So long ago, way back in the spring, perhaps you remember I chatted about my big hopes of growing more herbs for teas. Though the results aren't overwhelming by any means, I did manage to put up a few things on our shelves for this year's tea season. We have huge amounts of lemon balm at the back of our property that spreads like crazy. During those warm summer days it is often made into kid concoctions mixed with calendula petals and mint, but today it rests dried on our shelves waiting to be steeped and enjoyed in other ways.
Do you see that jar labelled "Happy Potion" (or rather Potion Happy)? That is lemon balm and chamomile. I invested in the book A Kid's Herb Book (after a recommendation from one of you!) this year and when we found the recipe for Happy Potion we rejoiced in the fact that we could make this special tea just for the girls. It has a lovely flavor and has already helped the girls get through some of those grumpier parts of the day.
The newest addition to our herb garden this year was Horehound. We found a starter plant at the farmer's market and saw that it was good as an expectorant, for coughs, and to relieve headaches caused by clogged sinuses. Sounded like a great ingredient for our "medicine cabinet." I just havested and dried this a couple of weeks ago so we haven't yet had the opportunity (or rather need) to try it out.
Everything, except the chamomile, I dried by tying in bunches, hanging upside down for a week or so, and then plucking the dried leaves. The chamomile was another story. That was much more labor intensive and we got very little to show for it. We harvested the flowers when they were the most beautiful, rinsed them and lay them to dry, single layer on a dish towel with a fan blowing on them. I was nervous that they would mold so I was constantly checking them and flipping them over to dry evenly.
Now that the garden has been put to rest for the cold months ahead, we can enjoy the bits that we have stored away. We opened a fresh jar of raspberry jam this morning for our toast and eggs and it brought a warm and appreciative smile across my face.