methods. Mint is the heart of the national drink, so if you have not made it, see how to make Moroccan mint tea.
5 minutes
Step by step
- 1
Trim the stems
When you get the mint home, snip a little off the bottom of the stems, as you would with cut flowers. A fresh cut helps the stems draw up water and stay hydrated. Remove any elastic band or tie that is crushing the bunch.
- 2
Stand it in water
Stand the bunch stem-down in a glass or jar with a little water, like a posy of flowers. This keeps the mint drinking and perky for days. Change the water every day or two when it starts to look cloudy, and it will stay fresh far longer than in a bag.
- 3
Cover loosely and refrigerate
Drape a loose plastic bag over the leaves and keep the jar in the fridge, or on a cool counter out of direct sun if you will use it quickly. The loose cover keeps humidity around the leaves without trapping condensation that would rot them.
- 4
Or wrap in a damp cloth
Alternatively, wrap the mint loosely in a slightly damp cloth or kitchen paper and keep it in a container or bag in the fridge. The gentle moisture keeps the leaves from drying out. Do not soak it, as wet, crushed leaves turn black and slimy quickly.
- 5
Pick off any spoilage
Check the bunch daily and pull off any leaves that have blackened or gone slimy before they spread to the rest. Keeping the bunch clean and the water fresh is what lets it last. Damaged or bruised leaves rot fastest, so remove them promptly.
- 6
Freeze the surplus
To keep mint longer for cooking, chop it and freeze it in ice-cube trays topped with a little water, or freeze whole sprigs in a bag. Frozen mint loses its crispness so is not ideal for a fresh garnish, but it is fine for tea, cooking and blended drinks.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Leaving mint loose in a sealed bag, where it wilts and sweats within a day or two.
- Soaking the leaves, so they bruise, blacken and turn slimy.
- Never changing the water, letting it go cloudy and sour.
- Trapping condensation under a tight cover, which rots the leaves.
- Leaving blackened leaves in the bunch, where the spoilage spreads.
Tips from the kitchen
- Treat mint like a bunch of flowers: trim the stems and stand it in water.
- Change the water every day or two to keep it fresh.
- A loose bag over the leaves in the fridge keeps humidity without trapping damp.
- Freeze chopped mint in ice-cube trays for easy use in tea and cooking.
- Pick off any spoiled leaves promptly before they affect the rest.
Questions
What is the best way to keep mint fresh?
Treat it like cut flowers: trim the stem ends and stand the bunch in a glass with a little water, drape a loose bag over the leaves and keep it in the fridge, changing the water every day or two. Kept this way, a bunch of mint stays green and fragrant for a week or more.
How long does fresh mint last?
Left loose in a bag, only a day or two before it wilts. Stored properly — stems in water, loosely covered and refrigerated, with the water changed regularly — a bunch can stay perky and fragrant for a week or more. Freezing extends it much longer for cooking, though not as a fresh garnish.
Can you freeze mint?
Yes. Chop it and freeze it in ice-cube trays topped with a little water, or freeze whole sprigs in a bag. Frozen mint loses its crisp texture, so it is not ideal as a fresh garnish, but it works well in tea, cooked dishes and blended drinks where texture matters less than flavour.
Why does my mint go black and slimy?
Usually from too much moisture and bruising: soaking the leaves, trapping condensation under a tight cover, or leaving damaged leaves among the bunch. Keep the leaves only lightly humid, not wet, cover loosely rather than sealing, and pick off any blackened leaves promptly so the rot does not spread to the rest.
Learn it hands-on in Marrakech
Reading is one thing; doing it beside a local host is another. Book a Marrakech cooking class, or explore the medina on a guided food tour.