easy tips & ideas for growing, using & preserving 15 ...€¦ · plant basil in full sun...

Easy Tips & Ideas for ! Growing, Using & Preserving !

15 Popular Culinary Herbs

1. Basil 2. Chamomile 3. Chives 4. Cilantro 5. Dill 6. Echinacea 7. Fennel 8. Lavender 9. Mint 10. Oregano 11. Parsley 12. Rosemary 13. Sage 14. Stevia 15. Thyme

What’s inside…

Basilisaculinarysuperstarthatdeservesaspotineverykitchengarden.Itisavailableindozensofvarie9es,eachwithitsowndis9nc9vetraitsandflavorcharacteris9cs.PopularexamplesincludeGenovese,lemon,lime,purple,andThai.GenoveseisthemostpopularbasilvarietyusedinItaliandishes,whileThaibasilismorecommoninAsian-influencedrecipes.Ifspaceallows,growandexperimentwithseveralvarie9eseachseason!GrowingFacts&Tips:Thistenderannualisveryeasytogrowfromseedandwillbenefitfromfrequentharves9ng.Onceplantsreach10-12”tall,pinchleavesfromthetopdowntojustabovethesecondsetofleaves.Thisencouragestheplanttogrowintoanicebushform,ratherthanbecomingtallandleggy.Plantbasilinfullsun(6-8hoursperdayisideal).ProvideaQernoonshadeinwarmerregions.Basilprefersrich,well-drainedsoil.Waterfrequently,butdon’tallowtheirfeettostaytoowet.

TipsforUsing&StoringFreshBasil:Basilisatitsbestfreshfromthegarden–Justpinchoffafewleavesandyou’rereadytogo.Itisdeliciouswithfreshtomatoesandmozzarellaortossedinwithothersaladgreens.Forlargerharvests,trimtheendsofbasilstemsandplaceinaglassofwaterlikefreshflowers.Then,placeindirectsunlight.Don’tstorecutbasilleavesintherefrigeratorbecausetheywillturnbrown.Addfreshbasiltoyourcookeddisheswhenyouarealmostfinishedbecausecookingwilldiminishitswonderfulflavorandvibrantcolor.Toenjoybasilallwinterlong,turnbasilleavesintopestobycombiningwitholiveoil,toastedpinenuts,garlicclovesandParmesancheeseinafoodprocessor.AddtoicecubetraysandtopwithaliZleextraoliveoil.Freezeanduse1-2cubestoaddextraflavortosoups,stewsandslowcookermeals.

Chamomile

Chamomilehaslongbeentreasuredforitsmedicinalquali9es.*Itisknownprimarilyforitscalming,healingandsoothingproper9es.Therearetwomaintypesofchamomile:RomanandGerman.Roman,akaEnglishchamomile,isaperennialcreepinggroundcoverwithdaintydaisy-likeflowers.Germanchamomileisare-seedingannual.Itgrowsuprightandcanreachheightsupto2feet.Otherwise,thetwovarie9esareverysimilarintermsofhowtheyareused.

GrowingTips&Facts:Chamomileiseasytogrowfromseed,cu`ngsorbydividingestablishedplants.Thisfuss-free,forgivingplantenjoyspar9alshadeoverfullsun.Italsoprefersdrysoil,whichmeansitisdroughttolerant.Itsnaturalbeautymakeschamomileawonderfuladdi9ontoanygarden.Itisalsoagreatcompanionplantbecauseitisanaturaldeterrenttomanypests.Plantsweakenedbylackofwateraremoresuscep9bletopests,however.

TipsforUsing&StoringChamomile

Chamomileiscommonlyusedtomakeherbaltea,essen9aloilsand9nctures.Chamomileteacanbemadewitheitherfreshordriedflowers.Forbestresults,harvestchamomileflowerswhentheplantistotallydry.Eveningisthebest9me,orwaitun9lthemorningdewhascompletelyevaporated.Otherwise,moldmayformduringthedryingprocess.Toharvest,eitherplucktheindividualflowerheadsfromtheplantswithyourfingersorcutfullstemsfromyourplants.Allowindividualflowerstodrycompletelyonabakingsheetorsomecheesecloth.Hangstemsupsidedowninanareawithgoodaircircula9on.Oncedry,removetheflowerpetalsanddiscardtheleavesandstemsbeforeusing.Storeinanair9ghtcontainerawayfromsunlightforfutureuse.*Thisinforma-onisforentertainmentpurposesonly.Itshouldnotbeconstruedasmedicaladvice.

