I have a mint plant outside my house in a area where it gets dirt all the time, I don't know how it got there but it did and I love it.
I wanted to take some leaves to add it to my jar of cold water but wonder if it is ok to just wash it under water or if I should do something else to avoid get sick.
Thanks.
Uggg!
I wash my leaves and put them in my jar of cold water with some slides of lime, it was so pretty and fresh, yomy!
Go figures my 13 year old thought it was yuky!
Fine, more for me.
Thanks for the advice and wow, thanks for the freezer advice, that would be great.
Hell of a lot safer than any produce you just rinse off from the grocery store!
Least you know where it's been!
:)
We used to have mint leaves growing in an old backyard and we would just rinse them off. Watch out though! Those suckers will spread everywhere! We actually had our mint follow us to another house! We think our dog must have had some seeds or somehting in his fur when we moved! LOL!
Hey Mama-
Mmm, that sounds delicious!
Rinsing them is fine when it's just dirt. You shouldn't have to worry about anything. However, if you really feel like it's not clean enough, then use a little dawn soap, diluted in warm water, and rinse them in that. It removes everything from fleas on pets to crusted old pots and gunk off produce.
You can also take your leaves after washing, hang them to dry, and use them to make tea...or put them in those diffuser things with some fruit or cucumbers and make tasty tasty flavored water!
I usually just rinse it off till I don't see any dirt in the water. I haven't gotten sick yet!
Disinfect? ::snortlaugh:: Just rinse it off with regular water.
I'd just rinse them well. You can also freeze leaves like this or basil etc, and they are super easy to crumble up when frozen for use in whatever recipes. I used to freeze basil all the time, fresh & clean leaves (but dry) in a ziploc bag. Better than trying to cut with a knife or scissors & you always have some thats "fresh" rather than dried.
My kids and I eat it straight off the plant. Unless you are spraying it with something it is fine. The biggest problem I have with fresh herbs is my daughter thinks anything green should be tried to see if it tastes good as well. O well, and yes she is old enough to know better. :p
I have mint in my front yard. I just pick the leaves, brush them off on my pants, and chew on them - so do my kids, they think it's nature's gum. Little dirt never hurt anyone.
It's also really yummy if you steep the leaves in boiled water and make tea or iced tea. I had a friend who used to do this--she'd make batches of mint iced tea every summer--sweeten to her taste. Yum!
