How to Make Your Own Mint Tea

Pineapple mint

A few years ago I began growing a few pots of mint right outside on my deck. Before long I began growing many different varieties. To prevent excessive spread, I grow all of them in pots except for Apple Mint which gets quiet tall, and some Spearmint which I scattered around as groundcover.

Mint Varieties

This past summer, I grew 7 mint varieties and I actively dried them to create delicious summer iced teas.

The mints I grow

Pineapple Mint
Apple Mint
Strawberry Mint
Spearmint
Peppermint
Chocolate Mint
Orange Mint

Strawberry Mint

Harvesting Fresh Mint

To keep things manageable, I have decided to cluster all the mint pots on the deck right outside my back door. This way they are easy to care for and simple to harvest. I find it’s important to harvest often to promote growth. The best way to harvest is to cut your mint stems just above the new, tiny leaves or buds. To do this I use this snip tool. I find it’s the best. A sharp, clean cut will strengthen the plant, keep it healthy, and encourage it to branch out in other directions.

Harvesting Peppermint

Cleaning and Drying the Mint

After I snip the mint that is ready, I wash the leaves thoroughly, after I carefully remove the leaves from the stems. I find it’s easier to remove the leaves at this stage before drying because then I don’t risk getting pieces of stem in with the leaves, but you may find you like removing them after you dry your mint. It really doesn’t matter, so just do what is easiest for you. Once the leaves are clean and separated from their stems, I place them on a large serving dish or my stainless baking pans to dry. Most of the time I just let them air dry for a few days but if I am going to be home for a while I dehydrate them in my oven at 175 degrees. If you choose to put them in the oven or dehydrator, they should only take a few minutes. Thorough drying is very important because you do not want any moisture left in the leaves or they will mold when you store them.

Drying Orange Mint

Storing the Mint

Once you are sure your mint leaves are completely dry and crumbly, it’s time to store them. I like to use Mason jars just because I love the look. I created an Herb Drying Rack in my pantry and you can learn how I did that here. But be warned, last year I made the mistake of sealing the jars with traditional Mason lids and I learned that even if you have just ONE moist leaf, your entire batch will be ruined. Luckily, I found these wonderful stainless steel screen lids that fit Mason jars. These lids are great for two reasons, they allow air circulation and now a mint scent fills my pantry.

Stainless Steel Mason Lids

Chopping the Leaves

After the mints dry, I briefly run them through my coffee grinder or food processor if I have a large amount. You can also just scrunch them up in your hands. Any of these methods chops the leaves so they are small enough for the tea bags. It’s not necessary, but I like when the leaves are small because they are easier to scoop out of the mason jars with a spoon.

Unchopped Dried Spearmint

Chopped Dried Strawberry Mint

Making the Teabags

Once you have a collection of dried mints or other tea favorites like dried orange, lime or and lemon peels, echinacea petals, lavender, and chamomile it’s time to create some of your own tea bags. I use unbleached tea filter bags by Numola. What I like about them is they have a drawstring, not a staple, and they are fully compostable. I can toss them right into my countertop compost bin without worry. These filter bags do not come with label tags so I bought simple kraft hang tags which I tie on the string of the bag.

To fill I open the filter bag, fill it about halfway with one or multiple varieties of dried mint, flowers, or fruit, and then tie it securely so the mints do not escape when you place it in water. Once I’ve created a tea variety, I label the tag accordingly and tie that to the teabag. I enjoy giving these herbal & floral teabags as gifts in breakfast baskets and to make my own iced tea.

Unbleached Teabags

I hope this post inspires you to grow some mint or other tea-worthy, edible flowers like the chamomile above, and that it helps you create some warm winter sips. Please comment “MNT” if you’d like a full list of supplies for dying & storing your own mint.

Herbs: How to Grow, Harvest and Dry Your Own

Fresh Herbs on the Kitchen Island at Windy Hill Farm.

Herbs and spices are so beneficial to our health and add fantastic flavor to our food but have you seen how much they cost right now? Check out the spice aisle the next time you’re at the grocery, it’s astounding. Just yesterday I went to buy 4 spices and dried herbs and I honestly asked customer service what was going on. The poor woman was unsure but mumbled something about Covid or possibly Ukraine. I don’t think she knew. So I bought what I needed, came home, and decided to dig up an old post about the herbs I grow and process here at Windy Hill and bring it back to life. I hope you enjoy.

An Herb Garden

Years ago we had this little enclosed garden built because, here in Pennsylvania, our deer problem is REAL. I love seeing them daily, but they come in nightly and decimate most of our flowers and plants. We commissioned a local carpenter to build this outer garden structure and raised bed. I found a vintage flower trellis, sawed off the legs, and hung it at the entrance to serve as my door. At first, I used it to grow flowers and some vegetables but in recent years it has become the home sweet home for my herb garden.

In this garden, I grow many of the standards we all love, Oregano, Parsley, Chives, Rosemary, Thyme, Eucalyptus, Catmint, Lemon Verbena, Bee Balm, Dill, Marjoram, Chamomile, and Basil. Every spring I try to add something new and different after I see what comes back. It’s a very pleasant plot that really comes in handy for cooking and even sometimes in flower arrangements.

