Mentha rotundifolia Ananas

Pineapple Mint (Mentha rotundifolia 'Ananas') is a variety with variegated foliage, green with reddish or purple edges. The round leaves release a sweet fragrance with notes of apple and pineapple. This herbaceous, hardy, perennial plant can be grown in the ground or in a pot. It will reach a height of 40 to 60 cm (16 to 24in). Its leaves are delicious in infusions, in tea or hot chocolate. They also flavor desserts. Plant in spring or autumn, harvest from March to October.

Mint is an aromatic bushy plant with highly fragrant foliage. It belongs to the Lamiaceae family, like lemon balm. Preferably plant it in a semi-shaded area, although Mint can adapt to almost any location. It is a perennial plant that will be cultivated for two or three years as beyond that, it tends to exhaust itself and become less productive. Choose carefully where you want to plant it: Mint spreads very quickly thanks to its trailing roots. You can also grow it in a pot, which allows you to control its spread. It is ideal to plant in the vegetable garden as Mint is known to repel unwanted insects from the garden, such as aphids and ants, as well as some rodents. As for leaf harvesting, it can be done throughout the year, mainly from March to October.

There are many varieties of Mint, the most well-known being spearmint, peppermint, pennyroyal, and lemon balm. Depending on the variety, the leaves will offer you a range of flavors. In cooking, use them from appetizers to desserts, to flavor salads and raw vegetables, summer grills, yogurt-based sauces or fruits. The leaves are also delicious in infusions, in tea or hot chocolate.

Harvest: Harvest the leaves as needed. Choose the largest leaves and cut the entire stem to encourage regrowth. Preferably harvest in the morning to fully enjoy the aromatic qualities of Mint. If you want to dry the leaves, pick the stems before flowering.

Storage: Ideally, consume the freshly cut leaves. If you don't use the fresh leaves, dry the stems and store the leaves in a tightly closed jar, protected from light.

Gardener's tip: If you want to plant Mint in the vegetable garden while limiting its spread, plant it in a pot and bury the pot in the middle of your garden! Choose a large enough pot and regularly divide the clumps, in autumn or spring.