Peppermint
Mentha x piperita · Herb
Top 10 pairings
Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) is the icy mint — a natural hybrid of watermint and spearmint whose oil is led by menthol and menthone rather than spearmint's sweet carvone, giving a sharp, intensely cooling bite. It is the mint of candy canes, after-dinner chocolates, toothpaste and peppermint tea, prized for that menthol punch but usually too strong and cold for the savoury cooking where spearmint shines.
Picking a good onedrag
Just cut, standing stiffLimp, yellowing, slimy
Shop freshEveryday bestThe all-rounder: salads, sauces, yoghurt, drinks.
Leaf colourGreen, a pale lower leaf or two
The bunchSoftening, leaves starting to cup
Cut stemCut end drying brown, stem stiff
Smell when bruisedScent comes when a leaf is rubbed
These cues are Mint's, and hold across its varieties; where this one differs, its own page says so.
Keeping ittap a temperature
A domestic fridge holds it about 6× longer than the counter.
95-100%
Humidity
Vented bag, not sealed
Airflow