My herb garden is overflowing (at least with catnip and marigolds). The basil and parsley are doing okay. The others are languishing. The potted herbs are not fairing much better, and perhaps worse, due to the tremendous amount of rain and lack of sun this summer. At least the mosquitos are pleased with the weather. They are big enough and numerous enough at this point to carry off a small pet.
After securing some herb containers from Ikea, I have started some serious harvesting and drying of herbs.
I have found that oven drying works best for me. I don't have a dehydrator, and I don't have the patience for air drying. What works best for me: preheating the oven to about 250° F, putting the herbs on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, put them in the oven, and turn the oven off. Leave them in for thirty minutes to an hour. The house smells lovely while they are drying. Then, I transfer the herbs to the appropriate container.
Next time, I think that I will invest in some smaller Mason jars for herbs with particularly large crops, like catnip. I like the idea of the herb containers that you put on the magnetic strip in the kitchen, but my kitchen layout is not conducive to using those. Again, there is the issue of the containers being able to hold limited amounts of the herbs.
For those of you who are concerned about the fact that I have so much catnip that it may lose its strength before it gets used up, I have some willing consumers in the house:
If you need help relaxing or sleeping, catnip tea is great remedy. I like to add it to other herbal teas and put in a touch of honey. If you like really earthy tasting tea, feel free to drink it straight. Catnip reacts for humans in exactly the opposite way it does for cats. So, while I'm relaxing, my kitties will come sniff my tea and go nuts. The dogs settle back to watch the entertainment.
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