Dry Catnip

Baskets to capture the refrigerator heat are an excellent option to dry herbs. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Dry Catnip

I have been drying catnip for my cats, and for cat gifts, for as long as I can remember. Fresh dried catnip is much stronger, and more appreciated, than anything you can buy in the store. Although some cats do not respond to the enticement of catnip, all of my cats, and those of my family, have had a run of the sillies when enjoying homemade catnip toys.

The catnip I grow is a perennial so it comes up every year. I also don’t use chemicals in my garden so I know when I harvest it to dry, it will be safe for kitty consumption. My cats actually enjoy both fresh catnip during the growing season as well as the dried option.

To dry catnip, break up the stalks into sizes that will fit your drying baskets and make sure they are free of unwanted hitch hiking bugs. The baskets are nothing fancy, I found these baskets at a thrift store. I picked something I enjoy looking at because I dry the catnip on the top of my refrigerator, where the refrigerator heat helps to speed up the process.

It also keeps the catnip away from wondering paws.

I also save those silica gel packets that come in shoes and other shipments and use them in the baskets under either paper towels or cotton napkins. You can keep re-using the packs to help dry out a variety of herbs including catnip.

Save those silica gel packets to place under paper towels. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

If you don’t have silica gel packs, not a problem. You can place the catnip on cotton napkins, which will help wick away moisture.

Fabric napkins can also help dry out herbs such as catnip. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Once dry, you can store the herb in containers for use later. I label mine so I know when I placed the dried catnip in the containers; the fresher the herb-drying the better.

On a cold winter’s night, I bring out the drying baskets to let my resident experts sample the goods.

Catnip customers enjoying a supply during a cold winter night. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

To refresh old cat toys, you can also store the toys in a container with freshly-dried catnip for a couple of days. That will easily re-invigorate the toys.

I also use dry catnip to make yearly toys for our families cats including a couple of resident ones.

i would say we have at least one happy customer, wouldn’t you?

Charlotte