Chivesareaversa9leherbgrownfortheirleavesandthebeau9ful,ediblepurpleflowerstheyyieldeachspring.Boththeleavesandflowersimpartadelicateonionyflavortorecipes.Chivesarehardyperennialsthatpreferfullsun,buttheycantoleratepar9alshade,aswell.Aswithmostherbs,itisagoodideatoprovidesomeaQernoonshadeinwarmerclimates.Whenitcomestosoil,chivesarenotfussy.However,forbestresults,plantchivesinwell-drainedsoilrichinorganicmaterial.Likemostplants,chivesdon’tperformwellwhenwaterdrainageispoor.Forthisreason,theyareidealforcontainerandraisedbedgardens.Makesureyourplantsreceiveplentyofwaterun9ltheyarewellestablished.Theywillalsoneedplentyofwaterthroughoutthegrowingseason,sobesuretokeepthesoilaroundthemmoist.ChivesarecoldhardytoUSDAzone3,whichmeanstheywillcomebackeachspringinmostareas.AQer3or4years,divideclumpsinthespringforevenmoreonionygoodnessinyourgarden!

TipsforUsing&StoringChivesToharvestchives,trimtheleavesdowntoaninchorsoabovetheground.Thegoalistoleaveenoughsotheplantcanregenerateitself.Usefreshchivesontopofbakedpotatoes,insaladdressings,soups,ortomakeherbbuZer.Thepurpleflowerscanbeharvestedastheybloominspring.Theymakeacolorful,tastyaddi9ontomixedgreensaladsorasanediblegarishforalight-coloredthicksoup.Chiveblossomvinegarisalsobeau9fulanddelicious.Tomake,rinseanddryenoughchiveblossomstofillasterilizedglassjarabout½wayfull.Filljarwithwhitewinevinegarandsealwithalid.Storeinadarkplacefor2-3weeks.Then,straintheliquidanddiscardtheblossoms.Usetheinfusedvinegarinmarinades,saladdressingsoronroastedveggies.Chivesarebestenjoyedfresh,buttheycanbefrozeninicecubetrayscoveredwithwateroroliveoilorontheirowninplas9cbagswithalltheairremoved.Freezingdoesnotaffectthetaste,butthetextureisdamaged.Asaresult,thawedchivesarebestinsoupsandsauces.

CilantroisaverypopularculinaryherbthatoffersInterna9onalappeal.Theflatparsley-likeleavesaddawonderful,dis9nc9veflavortoguacamole,salsaandotherMexicanrecipes,whileitsseeds–akacorianderseeds–canbegroundintoapowderorusedwholeinmanypopularIndiandishes.Cilantroisextremelyfastandeasytogrowfromseed.Infact,ittakesonly3-4weeksfromthe9metheseedsareplantedbeforeyoucanstarttoenjoythisversa9leculinarytreasure.Likemostherbs,cilantroprefersaspotinfullsun,withaliZleaQernoonshadeinhotregions.Italsoperformsbestinwell-drained,moistsoil.Raisedbedsorcontainersareidealloca9onsforcilantroandotherculinaryherbsaslongastheyreceiveadequatewater.Cilantroisafastgrowerandwillbolt,orsetseeds,quicklyinhotweather.Toextendharveststhroughoutthegrowingseason,keepreseedingyourgardenbedorcontainerevery2or3weeks.Thiswillensureyouhaveasteadysupplyoffreshcilantroleavesallseasonlong.

