Dried catnip, also known as meadow nip, is an excellent way of providing your feline friends that cat-loving treat without having to carry any food. About 80 percent of domesticated cats respond to dried catnip and normal everyday reactions include pawing, licking, and napping. Overall, it’s a good treat for your kitty’s enjoyment and can even be included in your cat’s regular routine. Here’s how to dry catnip in oven and what kind of container you’ll need.
To begin, you’ll need a small bowl that’s filled half-way with fresh catnip. Place a lid on the bowl and put it in the microwave for approximately two minutes to heat it up. Remove the lid, place the bowl in the microwave on one side, cover it with a tea towel, and shake the bowl until the catnips begin to fall out. Once they’re all gone, carefully remove the teacup lid and cup from the microwave. You should now have a bowl of dark catnip with a single, thin layer of catnip leaves.
For optimal results, don’t add any extra water or sugar to the catnips or you’ll find it hard to remove the dark, wet substance from the leaves. The catnips will soak up some of the water, but you’ll likely want to repeat the process until all the water is gone, or you run the risk of over-drying the dried material. Once the excess water is removed, place the bowl of dried catnips in the microwave for a final five minutes to heat the catnips. Once the material has absorbed as much heat as possible, place the bowl of fresh catnips inside your oven and reheat it.
For even faster drying, use a clean kitchen towel or paper towel as your mask. Start by placing the paper towel over the area you wish to douse, grab your hairbrush, and start brushing the catnips away from the paper towel. Continue this process until all the dried material is gone. Once the paper towel is completely dry, grab your hairbrush again and continue drying your catnips with the same care you used when drying catnips outside.
After completing your drying project, re-insert the paper towel into your microwave and heat it up for a few seconds. Once the paper towel is warm enough, grab a handful of your wet catnips, pull the entire plant apart into several pieces, and gently drop the pieces onto your cookie sheet. microwave your dried catnips for a few more minutes until all the pieces are warm and fluffy. If your catnips are chewed during this process, remove them from the cookie sheet, clean the cookie sheet, and gently wipe away any stray bits of chewed catnip. Then, return all the pieces to their place on the cookie sheet.
If you are using fresh nappies, simply peel off the tops of the nappies before drying them. If you have stored your dried catnips in the fridge for a while, you may need to thaw them out. If they still appear to be a bit wet, place them in the microwave for about 10 seconds to soften the catnips. Once they are soft enough to handle, release them from the microwave and onto your cookie sheet. Repeat this process until all the dry catnips have been successfully eliminated from your cookies.
If you do not have any fresh, dried catnips on hand, how to dry catnips in oven is also achievable by using a mixture of lemon juice and flour. Once the lemon juice has completely dissolved its contents, mix them together until the mixture is a paste-like substance. Then, add a few drops of water if needed to create a consistency that can be easily applied to the dry ingredients. It will be necessary to make several batches of this mixture to ensure that the catnips will dry evenly.
When your catnips are completely dry, you will want to store them as quickly as possible in order to avoid molding. However, if you have allowed your catnips to become moldy, this process is easier. Simply soak the dry pieces in warm, soapy water and put them in a sealed container for two days. Once this time has passed, these items can then be cleaned using a mild detergent and lint free cloth. By following these simple steps, how to dry catnips in oven can help you to keep your indoor plants alive all year long.
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