What Next? Sun Tea

Of the many things I learned from my father, any knowledge of herbs came from watching and listening to him. I really wasn't all that interested in growing herbs. Or how to identify them. Herbs just, well, WERE. My father's pointed interest in herbs got my attention when they moved to this house. He grew herbs in Maine and no doubt in gardens he cultivated where ever the Navy plopped us. Since landing in this last house though herbs took on a more serious interest for him.

He grew Rosemary and the bushes grew high. He took great pains with his Tarragon which was thick right outside the porch on the other side of the pine tree and when the mower went by, Ah...licorice. Pennyroyal went next to the porch screen door and he would gather it, roll it in bandanas, which he tied around my dogs neck to keep fleas at bay. Tannis was to dissuade flies. Catnip, which grew everywhere he would collect, dry, and even made a few cloth mice and filled them with it to give to friends. Bags and bags of dried catnip which he hung on rafters in the attic room above the kitchen. Then bags of it were just carried to that room and set everywhere. So much catnip we carried to the field the summer after he passed as he never got around to using all he dried. I have a small bunch of it hanging on my wall now.

Oregano, Marjoram, Thyme, and Sage with markers stuck in the dirt identifying them. Parsley and Dill lined the garden. Basil resulted in many many meals of wonderful home made Pesto which he put in little restaurant plastic cups with lids, Basil with Cheese or Basil with Walnut Oil written on top and the date made. They could be found in the freezer when the urge hit. Lemon Verbena, now and then made tea.

 

He built an area under the kitchen window, after work in the kitchen of replacing windows, putting in cabinets, laying new floor, moving a door, painting and endless other tasks were completed.  And here he planted many of the herbs I mentioned above. Initially Rosemary on the left corner. Garlic Chives, Oregano, Marjoram and Pennyroyal  across the area. And always...Mint.

Mint can always be identified by a square stem. I've never forgot that. Catnip, Spearmint, Peppermint.....all Mint, a square stem. He planted Orange Mint, Pineapple Mint. Mint of all varieties. In this recent photo the bed is full of Chocolate Mint.

And anyone who came by he would run his hands through his herbs releasing a world of smells and always--whether or not a person wanted to know--he taught about herbs. Their uses, recipes, history....all about herbs. Herbs at one point led him to produce vinegars. Fruit vinegars and herb vinegars. He wanted to sell some, encouraged by an acquaintance at the city market. So he researched for supplies. He got gallons of champagne and red wine vinegars from Philadelphia. And purchased cases of small bottles, caps and sleeves to slip over the tops which he used a hair dryer to seal. He got labels. Some he made and hand wrote. But my Dad hated his handwriting, which I think was beautiful. My Mom made him labels, computer lab at the high school where he substituted for 21 years made him labels.

We enjoyed these vinegars for years and right now in my dining room sits a box with many of them in those same bottles, his writing on some labels. Strawberry, Blueberry, Mint and Peach are flavors on these few bottles remaining. I cleaned them up after rescuing them from our flooded basement in April. In the overhead above the kitchen are cases of bottles, tops, plastic caps and in the LH a big bag of the sleeves.

Oh yes, Tea. Around the property Spearmint and Peppermint grew wild in addition to those he planted. He would often gather great bunches and prepare sun tea. Sitting a jar on the apron of the patio as it brewed. And last week in the horrid heat I decided Sun Tea was needed. I went down to the utility pole at the road and cut stalks of fresh Spearmint. Into the sink and spritzed them off.

Ah, then I realized I needed a clear glass container and I'd cleared everything out.

Or did I? 

  

Into the Little House, the pottery section. It looked like I was SOL. But below the beehive cookie jar, was a biscotti jar, clear glass. And with a lid! Thanks Dad.

So after washing the jar and filling it with cold water, I threw in a couple black tea nylon bags. Then it was time for the important ingredient. Spearmint!

I sat on the diving board and stripped the leaves from the 'square' stems and dropped them into the container. Periodically I reached in and crushed the leaves.

 All that remained was for the container to sit it in the sun for a few hours. A little ice and a tall glass, here's to you Dad!