52 Projects is an adventure in discovery. Every week, for 52 weeks, do something. Something you’ve never done before. Something you’ve always wanted to do. Something that scares you. Something that inspires you. Something that inspires others. Something that tickles your fancy. Something that caught your eye. Something that just popped into your head. It can be big. It can be small. It can be whatever you want it to be. Find out how doing something can lead you to discover things about yourself, your world, your God. Then, come here on Sundays and share it with others. I'll write about mine here, you write about yours on your blog, then use the tool in my post to link to your something. Please feel free to jump in and participate anytime throughout the year!

Jane


Monday, July 5, 2010

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?

8 comments:

  1. mint tea sounds so refreshing - have you tried it iced?

    ReplyDelete
  2. We have so much mint (not chocolate variety, just whatever grows wild here) that I have to pull up plants so they don't block all sun to the ones I actually planted. After reading this post, I really wish I liked mint tea. I do cook with it a lot and have been making tons of watermelon salad with it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice. My husband loves tea and I can enjoy a nice cup of tea once in awhile :) yums!

    ReplyDelete
  4. How ambitious! I would love the time to do something so organic, but I can barely find time to get dinner on the table. I envy your industriousness!

    Diane

    ReplyDelete
  5. ~heaven in a cup...chocolate mint...where ever did you find such an herb!?! and i think our minds are are yet again in sync little lady! yesterday i just cut a huge bundle of oregano gold and was going to try both outside and oven drying...i think you have me on the oven...looked pretty simple...wonderful project...warm wishes and brightest blessings~

    ReplyDelete
  6. i would have never thought to do this! how cool!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sorry I'm so late. Feel free to skip. I'll catch up on viewing everyone's projects, I promise!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Huh? Don't know why my old post is listed, but don't know how to remove #3. Double sorry.

    ReplyDelete