Mentha suaveolens

The Mentha suave - Mentha suaveolens is a variety with round leaves, silver green in color, that release a light spicy fragrance. This hardy, perennial herbaceous plant can be grown in the ground or in a pot. It will reach a height of 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16in). Its leaves will flavor your salads, grilled dishes, sauces, desserts or infusions. Plant in spring or autumn, harvest from March to October.

Mint is an aromatic bushy plant with highly fragrant foliage. It belongs to the Lamiaceae family, like lemon balm. Preferably plant it in a semi-shaded location, although Mint can practically grow anywhere. It is a perennial plant that will be cultivated for two or three years as beyond that, it tends to exhaust itself and become less productive. Carefully choose the location where you want to plant it: Mint spreads very quickly thanks to its trailing roots. You can also grow it in a pot, which allows you to control its spread. It is ideal to plant in the vegetable garden as Mint is known to repel unwanted insects from the garden, such as aphids and ants, as well as certain rodents. As for leaf harvesting, it can be done throughout the year, mainly from March to October.

There are many varieties of Mint, the most well-known being spearmint, peppermint, pennyroyal, and lemon mint. Depending on the variety, the leaves will offer you a whole range of fragrances. In the kitchen, use them from appetizers to desserts, to flavor salads and raw vegetables, summer grills, yogurt-based sauces, or fruits. The leaves are also delicious when infused in tea or hot chocolate.

Harvest: Harvest the leaves as you need them. Choose the largest leaves and cut the entire stem to encourage regrowth. Harvest preferably in the morning to make the most of the aromatic qualities of the mint. If you want to dry the leaves, pick the stems before flowering.

Storage: Ideally, consume the freshly cut leaves. If you are not using the fresh leaves, dry the stems and store the leaves in a tightly closed jar, protected from light.

Gardener's tip: If you want to plant mint in the vegetable garden while limiting its spread, plant it in a pot and bury the pot in the middle of your garden! Choose a large enough pot and regularly divide the clumps, in autumn or spring.