TipsforUsing&StoringCilantroToharvestcilantro,cuttheleafystemsalmosttogroundlevel.Forhealthy,strongplantsleave2/3oftheplantintactandallowittoregeneratebeforeharves9ngagain.Cilantrodoesn’tholdupwelltotheheatofcooking.Therefore,itisbestaddedrightattheendorincolddisheslikesalsaorguacamole.Cilantroisbestenjoyedfresh,butitdoesn’tlastlongoncecut.Cutstemsplacedinajarfilledwithwateronyourcounterwilllastaboutaweek.Youcanextenditslifebyplacingthejarintherefrigeratorwithasandwichbagplacedlooselyoverthetopoftheleaves.Freshcilantrocanlastupto3to4weeksusingthismethod.Forlongertermstorage,freezingisrecommended.Wash,dryandchopcilantroandtosswithsomeoliveoil.Spoonintoicecubetraysandfreeze.Storefrozencubesinfreezerbagsandusecubesasstartersforsalsa,guacamoleorotherrecipes.Dryingisnotrecommendedbecausetoomuchoftheflavorislostintheprocess.

Dillisanincrediblyversa9leculinaryherbthatisamusthaveinanykitchengarden.Nearlyallpartsoftheplant,includingitsleaves,flowers,stemsandseeds,canbeusedinyourcookingadventures.Inaddi9on,thisself-seedingbiennialputsonquiteanornamentaldisplayintheherbgardenwithitsbeau9fulwispyleavesanddelicateyellowflowers.You’llwanttogrowthisoneforsure!

GrowingFacts&TipsDillperformsbestinmoremoderateclimatesbecauseitdoesnotdowellinextremehotorcoldweather.Whenplan9ng,chooseasunny,well-drainedspotwithrichsoilandyourdillplantswillrewardyouhandsomelywithabundantproduc9onallseasonlong.Althoughregulardillplantsreach2-4feetinheight,themorediminu9veFearnleafvarietyusuallymaxesoutataround18inches.PayaZen9ontowhatvarie9esyouselectforyourgrowingarea.Thiswillensureyourplantshaveadequateroomtogrowandreseed.

TipsforUsing&StoringDillTherearesomanywaystousefreshdillstraightfromyourgarden.Thefeatheryleaveshavetheleastintenseflavorandcanbesnippedrightofftheplantasneededtouseinsalads,saladsormarinades.Theyarealsowonderfulwithfishandserveasalovely,ediblegarnish.Dillseedspackthemostflavorandcanbeusedwholeorgroundintoapowder.Theyaretheul9matepicklingspice.Thinkbeyondbasicpicklesandtrythemwithyourfavoritecolorfulvegetables.Theseedsarealsowonderfulinsaladdressingsandhomemadebread.Theyellowflowersfallsomewherebetweentheleavesandseedsintermsofflavor.Addthemtopicklejarsortossinsaladsforapunchofcolorandflavor.Savestemstomakebroth.Nothingbeatsfreshdill,butyoucanenjoyyourbountylongerbypreservingitinoliveoil,vinegar,buZerorbyfreezinginwateroroil.

EchinaceaEchinaceahaslongbeentreasuredforitsmedicinalquali9es.ArcheologistsbelievethatNa9veAmericansusedEchinaceatotreatillnessforhundredsofyearsbeforethearrivalofEuropeanseZlers.Today,Echinaceaisusedtoimproveimmunefunc9onandtoreducetheseverityofmanyailments,includingthecommoncold,fluandupperrespiratoryinfec9ons.GrowingTips&Facts:Inaddi9ontoitsmedicinalapplica9ons,Echinaceaisprizedforitsornamentalblooms,aswell.ThemostcommonvarietyofEchinaceaisalsoknownaspurpleconeflowerduetoitsstrikingpetalcolor.However,bloomscanbefoundinmanyothercolors,aswell.Echinaceaisaneasy-to-growperennial.Itcanbegrownfromseed,transplantsorbydivisionofestablishedplants.Itisaveryhardyplantthatcanthriveinmostcondi9onswithveryliZleaZen9on.Echinaceaprefersfullsun,butwillalsodowellinlightshade.Inhotclimates,shadeyieldsmorevibrantlycoloredflowers.

