Content
Black mint or peppermint is one of the varieties of plants of the Lamiaceae family, artificially bred. The culture is widespread throughout Europe. The main difference from this subspecies of mint from others is a higher concentration of aromatic oils in the tissues of the plant, although its aroma is less strong. The main application of culture is cooking and traditional medicine.
Description of black mint
This hybrid appeared as a result of crossing water mint and spikelet and has a purely artificial origin. Despite the fact that in natural nature the areas of these cultures overlap, no stable “wild” forms have been recorded.
From the point of view of botany, the peppery variety is a perennial with a powerful tap root, which has thin fibrous processes. The stems of the plant are straight and tall (up to 1 m). An interesting feature is their four-sided cross-section and the presence of cavities inside. Despite this, the aerial part of the peppermint is strong enough to withstand strong wind pressure. The branchiness and leafiness of the stem is high. In some cases, it is covered with short hairs.
Peppermint leaves are opposite, having, in contrast to the classic fragrant mint, not rounded, but elongated. Moreover, they are smooth and not terry. The length of the leaf can be up to 7 cm. The edges of the leaves are always pointed.
Peppermint flowers are small, collected in spike-type inflorescences. Mostly they are bisexual, but there are only pistillate ones. Usually inflorescences are located at the tops of the stems or in 2-3 extreme internodes. The color of the petals is purple or pink, white-pink colors are rarely found.
Peppermint is an excellent honey plant. The large number of flowers provides the bees with an adequate supply of nectar and pollen. At the same time, honey has the aroma of menthol - the main component of mint essential oil. It is thanks to him that peppermint has a specific smell that spreads over long distances.
Flowering time is from early July to mid-September. Fruiting, even if set, is rare. The fruit consists of four small nuts. Seed propagation is used only to obtain hybrids. The main method of vegetative planting is dividing the bush.
The use of black mint in cooking
The main application is found in leaves and flowers, in rare cases, stems. For maximum effect, all parts of the peppermint must be harvested during the flowering period. In cooking, it is used as a spice due to its high content of essential oils.
What is the flavor of black mint
The essential oil content of peppermint is very high. In leaves, it exceeds 2.5%, and in flowers it can reach 6%. For comparison, in the field it is 2%, in the fragrant - about 3.5%.
But that's not all. Since the concentration of menthol in this plant variety is maximum (up to 92% of the total amount of oil), the plant will have a pronounced mint aroma.
It will be a strong invigorating scent, practically free of any impurities, since the main active substance will literally "clog" other components. It will not resemble the mild aroma of sweet mint, familiar to everyone who drank tea with it.Also, it will not contain some of the notes characteristic of the field variety, which has a slightly wider variety of essential oil components.
Where can black mint be added?
Due to the high concentration of menthol, mint in various forms (raw, dried, in the form of oil, etc.) is used as a spice in many cuisines of the world. In particular, in English cuisine, it is used as an addition to sauces served with lamb.
In North America, peppermint is used as an addition to drinks: lemonades, fruit and vegetable juices, and more. It is also common to be used as an ingredient in salads. In this case, they take both green leaves and spices made on the basis of oil extracts.
Mediterranean cuisine (Italy, Spain, Middle East) predominantly uses dried leaves and flowers of the plant as a component of a spice mix.
However, mint leaves are also used in the region; they are added to fried or stewed beef, lamb or chicken dishes. Fresh shoots with young parts of the plant are used in soups and marinades, and are also used in cheese making.
Landing rules
Peppermint is an unpretentious and hardy plant. Even an inexperienced gardener can grow it, since the plant does not impose any special requirements on the composition of the soil or on the irrigation regimes. It is able to survive and bloom abundantly enough in almost any conditions. But in order for the growing efficiency to be maximum, you will have to work a little with the plant.
Peppermint grows best in sunny or partial shade. It is advisable to protect the planting site with some fairly strong fence (for example, slate), since the mint will grow very actively. The best neighbors of black peppermint are Solanaceae and Cereals (tomatoes, potatoes). It is advisable not to plant mint next to Cruciferous and Pumpkin seeds.
