Article by Jorden

In 2011 I was able to buy some Chocolate Mint plants which I planted down in my herb garden.

It took off like crazy the first year and just 2 plants have spread out all over the place. If you grow it the only trouble you will have is containing it as each plant will spread to about 30 inches.
Chocolate mint grows about 13 to 19 inches high and I had spaced them about 3 feet apart and I am truly glad I did.

Chocolate mint blooms in late spring and early summer with violet blooms and the leaves are a wonderfully aromatic bronze-green. Like most mints it is a very invasive plant so put it where you will not mind it going crazy.

If you have not harvested any for whatever reason, Chocolate Mint must be cut down to ground level at the end of each season.

Chocolate mint fills the surrounding air with a grand fragrance as one walks by. It smells exactly like a mix of chocolate and mint. However, when you use it the taste is more mint than chocolate.

Chocolate Mint can be harvested continually and can either be dried out or frozen. To dry out one can do the following techniques. I have tried all of these techniques and they work well. Matter of fact all three of these techniques may be used to dry any herb and I use number 4 constantly now even though different herbs may need different harvesting techniques.

1. Cut close to the base, tie in bunches and hang in a cool, dry place with good ventilation until dry.

2. Cut close to the base and put bunches of it loosely in large brown paper bags, staple the ends closed and stick in the trunk of your car and keep it closed for about 2 weeks. The heat in a closed trunk will dry it all nicely.

3. You can lay the leaves out on screens to dry in the sun, but for me that would take a lot of screens.

4. But the method I use the most is as follows: Cut close to the ground; strip each stem of the leaves. I find that working from the top down towards the bottom of the stem removes them easily. I then put the leaves on a shallow baking tin such as a cookie sheet and I put them in the oven for about 15 minutes. Checking them, I stir them up a bit, turn them over and continue for another 15 minutes. Depending on how much moisture is in the leaves, it rarely takes more than 45 minutes. Then once they are removed, cooled down, I gently roll the leaves between my hands until they crumble. Once done I put them in a recycled glass jar and seal tightly and put in a cool, dark place until I want to use it.