Keeping mint fresh

What is the best way to keep mint sprigs fresh while backyard bartending? A couple of times the bunch of mint sprigs has wilted. I don't have access to an outside fridge. Thanks

Hey TP,
I live in SoCal And I have 4-5 containers of mint growing at any given time. I just grab the fullest pot and set it near my tiki bar. I use to keep cut sprigs in a shallow bowl with a little water and a few ice cubes. They’ll also keep for a several hours in a plastic bag on your bar top.
Cheers

Last winter I'd bought some mint sprigs from my local grocer. Just for giggles I stuck a handful in the neck of a beer bottle filled with water. Changed the water every day saw they had some new growth. After a week or two, I stuck them in a pot with some potting soil. Water every other day or so and keep them in the back lanai out of the sun. Growing like weeds, I actually have to keep it trimmed as I don't use it often enough.

howlinowl

This works well with fresh supermarket mint: Cut the mint stems back a bit, put them in cool water just like you would a bouquet of flowers and keep that in the shade under your umbrella. Cut mint doesn't do well in full sun.

For what its worth, mint plants prefer moist soil, and if you are using mint for cocktail or culinary pursuits, it tastes much better (less peppery, more minty) when grown in part sun with lots of moisture. I grow my mint in a planter outside on a self below other plants against a brick wall, and i keep it well watered. It's fragrant and delicious, perfect for mai tais!

Cheers!

Thanks for the great insights everyone. I'm on my way to get some mint plants!

Phil - Remember that mint is a weed. If you plant it in your garden, it will spread all over and sprout up everywhere. This is good if you want everlasting mint but bad if you want anything else.

On 2015-06-16 09:08, Tiki Phil wrote:
Thanks for the great insights everyone. I'm on my way to get some mint plants!

If I’m not too late heres a tip. Pinch off a small leaf and squeeze it a bit. Sniff it and see if it pleases you. There are a lot of cultivars to choose from sometimes. Chocolate, lemon, orange mint and the list is long. I prefer one of the most common-Spearmint. Some like the other common mint-peppermint. Too sweet smelling for me. Like sticking a candy cane in your Mai Tai
Good luck!

I second that advice, nui 'umi 'umi, and also avoid the other mint varieties, especially peppermint, in favor of the spearmint. That's the only variety I can ever recall having been served with any cocktail.

Isn't mint already "minty fresh" by definition? :wink: