Do I need to rip the leaves off mint?
I enjoy putting a bunch of mint leaves into my salads, but I'm lazy and I get bored tearing the leaves off the stems to put into my salad. I am tempted to take the entire bunch of mint and chop it up, stalks and all.
Can I get away with this shortcut? Is this a bad idea? Will the stems be too "woody" or bitter and mess up the taste or texture?
Best Answer
You probably don't need to remove the stalks from the leaves, especially for young plants. However, the older and stronger the stalk becomes, the less appetizing it will be, in my opinion.
To rip the leaves off easily, especially with thicker/sturdier stalks, just start at the top of the stalk and firmly pinch it. Then, run your fingers down the stalk, while pulling the stalk in the opposite direction with your other hand. The leaves should usually come off with minimal resistance. Once you have only the leaves, you can discard the stalk.
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Should you tear or chop mint?
Without the tender leaves attached they freeze well, and they're a great addition to your stock pot, or pureed into pestos.) For Mint, Basil, or Sage:Pick the leaves off their woody stems, then gently tear into pieces (this avoids the bruising you can get with knife-chopped herbs).Do you take the mint leaves off the stem?
Harvesting mint leaves can't get any easier. If you need just a few leaves for a recipe or tea, simply pluck individual leaves directly off the stems. On the other hand, if you want to harvest in bulk for storing or need a lot of mint for cooking, cut stems and leaves using garden shears or a pair of sharp scissors.What leaves to pick off mint?
Harvest mint leaves at any size by pinching off stems. For a large harvest, wait until just before the plant blooms, when the flavour is most intense, then cut the whole plant to just above the first or second set of leaves. In the process, you will remove the yellowing lower leaves and promote bushier growth.Should mint stems include?
If you're going for aesthetics, by all means stick with the leaves. But if you're simply looking for bold, minty flavor, incorporate the stems into your waste-free cooking routine with abandon.How \u0026 Why To Prune Mint
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Answer 2
It depends on your mint, and even the time of year. I grow mint in a pot in the garden, and the early growth of the year can be chopped (finely) stems and all for things like potato salad or falafel. At this point the leaves are small and you need quite a lot of them, and the stems are soft at least near the tips.
Later on, you might get away with including the stems in tea, where the mint is removed, but not in anything else. By then the leaves are big enough that you probably wouldn't want more than a couple and it's no real effort to strip them off the stems.
Supermarket mint tends towards the early growth, as it's grown quickly from seed and harvested when economical.
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