Content
Black or peppermint is one of the varieties of plants of the Lamiaceae family, bred artificially. The culture is widespread throughout Europe. The main difference between this subspecies of mint and others is the higher concentration of aromatic oils in the tissues of the plant, although its aroma is less strong. The main uses of the culture are cooking and traditional medicine.
Description of black mint
This hybrid appeared as a result of crossing watermint and spearmint and is of purely artificial origin. Despite the fact that in nature the habitats of these crops overlap, no stable “wild” forms have been recorded.
From a botanical point of view, the pepper variety is a perennial with a powerful taproot with thin fibrous shoots. The stems of the plant are straight and tall (up to 1 m). An interesting feature is their tetrahedral cross-section and the presence of cavities inside. Despite this, the aboveground part of peppermint is quite strong and can withstand strong wind pressure. The branching and foliage of the stem is high. In some cases it is covered with short hairs.
Peppermint leaves are opposite, having, unlike the classic fragrant mint, not a rounded, but an elongated shape. In addition, they are smooth, not terry. The length of the leaf can reach up to 7 cm. The edges of the leaves are always pointed.
Peppermint flowers are small, collected in spike-type inflorescences. They are mostly bisexual, but only pistillate ones are also found. Typically, the inflorescences are located at the tops of the stems or in the 2-3 outermost internodes. The color of the petals is purple or pink, white and pink colors are rare.
Peppermint is an excellent honey plant. A large number of flowers provides bees with a sufficient amount 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, rarely occurs. The fruit consists of four small nuts. Seed propagation is used only for producing hybrids. The main method of vegetative planting is dividing the bush.
Use of black mint in cooking
The main uses are leaves and flowers, in rare cases stems. To obtain maximum effect, all parts of peppermint must be collected during the flowering period. It is used in cooking as a spice due to its high content of essential oils.
What is the scent of black mint?
The content of essential oils in peppermint is very high. In leaves it exceeds 2.5%, and in flowers it can reach up to 6%. For comparison, in field it is 2%, in fragrant - about 3.5%.
But that's not all.Since the concentration of menthol in this variety of plant 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 smell, practically devoid of any impurities, since the main active substance will literally “clog” other components. It will not be similar to the soft aroma of fragrant mint, familiar to everyone who drank tea with it. It will also not contain some notes characteristic of the field variety, which has a slightly greater variety of essential oil components.
Where can you add black mint?
Due to its high concentration of menthol, mint in various forms (raw, dried, in the form of oil, etc.) is used as a spice in many cuisines around the world. In particular, in English cuisine it is used as an additive to sauces served with lamb.
In North America, peppermint is used as an addition to drinks: lemonade, fruit and vegetable juices, etc. It is also common to use it as a component of salads. In this case, they take both green leaves and spices made from oil extracts.
Mediterranean cuisine (Italy, Spain, the Middle East) primarily uses dried leaves and flowers of the plant as a component of a spice mixture.
However, mint leaves are also used in the region; they are added to fried or stewed dishes made from beef, lamb or chicken. 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 make any special demands on the composition of the soil or on watering regimes.Able to survive and bloom quite profusely 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 areas. It is advisable to fence 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 Nightshades and Cereals (tomatoes, potatoes). It is advisable not to plant mint near Cruciferous and Pumpkin plants.
Peppermint thrives in dry, acidic soils. On neutral or alkaline ones, the smell weakens over time. Good predecessors of black mint are Legumes and Cereals.
It is advisable to plant peppermint during the active growing season. Actually, determining this time is quite simple - if the crop does not bloom, it can be replanted. Planting is usually 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. Propagation by dividing the bush is quite simple: the rhizome can be divided without even digging it out of the ground. It is enough just to cut off part of the stems with a shovel and transfer them along with a lump of earth to a new area.
Seed propagation of peppermint occurs in spring. In the middle or end of October, the selected area for planting is dug up and cleared of weeds. You can add some organic fertilizer (for example, compost), but there is no urgent need for this.
Planting dates can vary significantly in time, but it is recommended to plant black mint seeds in 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 from a specialized store.
Peppermint seeds are planted in the following order:
- In the spring, the area is cleared of winter debris, dug up and leveled.
- Furrows up to 5 cm deep are made in the area.
- 2-3 seeds are planted in them in increments of 30-50 cm.
- After this, the grooves are covered with earth, leveled, compacted and the entire area is watered.
Features of cultivation and care
The rules for caring for crops are quite simple:
- At the beginning of the growing season, the plant needs abundant watering. Frequency of watering - as the top layer of soil dries, usually 2-4 waterings per month are sufficient.
- Loosening of the soil is carried out to a depth of 3-5 cm, they are combined with watering.
- In the case of very poor soils (for example, sandy or rocky), it is recommended to feed the plant in May with compost or wood ash. Application rates are 7-10 kg and 500 g per 1 square meter. 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 completely cut off the shoots at the beginning of the growing season. However, you should not do this less than a month before flowering.
- Every 4 years it is necessary to change the place where peppermint is grown.
Pests and diseases
Despite the abundance of active elements and essential oils in the juices of the plant, it can be susceptible to attacks by pathogens. Fortunately for the gardener, their number is small. The only serious threats to peppermint are powdery mildew and rust.
Both diseases are fungal and are treated with antifungal medications. 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 prevention, 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 carried out with special means (for example, Trichophyte or Topaz) once a week.
When and how to collect black mint
Black peppermint should be harvested during its flowering period, when the concentration of aromatic substances in it is maximum. Time does not play a special role - the main thing is that the plant blooms. Cutting leaves and inflorescences should be done in dry and sunny weather
The collection itself is quite simple: most often the stems are cut off entirely at about 1/3 of their height from the root. This makes it much easier to store and process mint. Leaves or inflorescences can be separated from the stem at any time.
How to properly dry black mint
Drying mint is carried out in well-ventilated areas, where cut bunches of stems with leaves are hung. It is allowed to dry plants laid out on sheets of paper.Usually the whole stem with leaves and inflorescences is dried and only before packaging for storage can the plant be divided into parts.
Store black mint in cloth bags in crushed form. You can use hermetically sealed containers, but they won't help much in preserving the smell. The menthol in mint itself degrades over time due to the presence of a trans-oriented isopropyl group. However, in a closed space, the strong smell of mint lasts 1-2 months longer.
Conclusion
Black mint is a plant of artificial origin. It is a bushy herb with a strong menthol aroma. Mainly used in cooking, as an additive to drinks. It can also be used as an independent 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 upper respiratory tract diseases.
