Our cat, Baby, loves catnip so this year I decided to grow some fresh catnip for her. She loves it when I bring a few fresh leaves in for her to eat, but I have huge plants now so I am working on drying it. Below you will see the instructions I followed when drying Baby's catnip.
How to Dry Catnip (from http://www.wikihow.com/Dry-Fresh-Grown-Catnip)
- Wait until the plant is at least five inches tall. Then, taking scissors, gently cut the plant at the base so you have long stalks of catnip. Be aware that you will want to cut more than you think you need, because the plant is going to dry up and it will turn out to be less than it was originally.
- Once you have all the stalks you need, secure the catnip together with either yarn or heavy thread.
- Find a dark area (the linen closet is always the best, but any closet will do). Keep in mind that the plant must be hanging upside down and the door must be closed most of the time for the herbs to dry properly. Also, the catnip will lose potency if exposed to light.
- Stick a tack to the inside of the door, and tie your catnip around it. Keep it closed and let the drying begin!
- Within four to eight weeks (or more depending on how dry your house is, how little sunlight you expose the herbs to etc.) you will have completely dry catnip! Enjoy the smell and watch your cats go wild for the favorite treat!
I also tried the microwave method for some of the catnip.
Microwave Drying: Microwave drying is a quick and easy way to dry catnip. You’ll want to remove the leaves and flowers from the stems and place them on a paper towel. Cover the leaves with a second paper towel. Microwave them on high for 1 or 2 minutes on high. Let the leaves cool, if they are not dry enough (they should be brittle); microwave them for an additional 30 seconds. Repeat as needed until they are dry, but make sure you don’t scorch them.
This is so helpful! My three kitties love catnip more than they love me, I think. I'd love to offer them catnip that I've grown myself. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment Nikki. I am glad that you found my post useful.
ReplyDeleteI gave the leaves in paper towel 1 min, then a further 20 secs but at about 10 secs it burst into flame. Positively dangerous method. Beware.
ReplyDelete