Prepping for when the SHTF and a Good Meal!

Lemon balm drying in the oven.

I tried my hand and oven-drying some of my herbs today. I know it's pretty quick after planting, but that is the advantage of starting with some slightly larger plants.

Lemon balm, basil, and the mojito mint dried today. They have a bit more moisture in the leaves than some of my other herbs, so I didn't want to leave them to air dry. Also, lemon balm retains more of its flavor when dried quicker. I used this website as my primary reference: Garden Herbs. Almost all of them had virtually identical instructions.

Basil in the oven;
mojito mint on deck

I set my oven as low as it would go (170F) and made sure to prop the door open. My oven does have a door that stays about 6" open when broiling, but that was a bit more than I wanted, so I used a wooden spoon to keep the oven vented. Since I am only doing small batches for me, it only took about an hour to dry each herb.

I think they turned out quite well. They smell great and the color is good. Most ended up nice and dark green. Some of the larger lemon balm leaves turned a little brown, but the smaller leaves stayed nice and green.

The condo smells great now too!

Top to bottom:
Lemon Balm, Basil, Mojito Mint

Herbs Abounding!

My herb garden got planted this weekend! I also managed to split and re-pot  some of my African violets (I went from six to nine - anyone need one?), and soak my orchids. I am excited because one of my orchids is about to start blooming again!

I'd posted earlier about planning for the herb garden. As usual, planning was good, but execution went a bit overboard. The staples all made it. The newbies got shaken up a bit.

Clockwise from top left: Sage, parsley, marjoram,
thyme, chamomile, oregano, and yarrow.

The Staples

Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Parsley
Basil

The Newbies

Lemon Balm
Spearmint
Arugula (Rocket)
Bay laurel
Mojito Mint*
Yarrow*
Chamomile*
Marjoram*
Parsley*
Lavender*
Dill*

*These were not planned!

I couldn't find the spearmint or arugula. I suppose I made up for that by getting seven additional plants. The dill might not make it. When I got home, it wasn't as robust a plant as I'd thought, but I gave it a special pot and a nice sunny spot in the kitchen window. Hopefully, I can nurse it back to health.

In short order, I should be able to start plucking a leaf here and there for salads. I'm looking forward to drying the herbs and making some new remedies and teas with them. Blending my own teas will be awesome since I drink so much of it. I'll let you know how it goes!

Planning My Indoor Herb Garden

One of my orchids. I know it isn't an
herb, but I don't have pics of those.

I love to grow things. Flowers (orchids and African violets are my favorites), house plants (philodendrons have taken over part of my living room), herbs (I once grew a basil plant into a small tree) - if it is green, I'll try to grow it. If I had access to an outdoor garden, I'd grow my own fruits and vegetables too.

Every year, I grow as many herbs as possible in my small condo. I have large northeast-facing windows and great light, so plants do quite well. I always plant a few staples, but try to mix it up a bit and try something new every year. The newbies are still up for debate. I haven't 100% decided yet.

The Staples

Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Parsley
Basil

These are my favorite herbs and I use them a lot. I'm going to experiment with new uses aside from cooking for the staples this year. I'd really like to get more self-sufficient when it comes to remedies, teas, and such. Well, except for the basil. I usually consume all of that making pesto!

The Newbies

Lemon Balm
Spearmint
Arugula (Rocket)
Bay laurel

I usually plant some form of mint every year, but this year I'm planting two. I want to use the lemon balm for tea. I'll cook quite a bit with spearmint. It blends well with basil. I eat arugula almost every day in some form, so I might as well grow my own. The bay laurel is one I've wanted for a very long time.

I might have room for a few more since I have an additional plant stand this year. Any suggestions?