How to Defrost Mint

Cricket16

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posted on 6 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Freezing mint is a great way to store the leaves for later use. Leaves can be frozen whole or into ice cubes for easy storage. If you want to put mint leaves on top of salads or chilled foods, they need to be thawed at room temperature first. Whether you're thawing leaves or cubes, you can include mint in your dishes easily!

Steps

Defrosting Mint Leaves

Take the mint leaves out of the freezer and set them on a piece of paper towel. Remove the mint leaves from your freezer a few hours before you want to use them. Transfer as many mint leaves as you need onto a plate lined with paper towel. The paper towel will absorb some of the water as your mint leaves thaw.

Allow the mint to thaw for 2-3 hours. Leave the mint on the plate at room temperature so it thaws completely. Give the leaves at least 2 hours to defrost on the plate until they begin to wilt. If you're cooking with mint in a recipe, you don't need to thaw the leaves.

Pat the leaves dry of any excess water. Use another piece of paper towel to dry the mint leaves. Lightly dab the leaves and put them on your dish once they're dry. The leaves may have a softer texture once they're thawed. Only use the number of leaves you need since thawed mint can't be refrozen.

Thawing Mint Ice Cubes

Remove the mint cubes from the freezer and put them in a strainer. Twist the ends of the ice cube tray to break the cubes out. Take out the number of frozen mint cubes you need out of the ice cube tray. Set the frozen mint in a strainer set in your sink. Only use as much mint as you need since they will not refreeze as well as fresh leaves.

Run the cubes under cold water until you can pick out the leaves. Use the coldest water from your sink to defrost the mint cubes. Keep the water running until you can easily separate the leaves from the rest of the ice. The thawed leaves will have a softer texture than fresh leaves.

Dry the leaves with a piece of paper towel. Take the leaves out of the strainer and set them on a piece of paper towel. Pat the leaves with another piece of towel until they're completely dry. Once they're dry, put the mint leaves on your meal.

Put the frozen mint cube in a drink if you want it to infuse your beverage. Fill your glass with as much ice as you want. Place 1 cube of frozen mint on top of the ice, and fill the cup with your preferred drink. As the ice melts, the mint flavor will infuse with the rest of your drink. Drinks to Infuse with Mint WaterLemonadeIced TeaMargaritasMojitos