Peppermint thrives on dry, acidic soils. On neutral or alkaline odors, the odor weakens over time. Legumes and Cereals are good predecessors of black mint.
It is advisable to plant peppermint during an active growing season. Actually, it is quite simple to determine this time - if the culture does not bloom, it can be transplanted. Usually, planting is carried out in the fall at the end of September. If necessary, you can plant mint in the spring, but this should be done as early as possible. Reproduction by dividing the bush is quite simple to carry out: the rhizome can be divided without even digging it out of the ground. It is enough just to cut off some of the stems with a shovel and transfer them, along with a clod of earth, to a new site.
Peppermint seed propagation occurs in the spring. In mid or late October, the selected planting site is dug up and cleared of weeds. You can add some kind of organic fertilizer (for example, compost), but there is no urgent need for this.
Planting dates can be significantly spaced in time, however, it is recommended to plant black mint seeds as early as early March, as soon as the snow melts. Later plantings are possible, but it is better not to allow them, since by the end of the season the plant will not be able to fully form and prepare for its first winter. It is relatively difficult to obtain planting material in the form of seeds on your own, so it would be preferable to purchase it in a specialized store.
Planting peppermint seeds is carried out in this order:
- In the spring, the site is cleared of winter debris, dug up and leveled.
- Furrows up to 5 cm deep are made on the site.
- 2-3 seeds are planted in them with a step of 30-50 cm.
- After that, the grooves are sprinkled with earth, leveled, compacted and watered the entire area.
Features of growing and care
The rules for caring for the crop are quite simple:
- At the beginning of the growing season, the plant needs abundant watering. Frequency of watering - as the top layer of the soil dries up, usually 2-4 waterings per month are enough.
- Loosening of the soil is carried out to a depth of 3-5 cm, they are combined with irrigation.
- In the case of very poor soils (eg sandy or stony), it is recommended to feed the plant in May with compost or wood ash. Application rates - 7-10 kg and 500 g per 1 sq. m respectively.
- For the winter, it is advisable to cover black mint with any material - branches or fallen leaves.
- If you need to renew the bush, it is recommended to cut the shoots completely at the beginning of the growing season. However, do not do this less than a month before flowering.
- Peppermint must be changed every 4 years.
Pests and diseases
Despite the abundance of active elements and essential oils in the plant juices, it can be susceptible to attacks by pathogens. Fortunately for the gardener, their number is small. Powdery mildew and rust can pose a serious threat to peppermint.
Both diseases are fungal and can be treated with antifungal drugs. However, if in order to get rid of powdery mildew, it is enough to remove the affected leaves and parts of the stems, and treat the plants with Bordeaux mixture for prophylaxis, then in the case of rust everything will be somewhat more complicated.
Treatment also begins with the removal of the affected parts of the plant, but spraying is done with special agents (for example, Trichophyte or Topaz) once a week.
When and how to collect black mint
Harvesting of black peppermint should be done during flowering, when the concentration of aromatic substances in it is at its maximum. Time does not play a special role - the main thing is for the plant to bloom. Cutting leaves and inflorescences should be done in dry and sunny weather.
The collection itself is quite simple: most often the entire stems are cut off at about 1/3 of their height from the root. This makes it much easier to store and process the mint. At any time, leaves or inflorescences can be separated from the stem.
How to dry black mint properly
Drying of mint is carried out in well-ventilated rooms, where cut bunches of stems with leaves are hung. Drying of plants laid out on sheets of paper is allowed. Usually the stem with leaves and inflorescences is dried as a whole and only before packing for storage they can divide the plant into parts.
Store black mint in cloth bags in a crushed form. Hermetically sealed containers can be used, but they will not help much in retaining the odor. The menthol in peppermint itself degrades over time due to its trans-oriented isopropyl group. However, in an enclosed space, the strong smell of mint lasts 1-2 months longer.
Conclusion
Black mint is an artificial plant. It is a bushy herb with a strong menthol scent. It is mainly used in cooking as an additive to drinks. It can also be used as a stand-alone additive or as a component of a mixture of several seasonings for first and second courses In folk medicine, peppermint is used as a remedy for colds and diseases of the upper respiratory tract.
