Do you know how to dry ingredients for brewing tea, and do you have any tips?

Don’t laugh, but my mom swears by this
Looks pretty affordable, too.

My dad used to do it in the oven. I just googled how to dry tea leaves and about.com recommended to stick ‘em in at 250 degrees for 20 minutes, but I would start a little lower, maybe 210, 225. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle the goods on that.

Edit: Actually, I looked some more and 250 for 20 minutes seems to be the standard. Maybe experiment with your oven a little.

I dry fresh mint over a broomstick that is horizontal. Parsely dried is so boring I just threw out a batch. I also dry catnip over a string or hook. It takes a day or so, and Himself loves it almost as well as the freshly growing.

I slice ginger root in thin disks and freeze them. Then I use pieces for ginger tea.

I have also tried drying mint on a paper towel for 45 seconds in the Microwave.

@TimothyKinney grows his own tea and dries it in the oven (and let me tell you, it’s delicious!!). I don’t know the specifics, but I’m sure if you PMed him, he’d be willing to tell you all about it.

You can just use a drying rack (basically a big woven wood ‘board’) and keep it in the sun or light. Put the herb on the drying rack. Let it dry. Sounds too simple? Well it is that simple!

Many dry on a hook like @gailcalled said as well.

Here are some good ones using @gailcalled ‘s method. Of course you can just make your own.

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Here is what I have. It’s big though.
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Another idea similar to what I have.
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Then store in glass, not plastic (not necessary but much better). In a cool dry place.

@ThePeanutGallery, I used to have a Ronco pasta machine that I dearly loved.

I made sencha at home from a camellia sinensis plant in my backyard (I bought it for this purpose). The tea was very easy to make and was absolutely delicious. Here’s what I did:

1) Pick the tips (2 leaves and the terminal bud, not old leaves). The time of year that you pick the leaves (and the corresponding climate) will impact the flavor of the tea. I’m not an expert on this, but I picked the leaves when the majority of the new growth had leaves between 2cm and 4cm, this was around late spring in Houston. The plant was in full sun because I wanted sencha. If you want something more like gyokuro, shade the bush for a couple of weeks before picking. You will get a lower yield but sweeter tea. The first flush of tea is considered the highest quality of the season. You can continue harvesting through the summer. Avoid harvesting in the fall. Most of the bush’s energy goes to root development then so there will be little to no new leaves. It’s a good time to amend the soil.

2) Wither the leaves. Handle the leaves very gently. Place them in a shady area for 2 to 3 hours, until they wilt slightly. This allows enzymes in the leaves to develop the flavor of the tea. Again, an expert would know exactly what they are doing. I just tried it and I got some good tea. Keep notes and see if you can improve the flavor. Note: if you crush or roll the leaves before wilting, they will oxidize and create an oolong or black tea. The secret to green tea is careful handling of the leaves, preserving the structure of the leaves.

3) Steam the leaves. This deactivates the enzymes in the tea and halts the development of the flavor. I used a vegetable steamer on the stove. Steam for 60 seconds for regular green tea, 120 seconds for fukamushi (deep-steamed) style. The leaves will be wet at this stage.

4) Dry the leaves. I placed the leaves on foil and popped them in the toaster over on Bake for 15 minutes at 225 F. The foil was a poor choice as some of the leaves stuck to the foil when they dried and it was difficult to remove them. I would use ceramic if I did it again, and I would shake the leaves every 5 minutes to keep them from sticking.

5) Store in an airtight container under refrigeration. From this point on, air, light and moisture are the enemy, causing oxidation, photo-oxidation, possibly mold, and destroying your precious flavors.

6) Brew normally.

Commercial tea is rolled to compact the leaves into “spiders legs” shapes. This is considered more attractive and makes the tea easier to store and pack. I didn’t roll the tea, so I had what looked like dried tea leaves. I broke them up a bit to get them into the tea ball, but they were delicious. Very sweet (despite the full sun) and rich subtle flavor.

I also tried one tip without processing. I simply placed the tip in a small amount (2 to 3 oz) of hot water and let it sit for 15 minutes. The water did not change color and was lukewarm. But the flavor was amazing. It was very delicate and fresh tasting. It didn’t really taste like green tea- more like grass. But the tea flavor was subtle. I really liked it a lot.

Here’s a picture of the tea I made .