Dehydrating Mint

Yesterday while at the Farmer’s Market in West Allis I noticed how inexpensive vegetables in season where. I got two baskets of zucchini, 8–10, for $2, less than a packet of the seed would cost me. Herbs were the only item that I could easily grow that I could not purchase for less than I could grow them. In fact the only herbs I saw were small plants of mint, basil etc. for $1.50 or more. Now I realize that most herbs are purchased in the grocery store as dried spices. However, they are not cheap. So today I picked another crop of mint, which is a perennial and grows so much that it needs to be contained from taking over the whole garden. I am drying it now in the dehydrator and then will crush it up and bottle it in my “Uncle Bob’s Mint” jars. I will use some for the rest of year and bottled some for Christmas gifts. In my Middle Eastern family, mint is a common and valuable ingredient in cooking. Also tonight my wife took some of the large supply of basil our small garden produces and makes pesto, an Italian pasta sauce ingredient. She is Italian and basil is an important herb for Italians. Besides basil and mint we grow parsley, a mystery herb, chives and a few other herbs. Herbs grow well, take up little space and are usable as fresh additions to salads or dried as spices. More and more my garden is moving toward greens for salad or eating or herbs. Things like green beans and tomatoes will continue but the more I think about what is most useful, affordable and easy to grow the more herbs and greens come out on top. If I could grow salad greens successfully in a small space as my friend Godsil does in his Godsil Hill City Farm and herbs as great as I did, my small home model garden will be a success. The rest can come from farmers who have the land to grow the rest. Herbs are the spice of the garden and when added to the green of the garden or food from the market make for healthy and delicious with a touch of spice.

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