Drying Mint Leaves In A Dehydrator – I love gardening, and I love preserving food {canning, freezing, dehydrating} you name it, I do it. Well yesterday I was out in the backyard and happened to glance down and noticed my mint plant was still thriving!! I couldn’t believe it.
And so this being mid October and knowing freezing temps are just around the corner, I decided to harvest as much as I could and dehydrate it to enjoy this winter.
Free tea, to enjoy all winter long, who wouldn’t love that!? If you’ve never thought to dehydrate mint leaves before, here’s how I do it.
Drying Mint Leaves In A Dehydrator
First, gently rinse your mint leaves and gently shake them to remove excess water. Remove mint leaves from stems.
Lay the leaves on the dehydrator trays in a single layer.
Set your dehydrator to 115 degrees and dehydrate for about 4 hours. {I own a Cosori Food Dehydrator.}
Every food dehydrator is a little different, so you may need to adjust your dehydrating time accordingly.
Basically, if the leaves crumble, they are ready to be removed from the dehydrator.
Once your mint has been totally dehydrated, place the mint in an airtight container along with a food safe desiccant packet and store in a cool dry place.
Yes, drying mint leaves in a dehydrator is that easy!
Do you do this too? What other herbs/plants have you dehydrated for tea?
~Mavis
P.S. For more food preservation tips, check out my post on 10 Tips For Dehydrating Your Food.
suzanne says
I grow and dry all the usual suspects including bay and coriander for myself and daughter. I have a camellia sinensis from which black tea is harvested. I should try that one and see if the tea is any good. Might come in handy if coffee prices keep going up.
Julie says
Yes, I dry mint also for winter cooking and teas. I also like lemon balm, raspberry leaves, marigold petals, chamomile, and rose petals. I make a blend that I add black or green tea to and also enjoy individual teas. Since I grow the herbs and dehydrate them myself, I know they are clean for my use. I also really enjoy growing herbs and dehydrating them for cooking purposes. With rising prices, every little bit helps and I just enjoy doing it.
Cindy Brick says
Don’t trust your mint plant — they’re sneaky little devils.
I bought some in Kansas, and was told how delicate it was, take special care of it, etc etc. Brought them back to Colorado, and planted them in a house bed by the downspout.
Within a year it was trying hard to choke all the other plants in the bed out of their senses. By the next year, it was pushing on the wall, looking for vulnerable spots to creep in. (Daughter #2 actually had a plant make its way into their bathroom.) By the time we moved, I’d swear it was considering statehood.
So… dehydrating its leaves may make it decide to behave!
KC says
Yeah, give mint a temperate climate and a little bit of water, and… beware. It’s possible that Kansas gets a little too hot/dry for it? I don’t know.
Maine might be safe from mint takeover because of the hard freezes? Or it might not. I have no idea whether the mint just puts on a fuzzy jacket for the winter and waits for spring…
Jamie Weaver says
I am drying mint, lemon verbena, basil, and tarragon leaves for tea right now. I have some anise hyssop I might harvest this weekend for teas too.
Kiln guy says
Do you know if I can freeze whole mint leaves. Chef wants to know if you can candy fresh mint leaves. thank you KG
FeralCat says
I am going to say no. The leaves of my mint plant turn black after the first frost in the fall. It’s a delicate plant. But listen, you can dehydrate the leaves.
Jude DeWitt says
Whiplash Alert: How did we go from discussing mint in the first sentence to sage in the
second sentence? I’m guessing the process is much the same when
using a dehydrator? I don’t own a dehydrator, so I will hang mine (both
mint and sage in small bundles until dry.
Gigi says
I dry thyme and chive all the time. I don’t bother with a dehydrator though. Just on a plate with a paper towel and stir every so often.
Tiffany F says
I love dehydrating my herbs. Mint and basil are my favorites. I most often use the mint steeped in milk to make mint chocolate chip ice cream, my family’s favorite!
Susan says
I love my herbs as much as my veggies!
I dry oregano, sage, rosemary, thyme, spearmint, chamomile, hyssop, lavender, calendula, basil and peppermint
I have this one row of peppermint that just “appeared” on a small hill in my herb garden
and it is the most flavorful, best smelling strong peppermint ever!
It grows back every year and I look forward to it .