Well that is changing. I'm making the most of everything in my garden. Nothing is being taken for granted. These are the things I've learned about all of my herbs.
Mint- Can help with upset stomach. Although it can exacerbate GERD symptoms so don't use if you have GERD or really bad acid reflux. Mint helps with getting a good nights sleep. It can also help relieve stress and anxiety. It can help reduce inflammation as well. Members of the mint family include: Rosemary, Lemon Balm, Oregano and Thyme. I didn't realize they were related when I planted them, but, there ya go. While each one of these are related, many of them have their own uses aside from the obvious culinary uses.
Lemon Balm- Is the closest in appearance to Mint. In fact, in order to tell which is which I need to pick a leaf and smell. Not a bad job. Smells good! Lemon Balm has antiseptic and antibacterial properties. It also can help increase appetite, and sleep. It's known primarily as a relaxation herb.
Oregano- Can help for coughs, asthma, and other respiratory ailments, UTI, Menstrual cramps, and even rheumatoid arthritis.
Thyme- Any type of Thyme can be used, but what I grow is Lemon Thyme for my cough medicine. It can also help with sore throats. It has Antibacterial properties. There are some that say it can help with hypertension and even yeast infections.
Parsley, Cilantro , and Basil; I'm growing primarily for culinary reasons. The Cilantro and Parsley I can dry, but I have yet to find a good way to store Basil. For that reason I have a plant in my kitchen that I'll use fresh, hopefully all year round. I have 9 other Basil plants I need to do something with. Probably give them as gifts.
Most of these herbs are being used by me primarily for culinary reasons, but I also plan using them for medicinal uses if need be. It's nice to have the option. For that reason I've been drying herbs as they're ready. I'm getting a little behind on Mint. It's growing faster than I can dry it, so I need to be doing larger batches of Mint.
FYI: Mint tea with milk and sugar is REALLY GOOD!. I've also made a small batch of Mint extract. Last time I made Mint Extract I made a huge batch! You can see how I did it on my "how to's" page. That was too big a batch, so I'm tempering it down a bit. I also really packed those mint leaves in the jar. I used a jelly Jar this time. Perfect amount. So far I've also made one batch of mint jelly. Looks pretty in the jar.
You don't need a dehydrator to dry herbs. All you need is an oven with a working oven light. You lay out your herbs in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the oven with only the oven light on. Some herbs will be done over night, some take a little longer. You'll learn which ones are which. Just check them after about 12 hours. If they need more time, put them back.
Once the herbs feel crispy and crumble easily, remove them from the main branch, and crush them til they look like what you would think dried herbs would look like. I'll remove all of mine to the cookie sheet I placed them on originally, then crush them and place them in a jar in my cupboard.
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