Week 24: making my own herbal tea

In the beginning of the summer I purchased a chocolate mint herb plant. How could I resist? When I rubbed the leaves, it smelled just like a York Peppermint Pattie. So off I went with my candy scented herb and took it home to be planted in my big herb tub with sage and basil. Here's the wonderful thing about mint: it grows like gangbusters and it's incredibly hardy.

This week I decided it would be fun to pick the mint, dry it out and make my own herbal tea. I Googled and found several different methods for drying:

1. microwave method (this just seems wrong and unhealthy)
2. oven method
3. hang it in bunches upside down in a cool dry place for a few weeks
4. put it on the dashboard of your car on a paper towel and let the heat do its thing

I opted for the oven method and boy was it simple! Here is the basic process:

1. Go out to the garden and cut a few bunches of mint.

2. Heat the oven to 180 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. According to my research the herbs should never be baked directly on metal.

3. Keeping the leaves attached to the stems, arrange them in a single layer on the cookie sheet.

4. Put the cookie sheet in the oven with the over door cracked open just a smidge (I wedged a wooden cooking spoon in the door)

5. Keep a frequent eye on the herbs. Mine took about 45 minutes to an hour to fully dry.

6. Remove from oven and remove the leaves from the stems. This will be very easy to do. Whatever you have left can be stored in an air tight container and stored in a cabinet. Crumble the mint and put it in to a tea ball. Pour boiling water in and let it steep for as long as you like.


7. DELICIOUS!!


What did you do this week?