TipsforUsing&StoringEchinaceaYoucanusethepetals,leavesandrootsofEchinaceaplantstomakeherbalteaor9nctures,whichisamedicinemadebydissolvingasubstanceinalcohol.HarvesttheleavesandflowersassoonastheflowersbegintobloombysnippingeachstemrightabovetheboZomsetofleaves.Removetheflowerbudsandleaves,thendiscardthestems.Allowtodrythoroughlyinaninteriorroom.ExposuretosunlightcanreducetheefficacyofEchinaceaaQercu`ngandremainingmoisturecanleadtomold.RootsshouldbeharvestedinthefallaQerthefoliagehasturnedbrown.Handdigtheamountyouneed,butleaveplentyfornextyear’sgrowth.Washthoroughlyandallowtodryforseveraldaysonscreens.Weightlossduringthisprocessissignificant.Planfor¾ofthevolumetobelost.Storedriedpetals,leavesandrootsinanair9ghtcontainerinapantryorcupboardun9lreadytouse.

FennelWhenitcomestofennel,therearetwomaintypestoconsider:Herbfennelandthewhitebulb-typevegetable.Bothmakewonderfuladdi9onstoakitchengarden,butourfocushereisontheherbvariety.

GrowingTips&Facts:Commonsweetfennellooksalotlikedillwithitsgreenfeathery,wispyfoliage.Othervarie9esofherbfennelareprizedasornamentalsduetotheirbeau9fulbronzeorredleaves.Inmid-to-latesummer,fennelputsonamodestdisplayofdelicateyellowflowers.Fennelisshort-lived,butitwillreseednaturallyifgivenanopportunity.Plantsreach3-5feetatmaturity,somakesureyouprovideampleroomforthevarie9esyouselectinyourgarden.Fennelprefersfullsunandrich,well-drainedsoil.Itisdroughttolerant,butneedsamplewaterun9litbecomesestablished.Posi9onplantscarefullyfromthebeginning:Fenneldoesnottransplantwellduetoitsdeeptaproot.

TipsforUsing&StoryHerbFennelFennelfoliagecanbeharvestedasneededbysnippingofffronds.Fennelandfishmaketheperfectpair,regardlessofhowyouprepareit.Justplaceafewfreshstalksnexttothefishwhileitiscooking.Youcanalsoaddfreshfrondstosaladsorsoup.Itcanalsobeuseasagarnish.Tocollecttheseeds,allowyourplantstoflower.Oncetheflowersturnbrown,carefullycutthestalksandplaceinapaperbagupsidedown.Onceinside,hangupsidedownbythestemsinacoolarea.Placethepaperbagunderneathtocollecttheseedsastheydropout.Oncetheseedshavedropped,rinseanddrythoroughlybeforestoringinanair9ghtcontainer.FennelseedsareoQenusedtomakesausageorinothersavorydishes.Theyaregreatasapizzatoppingwhenpairedwithgoatcheese,thinlyslicedprosciuZo,freshfigandspicyarugula.Foliagecanbefrozenforuseinsoupsandstews.Itcanalsobeairdriedandstoredinanair9ghtcontainerforfutureuse.

LavenderLavenderisastrikinglybeau9fulculinaryherbthathaslongbeentreasuredforitsbeau9ful,delicatepurplebloomsandwonderful,soothingfragrance.LavenderismorethanjustapreZyface,however.Ithasalsoearnedarespectedplaceinthekitchenduetoitsdeliciousflavor.Thisisoneherbthatisawelcomeaddi9ontoanyherbgarden.GrowingTips&Facts:Likebasil,oregano,andthyme,lavenderisalsoamemberofthemintfamily.Aswithothermembersofthisfamilyofplants,lavenderprefersanicesunnyloca9onwithverywell-drainedsoil.Idealgrowingcondi9onsforlavenderarehotanddry.Thereareseveralcul9varsavailable,butEnglishlavenderisthemostpopular.Itisalsothevarietymostusedincooking.Englishlavenderisactuallyna9vetotheMediterranean.Itgotitsnamebecauseitiscanwithstandthemorewetandhumidweathercondi9onsfoundinthatcountry.

