Overview

Because of its familiar, refreshing aroma and tangy flavor, mint is one of the most familiar of all herbs. A versatile herb, mint will add zing to hot dishes, meats, jams, jellies, and hot and cold drinks. If you're adventurous, you can save the seeds from existing mint plants, dry the seeds and plant them the following spring, or share the mint seeds with friends. Saving mint seeds is more economical than buying bedding plants or expensive seed packets and the best way to preserve a favorite or superior plant.

Step 1

Allow a few of the pale pink or violet mint blooms to remain on the mint plants when the flowers begin to fade in late summer. You'll be able to see the seed pods as the blooms wither.

Step 2

Pick the mint seed pods when the blooms are brown and dry. Place the seed pods in a cardboard box and leave the box in a cool, dry place until the pods are completely dry, at least two to three weeks.

Step 3

Remove the mint seed pods from the cardboard box. Crush the mint seed pods gently between your fingers, then blow gently to separate the debris from the seeds.This job is best done outdoors on a day with very little breeze.

Step 4

Label a small white envelope. Note the type of mint, and the date the mint seeds were harvested. Pour the mint seeds into the envelope, and store the envelope in a dry, cool spot where the temperature will be between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit.