Now Is the Time to Preserve Your Herbs for WinterIf you have herbs in your garden, now is the time to start thinking about winter. Harvest what you think you will need for the colder months and dry it now while the plants are fresh and full of flavour. It is best to harvest in the heat of the afternoon to have the highest amount of beneficial oils. However anytime of day is still good.  📷 by Emily Rozema We try to use our dried herbs within one year of harvest. Dried herbs do not suddenly go bad after a year, but their flavour, aroma and quality diminish over time. This is one of the reasons our Mingle Hill spice blends and loose leaf teas are so potent and flavourful. We grow and harvest our herbs here on the farm and use them within one year.  📷 by Emily Rozema With many grocery store spices, you simply don't know when the plant was actually harvested. In Canada, shelf stable foods that last longer than 90 days generally do not require a best before date. That means the jar may tell you very little about the actual age of the herbs or spices inside. How to Dry Your Own Herbs Drying herbs at home is incredibly simple. Gather your herbs into small bundles and place an elastic around the stems. Take a paperclip, open it up and use it as a little hook to hang the bundle upside down. Hang your herbs in a cool, dry, dark place with good airflow. A spot in your kitchen or large pantry away from a sunny window can work well. Sunlight can break down the colour, aroma and quality of dried herbs, so keeping them away from direct light is important. Most bundles will take around two weeks to fully dry, depending on the herb, humidity and size of the bundle. The most important part is making sure they are completely dry before putting them into a jar. Any moisture left in the plant can encourage mold. If you aren't quite sure they are dry enough, you can finish them in a dehydrator on a low setting. A dehydrator is also a great way to speed up the entire process. Once completely dry, remove the leaves from the stems and store them in a clean glass jar in your spice cupboard, away from heat and sunlight. Then enjoy your own homegrown herbs all winter. Use them individually for cooking, make herbal tea, or start experimenting and create your own custom spice blends.  📷 by Emily Rozema Homegrown dried herbs and homemade spice blends make brilliant Christmas gifts. A little glass jar, a handwritten label and herbs you grew yourself. Simple, useful and actually made by you. There is something pretty satisfying about opening a jar in January and smelling the herbs you grew in your own garden the summer before.  📷 by Emily Rozema
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🐾 From Cats to Cleansing: A New Tea is Born - CuriTea Our sweet little fur babies in the farm store have been hard at work lately—keeping mice at bay like the true farm MVPs they are. But with all that mouse-catching comes a downside… worms. 😬 Tomato (our brave little representative) took one for the team and went to the vet, and sure enough, everyone got a round of worm meds. They're now happily back to their routine—napping in their beds by day, patrolling for mice by night.  Photo of Tomato the Cat 📸 by Zach Rozema But that whole situation got me wondering: Can humans get parasites from their pets? Well, the rabbit hole I went down was both fascinating and kinda gross. Turns out, studies suggest that up to 85% of humans may be carrying some form of parasite. Ewwwwh. Yep. I said it. Gross. So I did what any herb-loving human would do... I Googled: “What herbs help get rid of parasites?” And to my surprise, I came across a scientific paper that confirmed something herbalists have said for generations: 🌿 Oregano, rosemary, thyme, cumin, and sweet marjoram have all shown effective anti-parasitic properties. Read the study here. And of course, I couldn’t resist adding Wormwood (a.k.a. Sweet Annie)—I mean, the name alone screams "get rid of worms!" right? 🌕 Introducing Our Newest Tea Blend Inspired by this little adventure, a new tea has been born. Rooted in folklore and backed by science, the traditional way to use these herbs is to drink the tea five days before the full moon and five days after. (One 40g tea bag will last you two full months of this lunar cycle cleanse.) I tried it last month and felt so much better—especially digestion-wise. And the best part? These herbs don’t just support parasite cleansing—they come with a whole host of other health benefits too. That’s the magic of plants. Order Here Are We the Only Ones Who Think Herbs Are This Fun? Because honestly… learning weird facts, reading ancient folklore, testing teas, and watching cats do weird stuff? That’s the dream life over here. 🐱🌿✨  Photo of the CuriTea testing
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AUTHORMeet Emily Rozema: The Heart Behind Mingle Hill Farm CATEGORIES
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