Thyme Herb Garden: On How To Find The Best Strain, Grow, Harvest And Make Herbs Of Provence
Choosing the Right Species for Your Thyme Herb Garden
The flavorful weed with a long history! Thyme dates back at least to the Romans, where texts describe thyme being added to cheeses and drinks as a way to maximize flavor. With such a long history behind it, this is one herb any gardener would love to grow!
As if that were not enough, there are many different varieties of thyme, all with different benefits. Some of the most common include:
* Garden Thyme (thymus vulgaris). This is the most delicious culinary variety. A great herb for people who want to grow an herb that can be used with almost any type of cooking.
* Lemon-scented thyme (T. citriodorus) is the best aromatic variety (Lemony!). It also tastes great too.
* Caraway thyme (T.herba-barona) is another great-tasting culinary herb. combines the best of the two previous herbs with a good taste and a great smell.
*Woolly thyme (T. pseudolanuginosus) is definitely not the one for your dish. However, if you are looking for a large, bushy grass for ground cover, it will serve the purpose admirably.
growing thyme in an herb garden
Most gardeners consider thyme to be one of the easiest herbs to grow. There are a number of reasons for this:
* Lasts a long time and comes back year after year
* It is a hardy grass and can survive even drought and low temperatures. Thyme has been found to grow high up in the mountains, so it can handle just about any type of garden.
* Its fantastic flavor.
* Most recipes use a lot of thyme, so little goes to waste
* It is easy to propagate the herb by cuttings/seeds.
* Most cooking styles have thyme recipes
* The flowers are attractive to bees.
The use of thyme was first documented by the ancient Egyptians, which is why it grows best in warm, sunny locations and needs plenty of drainage. The good news is that they can grow almost anywhere: even in dry, lifeless soil. The good news is that it requires minimal maintenance, it almost grows on its own, so you can pretty much leave it to its own devices! It can also be easily grown in a pot, using an artificial light source. Just make sure you keep an eye on him as he has a habit of growing out of control!
After 2 months or so, you can start making cuttings. At this time, you must be careful not to let any flowers bloom. If you see blooming flowers, you should immediately cut them back. Flower growth can divert valuable resources that are better used for growing edible parts, so cut them back as quickly as possible.
cooking with thyme
The best part of thyme is its versatility, so be prepared to enjoy it with just about any savory food you like. Since it has a strong flavor, most people eat it with lamb or beef, however, there are some excellent recipes with chicken and duck as well.
Herbs de Provence are one of France’s best kept culinary secrets. To do this, you will need to hang the thyme upside down in a warm, dry room (70-80 degrees) until it dries out and can be easily crumbled. This can be sped up by using an oven (3-4 hours) or a microwave (3-4 minutes!). Take this dried herb and mix it with savory, fennel, basil, thyme and lavender flowers and it goes great with stews and grilled meats. If you have the other herbs in your garden, you’ll soon be able to enjoy this great-tasting combination.