Windy Hill’s gated garden in early spring.

Herbs for cooking and decor

It’s true, I use many of these fresh herbs when I cook but I also sell them to local bakeries where they use them to adorn their cakes or other desserts. When requested, I also use fresh herbs to create cake crowns or wreaths for special occasions.

Cake: One Sweet Baking Co.

Cake: One Sweet Baking Co.

Scatter the herbal Goodness

Because I also try to use all of Windy Hill Farm, I plant herbs all around the property. Like you, I’ve been warned about the hazards of mint but sometimes I just plant it anyway as it’s a better ground cover than nothing and it keeps our honey bees happy. Here is a little patch of mint that grows next to our cottage. It’s November, but it’s still going strong. Mint is great for tea, salad, bouquets, or just a snack.

There is a great big patch of lemon balm, a less-known member of the mint family, that was growing in our backyard for probably hundreds of years! In 2016 I added some apple mint to the patch because I wanted that sturdy and tall apple mint for my arrangements for Studio Sprig. My daughter then painted a wooden sign to say “Lemon Balm Lane”, which I hammered right into the ground. I use the abundant lemon balm to make pesto when I’m low on basil. It smells great in bouquets and salads and makes for a nice little jar of scent to give to a friend for their kitchen window. The apple mint is flourishing and it usually makes its appearance in vase arrangements as a beautiful filler.

Everyone’s Beloved lavender

Next to our barn at Windy Hill is a mini rock wall upon which I planted some lavender. Everyone knows how nice it is to have lavender that you can just cut whenever you want. Find a good spot and try planting some in the spring. This area by our barn has good drainage and stays pretty dry, so this Mediterranean herb seems to like it here. After some harsh Pennsylvania winters, I sometimes need to replenish some of the plants, but over the last few, the lovely perennial has been mighty and strong.

Windy Hill’s barn rock wall of lavender.

Enjoy drying herbs

When you harvest your lavender it’s really nice to hang it upside down and enjoy it for a little while before giving it away or cooking with it. It’s just so pretty to look at and you can use it to make so many unique things. Surprisingly, I’ve made shortbread cookies with lavender and they are delicious. I recommend you look around for your nearest lavender farm or better yet, just start grow your own.

The Windy Hill barn is a great place to hang lavender.

a surprising sunny Delight

Marigolds are another herb that I bet you weren’t thinking about. Here’s what I love about marigolds. I first bought them a few years ago to place around my garden to deter the rabbits. I enjoyed the vibrant flowers all season and in the fall the flowers began to dry up so I gathered them to harvest the seeds. I just popped the dried flower heads into a brown paper lunch bag and waited until I had time to pull them apart.

When I had a few minutes, I pulled each flower head apart and hundreds of seeds fell out. I saved them all winter in the paper bag, giving little bunches to friends so they could sprinkle them into their own gardens in the spring. You’ll be amazed at how many seeds each flower produces. I think I’ll have marigolds forever and I only had to buy them once.

This garden below is the result of a small sprinkling all along the edge of this building. As I said before, it’s November and they are still going strong. I can’t even harvest until they dry up. But this tremendous crop will yield tons of seeds that I can sprinkle everywhere next year. And the great thing is that Marigolds are edible. The flowers lend a dash of color to many recipes while adding a mild flavor to drinks, soups, and pesto. And I just learned that the food industry uses marigold as a natural dye to give cheese and butter a more appealing yellow. The dried flowers are also put in certain teas to make them look more attractive. So grow some marigolds, they couldn’t be easier.

Windy Hill’s Marigold Garden.

Pops of Herbal fun

Don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of land, instead make good use of pots and planters. I usually tuck little bits of lavender, basil, or thyme into all of my flower planters around the property. The bees really love it and I think the flowers benefit from the herbal good vibes. So if you have limited ground or garden space, just squish a few herbs in a window box, a vintage watering can, or a flower pot on your porch. The more the merrier.

Herb Harvesting

I usually begin to harvest my herbs in mid-summer. Like many cut flowers, herbs love a good cut. Always use a clean, sharp shear when cutting flowers, herbs, or any plant because you want to minimize the bacteria getting into the plant. Herbs seem to produce more readily once they are harvested the first time. It's best to harvest herbs in the morning while the leaves are still saturated with flavor. Bring everything in and give it a really good wash. Then lay them out on the counter for a few hours if you intend to dry and store them.

Herb drying

When I decided I wanted to begin drying lots of herbs, I created my own herb drying rack in our pantry because I couldn’t find one I thought was attractive. Most looked like giant butterfly habitats and I didn’t really want that hanging in my house. If you’re interested, you can read my post on how I created this stylish herb drying rack here.

After I harvest the herbs, I clean and drip dry them on the counter before I place the herbs into these baskets which I sometimes line with cheesecloth just so water isn’t dripping on the floor. Be sure to spread the herbs out so that air can circulate properly. That’s it. I just wait a few days or a week and let the air circulation do its thing.

