Catnip is an herb belonging to the mint family, and the leaves of this plant are edible, which you can use to make tea. Most cats will love to consume catnip leaves and prefer when the leaves are dried compared to the fresh leaves. In this article, you will learn about how to dry catnip as there several benefits that you can obtain from these catnip leaves.
If you have a pet at home, especially if it is a cat, and you are wondering about the food that your cat will love to consume, try providing it with dried catnip leaves, as this is one of the foods most cats prefer. When you grow catnip plants in your home, you will know that the plant is purely organic, and by learning how to dry catnip, you can save the money you will spend on purchasing dried catnip.
There are several benefits present in the catnip plant, which is why you can take this plant for medical purposes. If you have tried to dry the catnip leaves and failed to get the same texture as that you purchased in the market, then you don’t have to worry about it, as by reading this article, you will be able to figure out how to dry catnip.
Sometimes you might have catnip plants at your home and will not know the benefits you can obtain from these plants. Hence this article will also provide some benefits you can receive from a catnip plant. Growing a catnip plant is easy as it will not require much care. You do not have to put fertilizer on this plant, good soil and a sufficient amount of water plus sunlight are more than enough for the growth of catnip plants.
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What Are The Benefits Of Catnip
There are several benefits to catnip, and let’s look at a few.
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Stress Relief
You can add the dried catnip leave to make tea, and consuming it will reduce stress. Catnip tea is also good medicine for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. If you have an anxiety issue, drinking catnip tea will help reduce anxiety; hence, this plant contributes to minimizing stress. This herb is also a good option that will help to strengthen your immune system.
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Quality Sleep
The most common issue that many people face is sleep issues. They are unable to obtain a good quality sleep. When you don’t get a peaceful sleep, you will always feel tired, dizzy, and sometimes lazy. Consuming a cup of catnip tea before going to sleep will help to relax the muscle, and hence you will be able to get quality sleep.
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Good For Digestion
If you have a digestive problem, then the catnip leaves will be an excellent remedy to cure these issues. Suppose you have diarrhea, constipation, bloating, cramping, or other digestive problems. Then when you consume the juice produced from catnip leaves or a cup of catnip tea, this will help to sort out the problem.
Apart from the benefits mentioned above, you can also use catnip when you have a fever or cold, to heal wounds or burns, lose weight, and for repelling bugs. This plant will provide many benefits and is one of the best foods you can give to your cat. Since you will be using the dried catnip for most of the purposes, you must also know how to dry catnip, as it will be helpful to dry the leaves at home.
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How To Dry Catnip
There are several methods by which you can dry catnip, and here are some of those methods you can use.
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Sun Drying
If you have enough sunlight in your place, you can use this method to dry catnip. Take a baking sheet on a tray and spread the catnip leaves and flowers evenly. Then you can place the sheet in direct sunlight.
You must know that this method will not make your catnip dry entirely, so if you need the leaves to be dried more, you can place the tray in the sunlight for a few more days. Make sure during nighttime you place the tray inside the house. This will avoid excessive moisture and mold formation.
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Crying Catnip In The Oven
Drying the catnip in the oven is one of the easiest ways to dry it. All you have to do is pinch the necessary amount of catnip leaves and flowers that will be sufficient for drying. Then it would be best to spread the leaves and flower evenly in the tray and place them in the oven at 150 o C. From time to time, you must stir it, and when the catnip is dried well, you can get it out of the oven, let it cool for some time, and then store it in an air-tight bottle.
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Microwaving Catnip
By placing the catnip in a microwave-safe dish, you can put it in the microwave and dry the leaves and the flowers. This process will only take about two minutes or a little more, and then you can get the dried catnip leaves to let them sit on the counter for some time so that the leaves will cool and then store them.
After microwaving the catnip leaves, your house might have the catnip smell. You don’t have to worry about it as it goes away after some time. When placing the catnip in the microwave, it is better to cover it with a paper towel.
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Air Drying
Cut the catnip with the stem, take about 3 to 4 stems and tie them together. Then it would be best if you hung this bunch of catnip upside down in the window. Ensure the location is fantastic, and then let the leaves air dry.
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Dehydrator
You can also use the dehydrator if you don’t have a microwave or an oven to dry the catnip. You must put the catnip leaves directly in the dehydrator tray, which is preheated at 95-155 o F, and let it dry. This process may take around one to four hours, depending on the humidity present in the environment.
Storing Dried Catnip
You can use any of the methods mentioned above to dry the catnip leaves, and once you dry the leaves, you must store them in an air-tight container as this will prevent the essential oil present in the leaves from drying. Also, ensure you place the container in a cool, dark place.
We hope this article on how to dry catnip will have helped you to understand different methods that will be useful to dry catnip.