TipsforUsing&StoringLavenderAgoodruleofthumbwhencookingwithlavenderistorememberthataliZlegoesalongway.Startwithsmallamountsandslowlyaddmoreun9lthedesiredresultisachieved.Addingtoomuchatoncecanleaveyourdishestakinglikepotpourri.Also,ifyoubuylavender(vs.growyourown),besuretoselect“culinarygrade”becausealotofcommerciallyavailablelavenderisnotsafetobeconsumed.Youcanharvestsmallamountsoflavenderfromyourowngardenwhentheplantis2yearsold.Thethirdyearandbeyondwillyieldamuchlargerharvest.Usegardensheersoracurvedbladetocutthroughthetoughstems.Lavendercanbeenjoyedinbothsweetandsavorydishes.Freshlavenderlooksbeau9fulandtastesgreatwhentossedinsaladsorasakeyingredientinhomemadeicecream.Itcanalsobeusedinplaceofrosemaryinbreadsandmarinades.Youcanalsostriptheleavesoffofdriedstemsandthenusethestemsaskabobsforgrilledshrimporfruit.Thiswillinfusethefoodwithalovelyflavor.

MintMintisanearlyfoolproofculinaryherbthatisanabsolute“musthave”inyourkitchengarden.Thisversa9leandtoughplantisadreamcometrueforbeginninggardenersandthosewithablackthumb.

GrowingTips&Facts:Mintbelongstosameplantfamilyasmanyotherpopularculinaryherbs,includingbasil,oregano,androsemary.Likeitsculinaryrela9ves,mintprefersfullsun.Itenjoysamoremoistsoilthanmost,however.Infact,ifyoukeepthesoilaroundyourmintdamp,itwillrewardyouwithmorestronglyscentedleaves.Therearemanyvarie9esofmintavailable,withpeppermintandspearmintbeingtwoofthemostpopular.Mintisanexcellentcompanionplantbecauseitsstrongscentrepelsantsandmanyothergardenpests.However,itisanaggressivegrowerthatcanquicklybecomeaninvasivenuisance.Tomakeitbehave,plantmintincontainersorsinklargeboZomlessplas9ccontainersintothegroundtopreventthisasser9veliZlefellowfromtakingoveryourgarden.

TipsforUsing&StoringMintToharvestmint,simplytakeclippingsasneededfromyourplants.Lookforthenewestgrowthbecauseitisthemostflavorful.Rinseleavesthoroughlyandpatdrybeforeusing.Withdozensofmintvarie9estochoosefrom,therearecountlesswaystoenjoythisversa9leculinaryherb.Forstarters,mintisawonderfuladdi9ontoiceteaandotherbeverages.Mintisakeyingredientinseveralclassiccocktails:mintjuleps,mojitosandgimlets.Bruise,ormuddle,theleavesbeforeaddingtodrinksforbestresults.Mintisalsoanicesurprisewhentossedintomixedgreensalads.Rollleavesandthensliceintothinsec9onsfirstsotheflavorineachbitedoesn’toverwhelmtheotheringredients.Mintisawelcomeaddi9ontomanydesserts,aswell.Tryaddingfinelychoppedmintleavestochocolatechipcookiedoughbeforebaking.Orusefreshmintleavestoenhancehomemadesorbetoricecreamrecipes.Excessmintcanbefrozenaloneorinicecubetrays.Itcanalsobedriedandstoredinanair9ghtcontainerforfutureuse.

OreganoOreganoisaculinaryworkhorsepopularinGreek,ItalianandMexicancuisine.MexicanoreganoisnotfromthesamebotanicalfamilyastheGreekandItalianvarie9es,however.Itisstrongerinflavorandisnotanidealsubs9tutefortheothertypesinrecipes.Sometypesoforeganoaremoreprizedfortheirornamentalquali9esthanfortheirculinaryappeal,however.‘KentBeauty’isonenotablenon-culinaryvarietyworthinvi9ngintoyourgarden.Thisshowstopperisgrownprimarilyforitsgorgeoushop-likeflowersandeye-catchingtrailingfoliage.GrowingTips&Facts:GreekandItalianoreganoarepartofthemintfamily,alongwithbasil,rosemary,thymeandmanyotherpopularculinaryherbs.Likeitssiblings,theseperennialvarie9espreferfullsun,withsomeaQernoonshadeinhotclimates.Plantswillperformbestinwell-drainedsoil.Inwarmclimates,Oreganoisevergreen.Incolderareas,theplantswillneedsomeprotec9onintheformofmulchorcoldframestosurvivethewinter.Oreganogrowninportablecontainerscanbebroughtindoorsforfreshflavorallyearlong.

