Tis the season… we were finally been hit with our first straight up cold. I was writing this post with blocked ears, a foggy feeling head, achy muscles, and maybe a low-grade fever. (Do forgive me if you find typos.) The cold was not a major illness by any means, but I do like to try to feel better when I can. One of our favorite ways to support our bodies through the common cold is by drinking catnip tea.
I’m not a doctor or an herbalist. I’m just an amateur who likes looking up information on plants. The following post is for informational purposes only, and is not for medical purposes. This post contains affiliate links.
Catnip looks and grows like a member of the mint family, with square stems and leaves with a serrated edge. It also puts off lovely pale flowers (as seen in this photo) that can be almost overpoweringly fragrant when in bloom.
While catnip is known to make felines crazy, it actually has a calming effect on people. It’s most commonly known for its sedative properties, and is used to help with insomnia, anxiety, headaches, cold, flu, and stomach upset. It’s also sometimes used to help bring on menstruation.
As with most herbs and supplements, there are some precautions that should be taken with catnip. Click here for more information. Catnip isn’t meant to cure, treat, or prevent any disease, but it does have a long history as a traditional herb in many cultures.
Ready to make tea?
If you have catnip in your yard or your tea garden, you’re in luck- harvesting and drying is simple. Cut the plant at the base of the stem and either hang it to dry over a couple weeks, or follow the guidelines for your dehydrator
. Break the leaves off of the stem and either grind or run through a food processor to turn it into tiny tea leaves. Next, store the leaves in a mason jar in a dry place. They should last you all winter. Catnip tea can also be made from fresh leaves.
If you don’t easily have access to catnip, the most economical option is to purchase it in bulk. You can purchase bulk organic catnip here.
For hot tea, brew- 1-2 tsp of dried catnip per 8 oz of water for about 10 minutes. We like to enjoy it with a scoop of raw honey!
For more information, visit these pages:
- Catnip Profile from Mountain Rose Herbs
- Catnip Profile from WebMD
- Nutrinews: 10 Healing Benefits of Catnip Tea
Wonderful post! How can I share this with my readers on The Holistic Homestead?
Thanks Arwen! You’re more than welcome to copy/paste the url to share on social media, or feel free to link to it on your blog. 🙂 I love what you’ve been up to there as well!
I so despise the taste, even with honey! I’ll add it to other mints to help disguise the disgusting (to me) taste, and it helps, but it’s still pretty horrible. And I’m someone who doesn’t mind wormwood, for example, so it’s not that I’ve got a totally prima dona palate, lol!
Ha! That’s funny! Well, I suppose everyone’s tastes are different! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