Do dried peppermint leaves lose flavor quickly in cooking? [duplicate]

I'm trying to figure out at which stage of cooking should I add finely chopped dried pepppermint leaves to get some minty flavor in my cooking...

I tried a few times and all I get is the smell of mint but not the flavor, so I wonder if I been adding them in the wrong stage.

So do dried pappermint leaves lose flavor quickly while in cooking?

Best Answer

Generally speaking, music is a useful metaphor for this situation. In most cases, I think of dried herbs as bass notes. The deep, underlying flavor/aroma. Often dried herbs are added earlier in the cooking process, so that have a chance to rehydrate and contribute those underlying flavors to the dish. On the other hand fresh herbs are more frequently the provider of those bright, clean, high notes, especially when added at, or very near the end of the process.

Resinous herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano) have a higher concentration of volatile compounds than fine herbs (mint, basil, parsley). So, mint, when dried, doesn't hold its flavor and aroma as well as the resinous herbs. It has a lower concentration of volatile compounds to begin with. You probably are not going to get the fresh, minty flavor that you are imagining.

Your best solution, if you want minty flavor, is to use fresh mint. By the way, it's easy to grow, even indoors. If that is not an option, I would add the dried mint at the end of the cooking process. That will preserve what little volatile compounds are left until that final moments.

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Can I use dried mint instead of fresh mint?

If you don't have fresh mint leaves, try one of these alternatives: Substitute 1 tablespoon chopped with 1 teaspoon dried mint. Dried mint does keep its potency as long as it not stored past 6 months or so.

Is dried mint the same as dried peppermint?

But if you don't have dried mint on hand, don't make the mistake of thinking mint tea leaves could take its place. While the dried mint sold commercially is spearmint, the leaves used for tea are most often peppermint. The two species feature different flavor compounds, and we found that they're not interchangeable.

Is dried mint stronger than fresh mint?

Is dried mint stronger than fresh mint? Dried mint has a stronger, more robust flavor than fresh mint. If using dried mint to replace fresh mint in a recipe, it is advisable only to use about one-quarter the amount of dried mint you would fresh.

How do you use dried peppermint leaves?

Dried mint is wonderful sprinkled into salads or spooned into dressings\u2014I always add a teaspoon to the staple Middle Eastern chopped salad of finely diced cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions, sharpened with a squeeze of lemon juice and lots of extra virgin olive oil.

Never Use an Oven or Dehydrator to Dry Herbs Again With This Century Old Method

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