Catnip tea and catnip tips?

Question

Best way to make catnip tea (how much per cup, how long do I let it brew... both for fresh and dried)? Read some but it varies so I want to get people's opinions...

Best way to dry catnip? Best way to store it (jar/plastic bag...?) I have a cat who can get pretty interested in catnip when she's in the mood so I need it to be sealed well...

Can catnip really help regulate/postpone your period? I've heard this on some sites but don't really believe it; I think that it could help with cramps since it's a slight sedative but otherwise it seems a bit too far fetched. I suppose it varies in what form/how strong/much you take of it and how your body reactions?

Also on every site that I've read about catnip it says that some people mistake it for MJ, and they state that it's now "commonly believed" that it has no similar effects. Why don't they just say it DOES NOT have similar effects? Are some people affected or has it just not been officially studied so they can't officially claim?

Answer 1

I use it as an emmennagogue to end cramps faster, two tablespoons per mug, steep from just under a boil until room temperature (half-hour or so for a medicinal tea) and three cups of tea a day at the first sign of cramping. For myself and all of the women in my family (and most of the friends I've recommended it to) by the next morning the period has started.

It's much safer than pennyroyal, even though pennyroyal isn't as bad as the media would make it out to be, it's dumb girls using the essential oil internally trying to induce miscarriage that's causing death, not one or two cups to bring on the period on time. You would have to consume some hundreds of cups of tea to ingest enough to be lethal. But I'm getting off topic. :)

A glass jar is the best way to keep it away from the kitty, but she'll know it's in there and be warned that she's going to be RIGHT there every time you open it.

Catnip has no psychoactive effects of its own beyond being a very, very, VERY mild hypnotic. It doesn't act on humans like it does on cats, but it does make children sleepy. I've tried smoking it just for the h**l of it (incurably curious psychonaut), and it has an unexpectedly acrid and sharply flavored smoke. It probably just hasn't been researched enough to state that it has no psychoactive effects, so wherever you read it they're probably covering their butts by not making any false claims.

Best way to dry is will be to hang it upside down in a dry room.  

Good luck!

Answer 2

I use maybe 2 tablespoons dried for a normal sized mug?  I let it brew for only 3-5 minutes since I usually have some peppermint mixed in and it gets too strong otherwise.

As far as storage, use a jar if you have a cat that'll try to get into it.  She might rip through a plastic bag!

No idea on cramps, etc. I like the taste, so I usually put it into the teas I make to deal with my cramps and such, so maybe it is helping!  The warming effect it has may be what helps?

As for MJ-type effects, it's hard to differentiate placebo from real effects, so they probably don't wan to sound too definitive?  That's my guess.