TipsforUsing&StoringOregano

Oreganoisoneofthemostpopularculinaryherbsforareason.ItishardtoimaginemanyclassicItaliandishes,especiallythosefeaturingsucculenttomatosauces,withoutitsdis9nc9veflavor.Therearealotofwaystousefreshoregano,aswell.ItisdeliciousinbakedbreadsorinherbbuZer.YoucanalsosprinkletheleavesovermixedsaladgreensoraddthemtohomemadevinaigreZesormarinades.Crushtheleaveswithyourfingersabitfirsttoreleasemoreflavor.Freshoreganodoesn’tstandupwelltoheat,however.Additinthelast5to10minutesofcookinginstead.Usedriedoreganointomatosauces,soupsorstewsthatrequirelongercooking9mes.Keepinmind,however,thatoreganoisoneofthefewherbsthatisstrongerwhendriedthanfresh,soadjusttheamountyouuseaccordingly.Oreganocanbefrozenaloneorinicecubetrayswithwateroroliveoil.Itcanalsobedriedandstoredinanair9ghtcontainerorpreservedinbuZerforfutureuse.

ParsleyParsleyiseasytodismissasliZlemorethanculinaryeyecandy.Sure,it’spreZytolookat,butit’snotveryexci9ng.Sadly,parsleyhasbecomeabitofadinnerplatepunchlinebecauseitgetstossedmindlesslynexttoboringbakedpotatoesoruninspiredhunksofmeatinsomanymiddle-of-the-roadea9ngestablishments.Asaresult,fewpeoplerealizethatthisversa9leculinaryherbactuallytastesgood.Parsleyisoneherbthatdefinitelydeservesaspotinyourk9chengarden.

GrowingTips&Facts:

Parsleyiseasytogrowfromseedsornurserytransplants.Itlikesplentyofsun,butitcantoleratepar9alshade.Parsleylikesrich,moistsoil,sobesureyourplantsreceiveplentyofwater.Therearetwomainvarie9esofparsley:flatleaf(akaItalianparsley)andcurledleaf.Forthemostpart,thetwoareinterchangeable.However,theflatleafvarietyhasamorerobustflavor,whilethecurledvarietyhasmoretenderleavesandismoreoQenusedasagarnish.

TipsforUsing&StoringParsley

Withoutques9on,freshparsleyisidealforaddingapopofcolortoanotherwiseboringdinnerplate.Any9meyouwanttoaddabitoflifeandsomebright,freshflavortoadish,simplysprinklesomefinelychoppedfreshleavesoveryourcrea9on.Toharvest,trimfreshsprigsasneeded.Cuttheleafystemsfromthebaseoftheplanttoencouragebushiergrowth.Freshparsleystemsareperfectformakingstocks,broths,soupsorbraises.Infact,parsleyisoneofthemainingredientsinaclassic“bouquetgarni.”Tomakeyourown,secureparsleystems,sprigsoffreshthymeandwholebayleaveswithunwaxedkitchenstring.Addtothepotwhilemakingsoups,stewsandbroth.Bundlingtheherbstogetherinadvancemakesthemeasiertoremoveanddiscardwhenfinished.Parsleyisbestenjoyedfresh,butitcanbefrozen.Frozenparsleycanbeusedincookeddishes,butitwillnolongerbeviableasagarnish.Avoiddryingbecausetoomuchoftheflavorislostintheprocess.

Rosemaryisaversa9le,fragrantculinaryherbna9vetotheMediterraneanregion.Thispopularherbistreasuredforitspungent,pine-likeflavorthataddsadis9nc9venotetodishesrangingfromgrilledfishtobeefroaststowildgame.Rosemaryisasvisuallyappealingasitisdelicious.ItswoodystemsallowittobeprunedintoaconicalChristmastree-likeshapethatlendsamoreformalelementtoanotherwiseunstructured,free-flowingherbgarden.Incoolerareas,itmakesabeau9fuladdi9ontoasunnywindowsillinwinter.

