I tucked bags of dried lavender (from Ikea) into my lingerie drawers when I recently re-organized them, and thought (as I usually do) I should make these myself (but I never have). In a box of magazine clippings, I coincidentally found this recipe, credited to Margot Hutchinson, owner of L'Herbier de Provence in Toronto.
When dreaming of your summer garden during the winter, plan to include some of these flowers and herbs and next year, pick them as they come into bloom, to hang and dry for potpourri sachets.
To yield the dried amounts called for, start with 1-1/2 to 2 times as much fresh.
As you dry the flowers after they come into season, you can add them to your jar of mixture as well as a few more drops of mint or orange oil.
Makes 3 cups
- 1/2 cup dried lemon grass or white flowers (chamomile, carnation, elder flower, geranium, rose)
- 1/2 cup dried rosebuds and petals
- 1/2 cup dried yellow flowers (chrysanthemum, marigold)
- 1/2 cup dried mint leaves
- 1/2 cup dried orange flowers (zinnia, marigold chrysanthemum)
- 1/4 cup dried purple flowers (pansy, oregano flower, violet)
- 1/4 cup dried lemon verbena or lemon balm leaves
- 5 drops mint oil
- 5 drops orange oil
- 1 Tbsp powdered orris root
- In a large container with tight-fitting lid, mix ingredients.
- Cover and store in a cool dark place at least 2 weeks, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer spoonfuls of dried potpourri to squares of cheesecloth, cotton muslin or thin cotton and tie into sachets with ribbon. Sew them shut with fine stitches if you don't want anything spilling into drawers. Or spoon potpourri into small gift jars, or set fragrant dried herbs with a few drops of oil out on a dish.
Variation
More herbal: Use dried leaves and flowers of scented geranium, bergamot, pennyroyal, rosemary, southernwood, sweet marjoram.
Spicier: Add broken cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, anise seed or cardamon seed.
