On Sat, 19 Jun 2010 john hamilton wrote:

I've got some mint growing in pots. The leaves seem quite big now, so i'm
guessing now is a good time to cut them off?

My intention is to chop the leaves and put them in vinegar to make a mint
sauce. I'm guessing that malt vinegar diluted with 50% water should be o.k.,
do you think, or is that too watery ?

My method of making mint sauce:

Gather enough leaves and the growing tips for your immediate purpose.
Chop the leaves as finely as you can. Sprinkle some sugar (I use a small
teaspoonful) to help extract the juice. Leave for half an hour or so and
then add the vinegar. Don't dilute it!

Mint sauce won't keep well so make only enough for your immediate
purpose.

Also I'm wondering if its ok to cut all the stalks down or not? I could
just pull the leaves off the stalks (since i'm only using the leaves) and
leave the stalks and then plants might recover some nutrition back from the
stalks?

If you've pinched the tops out then there will be new growth from the
nodes where leaves were/are growing. otherwise if you cut down the
stalks it will grow again from the base.

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://rance.org.uk