GrowingTips&Facts:Rosemaryisamemberofthemintfamily,alongwithbasil,oregano,thymeandmanyothers.Itsidealgrowingenvironmentissimilartoothermembersofthisbotanicalfamily:Itprefersawarm,sunnyspotinwell-drainedsoil.Thiswoody-stemmedplantcangrowintoalargeevergreenshrubinhotclimates,butitisnothardyincolderareas.Tosurvive,itneedstobebroughtinsidewhentemperaturesdropbelowfreezing.

TipsforUsing&StoringRosemary

Therearesomanywonderfulwaystouserosemarytoenhanceyourrecipes.Forstarters,itiswonderfulinmarinadesformeatsandchicken.Striptheleavesfromthewoodystemsandcrushthemwithyourfingerstoreleasetheoils.CombineWorcestershiresauce,oliveoil,garlicandcrushedrosemarytomakeawonderfulmarinadeforsteaks.Youcanalsostuffchickenorotherpoultrywithwholefreshrosemarysprigs,lemonwedgesandclovesofgarlic.Finelychoppedleavesareadeliciousaddi9ontosoups,stewsandsaladdressings.Toharvest,simplyclipfreshsprigsasneededfromyourplants.Theywillkeepinyourrefrigeratorforaboutaweekifyoutakemorethanyouneed.Forlargerharvests,rosemarycanbefrozenaloneorinicecubetrayswithwateroroil.Itcanalsobedriedorpreservedinoliveoilorvinegarforlateruse.Yetanotherop9onistofinelychoptheleavestomakeadelighsulherbbuZerorseasonedsaltmix.

SageSagehasalongandvariedhistoryasaculinaryherbandmedicinalplant.Na9vetotheMediterraneanregion,itwasreveredbyAncientRomansforitshealingquali9es.Later,theFrenchgrewlargeamountsofsagefortea.Today,sageisconsideredaclassicingredientinholidaystuffingandotherrichdishes.

GrowingTips&Facts:SageisanaZrac9veperennialinUSDAzones5to8.Itdoesn’tliketheextremeheatofwarmerregionsandwon’tstanduptotheintensecoldofnorthernareas.Sageisamemberofthemintfamily,alongwithbasil,oregano,thyme,rosemaryandmanyothers.Likeothermembersofthisfamily,sageprefersfullsunandlightwell-drainedsoil.Itdoesn’tdowellinheavyclaysoilthatholdsexcesswater.Loosesoil,raisedgardenbedsorcontainersareidealforgrowingsage.WithitssoQ,greyishgreenleaves,sageisanicelookingplant.Itdoesn’talwaysplaynicelywithothers,however.Sageisantagonis9ctocucumbers;sodon’tplantthemtooclosetogether.Itsstrongflavorcanhaveanadverseaffectonthefruit.

TipsforUsing&StoringSage.

Sageisbestknownforitsplaceattheholidaytablewhereitsdis9nc9veflavorsetsthestageforclassicstuffingrecipes.Formanyhomecooks,sage’splaceinthekitchenendsthere.SoletstakealookathowthisoQenunder-u9lizedherbcanbeenjoyedallyearlong…Sagepairsbeau9fullywithfoodshighinfatandoil.ItisoQenusedtomakesausageandothermeatsforthisreason.SageisalsoperfectwithbuZerypastadishes.Forasupereasyanddeliciousmeal,simplysautéfreshsageleavesinbuZerandtosswithpennepasta,slicedgrilledsausageandsomefreshlygratedParmigiano-Reggianocheese.FreshsagesautéedinabrownedbuZersauceisalsowonderfulwithdelicatebuZernutsquashravioli.Sageisbestenjoyedfresh,butitcanalsobedriedorfrozen,eitheraloneorinicecubetrayswithwateroroil.FreshsagecanalsobepreservedinbuZerforfutureuse.Driedleavescanbeusedtoinfusevinegarandhoney,orusedtomakeanherbedsaltthatisperfectformeatrubs.

