Drying Catnip

A while ago, I cut back the catnip that grows like crazy in the yard. This stuff gets seriously out of control, and if I didn’t have two old lady kittee grrlz that didn’t go goofy over the stuff, I probably wouldn’t have around.

But they do. So I have.

And I related how instead of trashing said harvest, I thought to try my hand at drying it for future…purpose, as the current ‘stash’ was diminishing. The mostly leaves and smallish stems have been down in the cool, dry, and darkish basement for lo, these several weeks, being turned regularly, and by regularly I mean whenever I remembered toss that particular salad.

Until this weekend.

Saturday I brought the catnip up and put my thinking cap on. How was I going to get that stuff cleaned up so the old lady kittee grrlz could enjoy themselves and we wouldn’t have dead leaves/stems on the carpet?

I scooped portions of the dried catnip leaves and stems into a large Ziploc and with both hands inside the bag, worked the stuff. It fell off the stems easily, and I was able to pick out the bigger stuff.
PS I did this outside on the patio (under my new-ish pergola) (it was delightful!).
I continued this first stage cleaning, adding additional leaves/stems to the stemless crumbled leaves until eventually all the dried stuff was a. mostly stemless b. mostly crumbled, and c. all in the Ziploc.
I retrieved a colander and large 4 cup mix and pour from the kitchen. I aliquoted some of the 1st stage cleaned into the colander and worked it through into the measuring vessel with hands, then a cork, when my fingers were getting too much wear and tear. This broke down the leaves further and separated out the smaller stems.

This container? It has taken 9 years to use what filled it previously. (See the line of demarcation? My new stuff is green!)
It took hardly any of this to fill that jar up. I have catnip to last til the cows come home.


I hope it’s good stuff. The girls like it well enough fresh.

Geezopeez! All from one harvest!!

Wonder what the neighbors would have thought if they saw me doing all that?!