Peppermint, fresh

Fresh peppermint leaves bring a cool, sweet, slightly menthol flavor to both savory and sweet dishes, showing up in mint tea, mojitos and other cocktails, English mint sauce served with lamb, tabbouleh and other herb-forward salads, and as a finishing touch on fruit salads and desserts. Whole leaves are often torn or thinly sliced rather than chopped fine, which helps keep their flavor from turning grassy, and they are usually added at the end of cooking or used raw since heat quickly dulls their brightness. A few leaves muddled at the bottom of a glass also perfumes cold drinks and lemonade.

Choose bunches with bright green, unwilted leaves free of dark spots, and store the stems upright in a glass of water in the refrigerator, loosely covered with a plastic bag, much like a small bouquet, changing the water every couple of days. Used mainly in small amounts as a garnish or accent herb, fresh peppermint still carries a notable nutrient profile per 100 grams, with 35% of the daily value for vitamin C, 29% for fiber, and 28% for iron, alongside 70 calories per 100 grams, a figure that matters little given how few leaves a recipe typically calls for.