SteviaSteviaisna9vetoSouthAmericawhereithasbeenusedforcenturiesasanaturalsweetener.Stevia’spopularityhasgrowninotherpartsoftheworldinrecentdecadesbecauseitoffersacalorie-freealterna9vetoregularprocessedsugarandothersweeteners.Ifyouarelookingtoreducesugarconsump9onforyourfamily,thisisoneplantyou’llwanttoaddtoyourherbgarden.GrowingTips&Facts:Steviaisna9vetotropicalregions.Asaresult,itisanannualinmostclimates.Itloveswarm,humidweather,butneedsgoodaircircula9ontostayhealthyinthosecondi9ons.Itlovesanice,sunnyspotwithaliZleaQernoonshadeinwarmerareas.Rootrotisanissueformanyculinaryherbs,includingstevia.Itdoesnotlikeitsfeetwet,sobesuretoprovideloose,well-drainedsoilforyourplants.Raisedbedsandcontainersareperfectsolu9onsifyouhavedenseclayorothersoilthatdoesnotdrainwell.

TipsforUsing&StoringStevia

Steviaisupto159messtrongerthanregularcanesugar,buttheamountofsweetnessvariesdependingongrowingcondi9onsandwhentheleavesareharvested.Startbyaddingverysmallamountstoyourdrinksandrecipesun9lyoufindtherightbalance.Toharvest,clipstemsorindividualleavesasneededfromyourplants.Useleaveseitherfreshordried.Drycu`ngsoutside,inafooddehydratororintheovenat150degrees.DiscardthebiZerstemsoncetheleavesarethoroughlydried.Crumbleorgrindthedriedleavesintoapowderwithacoffeegrinderorfoodprocessorandstoreinanair9ghtcontainerinacool,darkplace.Freshleavesareusedtosweetenteaandotherdrinks.Powderedleavescanbeuseddirectlyinrecipesortomakeextracts,9ncturesorsyrupsthatcanbestoredinadarkboZleinyourrefrigeratorfor6monthstoayear.Whenmakinganyofthese,donotusetoohighaheatbecauseitcancausethesteviatobecomebiZer.

ThymeThymeisalovelyaroma9cculinaryherbthatiswellknownforitsshowyornamentalbeautyandmedicinalquali9es.Thisbeau9fulplantisprizednotonlyforitswonderfulflavorandoutstandingfragrance,butalsoforthewayitneatlyframesgardenbedsasaborderplantandspillsgracefullyoverlowwallsandcontainers.GrowingTips&Facts:Thymeisamemberofthemintfamily,alongwithbasil,oregano,rosemaryandlavender.Likeothermembersofthisfamily,thymeprefersfullsunandneedswell-drainedsoiltothrive.Thymepreferssoilthatisslightlymorealkalinethanotherherbs,withapHjustabove7.0.Ifneeded,addaliZlelimetothesoilorlimestonemulcharoundtheplants.Useasoiltes9ngkitforbestresults.Therearemanyvarie9esofthymeavailable.Germanandlemonaretwowell-knownexamples.Germanthymeisveryaroma9candpopularforculinarypurposes.Lemonhasalovelycitrusaromaandflavorthataddsanextrapopofbrightflavortodishes.

TipsforUsing&StoringThyme

Thymeisago-toculinaryherbyouwillfindyourselfreachingforagainandagain.Toharvest,simplyclipoffafewstemswithgardenscissorsasneeded.Toremoveleaves,holdthestemsatthetopandgentlypulldownthelengthwithyourfingers.Discardthestemsorusetomakestocksandbroths.Addthymeearlyinthecookingprocesssoithas9metoreleaseallofitswonderfulflavor.Sprinklethefreshleavesintoyourpastasaucesoraddthemdirectlyintosoups,stews,andbraises.Tiewholethymestemstogetherwithparsleystemsandabayleavestocreateaclassic“bouquetgarni”toseasonyoursoupsandbroths.Combinefreshthymewithrosemaryandsageforawonderfulmarinadeforgrilledmeat.Lightlytosspotatoes,carrotsorotherrootvegetablesinaliZleoliveoil,freshthymeandsomesaltandpepperbeforeroas9ng.Thymecanbedried,frozenaloneorinicecubeswithwateroroil,orpreservedinoliveoilorbuZerforlateruse.

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