DIY Herb Drying Rack for pantry or kitchen.

Herb Processing

After the herbs are fully dry, I strip the leaves with this little Joie Leaf Herb Stripper and place them into a mini coffee/herb grinder or if you have lots, use a food processor until well-chopped. I’ve linked the products I use here and at the end under shop this blog. And be sure to eliminate all stems before grinding. Another method is to just crinkle up the dried leaves in your hand. I find this works better for tea because the coffee grinder makes the leaves too fine for a tea ball. I learned that the hard way.

Processing and Chopping Fresh and Dried Herbs.

Herb Storing

Once dried and processed the way you like, scoop all the herbs into sweet little magnetized spice tins with air vents or some other storage container. Keep in mind a ball jar with a lid will not work because the herbs look pretty but they will eventually mold. I’ve also used brown kraft lunch bags which I label with a sharpie. Just don’t use plastic sandwich bags because of the moisture and the mold. I found these spice tins work well because they keep things well labeled and allow air to circulate. I have my magnetized tins neatly displayed on the side of my refrigerator where they are easily accessible and I store the overflow in lunch bags. I replenish as needed.

Stylish, Magnetic Herbal Tins with Labels.

Magnetized Spice and Herb Canisters with Labels.

HERB enjoying

That’s about it. Once you have them you can enjoy them in teas, on pizza, or in your homemade olive oil dip! Here I just scattered some herbs on homemade dough before we baked it. Delicious little snack with olive oil, some fruit, and a slice of hard cheese.

Homemade dough with dried, chopped herbs for olive oil dipping.

HERB sleeping

Take some time this winter to contemplate Your Herbal Adventure. I’ll provide some links to products for your holiday list so that you can use them this winter to plan and dream your perfect spring.

Windy Hill’s Gated Garden in winter.

Learn: A great handy book to learn about herbs: Herbs by Leslie Bremness
Create: Try growing a mini herb garden in your kitchen this winter with this Window Herb Garden
Inspire: Begin creating little bunches of herbs to give to friends and see how the love grows.

If you’d like to try your hand at processing and drying herbs, here is the list of supplies I used:
SHOP THIS BLOG:
Lime Green Joie Leaf Herb Stripper
Garden Shears
Herbal Tins with Labels
Mini coffee grinder
Shaker Pegs
Large Metal Baskets
Small Metal Baskets
Curtain Clips
Cheesecloth
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I’m always here to help you with your creative journey. Please sign up to receive blog post notifications and follow Studio Sprig on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I look forward to connecting. If you’re a blogger, what’s your favorite SEO Tool? I’ve had much keyword success with RankIQ. Learn more here. - Kim

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DIY Herb Drying Rack: Herb Drying at Home

Studio Sprig by Kimberly Herb Drying Baskets

Are you interested in drying your own herbs? I just love fresh herbs and I grow many on my farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. If you are interested in how I do that, please read this blog post: Herbs, and how to grow, harvest, and dry your own.

I use lots of fresh herbs in everything, my floral designs, my cooking, and even my baking. Having a large herb garden is great in the summer, but I soon realized I needed to dry much of my harvest because they were growing so fast and I just couldn’t eat them fast enough. Drying is a great way to have plenty of herbs throughout the winter.

Herb Drying Racks

As I began searching for herb drying racks I came to discover I did not care for the many options out there because they reminded me of large, round, mesh butterfly cages and I knew they would not fit well in my rectangular pantry -where I wanted to dry the herbs. So instead of buying one, I created my own.

How I Created My Own

First, I started with an existing peg rack that was already hanging in my pantry. If you don’t have one, you can easily find stylish pegs or hooks to add to any wall with this link.

I then hung simple curtain ring clips on four of the pegs and attached these simple metal baskets to the clips. You can find metal baskets in all shapes and sizes depending on what works best for you.

Next, I removed the rings from the clips and used just the clips to connect basket to basket, creating a cascading effect. I hung two columns of baskets, two deep, but you can create any configuration that works in your space.

Lastly, I lined the baskets with a small cutting of cheesecloth in case the herbs were damp from washing and needed to drip.

Now, the aroma in my pantry is always wonderful and it’s also a pleasant sight when I walk in -as it takes up the entire back wall. The great thing about this herb drying rack is that I can add to it and go all the way down the wall if I wish. If you have a large wall to cover, you can always intersperse framed herbal artwork or framed herbal photos taken from a calendar. You can also use your own custom photos or paintings and design a unique “Herbal Wall”. To help, I have included a list with links below where you will find some of the materials I used.

Supplies you’ll need:
1. Shaker Pegs
2. Large Metal Baskets
3. Small Metal Baskets
4. Curtain Clips
5. Cheesecloth
6. Herbal Artwork
7. Herbal Photos

I’m always here to help you with your creative journey. Please sign up to receive blog post notifications and follow Studio Sprig on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I look forward to connecting. If you’re a blogger, what’s your favorite SEO Tool? I’ve had much keyword success with RankIQ. Learn more here. Kim
This post contains affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I make a small commission at no further cost to you. Thank you.