How to Dry Herbs to Make Your Own Herbal Teas

     For the past 8 years I have been growing different types of peppermint, lemon balm, feverfew, and yarrow in order to make herbal teas.  Some of my herbs are grown in my garden and some in pots.  Over the years I have checked out various websites in order to better understand this process.  What I like about it is it's so simple to grow these herbs!      
                                  

Yarrow

Pot of peppermint

Lemon balm

                                                           

       Usually around the first two weeks of July these herbs are ready to start harvesting.  They say you want to harvest the herbs before they flower because they have more oils and therefore the herb will be more fragrant and have more flavor.  Sometimes I've missed this window, and many sites say that's okay, still cut them and dry them, they just lose a tiny bit of flavor.

 How to Harvest Herbs

1. Try to cut the herbs before they flower. 
2. It is best to cut herbs in mid-morning after the dew has dried or in the early evening. 
3. Inspect the plant, shake the branches to remove insects, pick off any diseased leaves and throw them away.
4. Use a sharp knife or scissors and cut the stems off about a quarter of the way up.  I find that many of my herbs keep growing so I never cut them all the way to the base of the plant.     
5. Some sites recommend rinsing off the herbs if you need to, but you have to towel them dry so the herbs don't mold. I usually don't rinse mine. 
6. You can check this link for any extra tips:   http://gardening.about.com/od/vegetablepatch/a/DryingHerbs.htm

Two Ways to Dry Herbs  

• I've laid stems on plates for years and put them in my china cupboard or I've hung them in my pantry to air dry for about 2 weeks.  If you lay them on a plate make sure there is room around them so they dry properly. You can check them after a week and see how they're looking, and then every day after that to see if they are fully dried.  Most of the time I find it easier to ir dry herbs. 

• This year I'm going to try using a dehydrator I got from my father, and so far I've been very pleased with the results! The About Gardening site said  dehydrators are better to use for moister, denser herbs such as basil, chives, mint (lemon balm is a member of the mint family), and tarragon.  Because the lemon balm leaves were so big on my plants, I snipped them off and laid them individually on the racks making sure there was plenty of space between them. You can see this in the picture below.  Follow the manufacture's instruction manual for times.  It took mine a few hours to dry.

  

Lemon balm leaves for dehydrator

 Lemon balm for  air dry

4 racks of herbs

   

Storing the Herbal Teas

1.  When the leaves are dry, you can strip them into a large bowl or right into the mouth of a glass jar.  I like glass because then you don't have anything affecting the taste of the herb.


2.  Label and date the jar.  I typed my own labels up indicating what the herb was used for like colds, headache, stomachache, etc.


3.  Store the jars in a cupboard.  They say that herbs can last for years, but they retain their peak flavor for a year.  I've had tea from herbs I harvested a few years ago, and it is still quite aromatic. 

Brewing a cup of Medicinal Herbal Tea

 Put 1-2 teaspoons of your dried tea into a metal tea holder and place it into the hot water.  Put a plate over the top to keep the essential oils from evaporating and let it steep for about 10 minutes.  


Other Blogs on Making Herbal or Flower Teas:
How to Dry Herbs to Make Your Own Herbal Teas
How to Brew  a Cup of Medicinal Herb Tea
How to Make Your Own Lavender Oil & Tea
How To Dry Roses & Make Your Own Rose Tea, Rose Oil & Rose Water
How to Make Calendula Tea, Calendula Oil & Salve
More on How to Make Your Own Herbal Teas & Peppermint Oil
How To Make Your Own Strawberry Leaf Tea
Did You Know That Salad Burnet Can be Made into Tea?
Make Your Own Home Made Remedies - What Can You Do With the Feverfew in Your Garden?

About Making Your Own Spices:
 How to Dry Herbs to Spice Up Your Cooking

Other Things You Can Do with Herbs:
 How To Dry Roses & Make Your Own Rose Tea, Rose Oil & Rose Water
How to Make Calendula Tea, Calendula Oil & Salve
More on How to Make Your Own Herbal Teas & Peppermint Oil
Grandma's Recipe for Dandelion Honey


Note:  I grow and dry herbs as a gardening project.  Be sure to check with a medical professional if you are pregnant, on medication or have any questions or concerns.