Catnip Question?

Catnip
Folk Names: Cat, Catmint, Catnep, Catrup, Cat's Wort, Field Balm, Nepeta, Nip

Gender: Feminine

Planet: Venus

Element: Water

Deities: Bast

Powers: Cat Magic, Love, Beauty, Happiness.

Magical Uses: Given to your cat it forms a psychic bond between the two of you. It is also intoxicating to the cat. Use it in love sachets, usually in conjunction with rose petals. If you hold catnip in your hand until it is warm, then hold anyone else's hand; they will forever be your friend, as long as you keep the catnip you used for the spell in some safe place. Hung over the door, catnip attracts good spirits and great luck. Catnip is also used in spells designed to enhance beauty and happiness. Catnip leaves are pressed and used as bookmarks in magical texts


_--------------------------------------------------------------_

Ok, the question is I just bought some Catnip today and other than knowing it's magical uses; how does one use it in the Kitchen? I know it can be a tea, it 's great for headaches and other aliments. But in order to make the tea I imagine you would have to dry the Catnip upside down? So my question is how to make Catnip into a tea from fresh cut? As well as other spells?

Hi Hecktra

I found this artical on drying herbs. When my kids were very small, I used to preserve everything from the garden. Including herbs, I did not have a dehydrator then but I did bunch them and hang them upside down till they dried.

I would imagine catnip to be done the same way.

Great I will check out that website !

I heard you can rub it on meat before you cook it. I think it basically serves the same purposes as mint (it's part of the mint family.) But, I've only tried tea.

Heckta said:

So my question is how to make Catnip into a tea from fresh cut?

Click to expand...

Throw a few sprigs into a cup & pour boiling water over it. Let steep until the water turns greenish-brown (say, about 5 minutes). Sweeten if desired (IMHO, sugar tastes sort of odd with catnip - I prefer honey), then drink.

The same method can be used with other aromatic herbs -- the mints, rosemary, lavender, etc. Check out a reputable herbal before ingesting anything, of course.

If you're going to give the catnip to a cat after you're finished with it, remove the sprig before adding sweetener & let it cool down a bit first. Don't want the little fur-babies to burn their mouths!

Would you use fresh catnip for tea? I have tried dry leaves and it was very watery, didn't turn a color.

Fresh will work just as well if not better. You can make great teas in a french press if you have one. They are cheap and normally used for coffee but make an incredible tea.
I just recently bought some catmint. I have a 10 year old cat and a 1 year old. The older cat has always been NUTS for catnip so i grow it every year. I could only find catmint this year and it is quite different. My older cat won't touch it and my younger one eats it immediately and rubbs her body into it. Catmint is a thicker leaf and is VERY minty. It looks more like spearmint or your other average mints, where as catnip has larger smooth leaves without the deep ruffle groves.
I haven't tried catmint as a tea yet, my plants are not larger enough to support my cat's habbit and mine just yet!

My herbal encyclopedia says you can also use fresh catnip in salads. Don't overdo it though.

By the way, tea of catnip seems to be very healthy: also good for curing stomach ache, fever, sore throat, cold and bronchitis. So enjoy your tea !

Heckta said:

Hung over the door, catnip attracts good spirits and great luck.

Click to expand...

Hung from the garage rafters to dry, catnip attracts muddy pawprints on the top of the van.

Sorry to hijack your very thoughtful thread with humor, but as I read this sentence I saw these alternate words describing something that happened to me one summer.

ambermoon

Re: Re: Catnip Question?

ambermoon said:

Hung from the garage rafters to dry, catnip attracts muddy pawprints on the top of the van.

Click to expand...

LOL .....I recall some like incidents in my garage (and I do not own a cat)