Image by headsclouds via Flickr

Herbs used as cooking ingredients have been a practice for over a long time. Growing culinary herbs in your garden at home allows you to have a fresh supply of herbs for your own cooking. There are various kinds of herbs according to its taste, they may be spicy, salty and tangy.

Parsley is a versatile herb that’s good for much more than just a sprig of decoration for sake of appearance. It’s great in dishes from chicken and lamb to cheese, and who hasn’t used a bit when preparing a fish dinner? It’s also a good addition to soups and salads.

One popular herb is thyme, the leaves of a small woody-stemmed plant. Thyme works well in meat sauces, delicate soups, or hearty everyday dishes such as tuna casserole. Whether grilled meats or gourmet cheeses, nearly every imaginable food can benefit from a little added thyme.

When you’re eating Italian food chances are you are enjoying basil. It is added to many dishes for improved flavor.

If you’re looking for something a little more spicy, you might want to try aniseed. The oil of this tastes much like licorice, which is why it is used to make artificial licorice. Tarragon is related to this herb. The leaves of tarragon have a spicy flavor that can be used to add flavor to both fish and mayonnaise alike.

Growing culinary herbs is so easy that anybody can do it. They are actually one of the easiest plants to grow and need only sunshine, water and soil. They are very resistant to disease and can endure adverse conditions well.

Another popular favorite is coriander seeds, which are derived from the cilantro plant. Porks and curries taste fantastic with a little zing from the citrusy coriander seed. Their mild and sweet zest creates delicious chutney, as well. Another herb with a bit of kick is dill. It lends itself perfectly to dressing up a plain old salad or for use in pickling. Added to chutney in combination with olive oil, it can’t be beat.

Many herbs are used in cooking that are members of the mint family. The two most common are sage and rosemary. Peppermint, a herb that gives a wonderful odor and taste is also a great addition to many items. If you’re looking for something to complement veal or potatoes, a good choice is mint. Mint is also used in soups and for making jelly.

Less commonly used, but highly recommended for those seeking a little culinary adventure, is saffron. Reminiscent of a mildly sweet and pungent honey, it can add flavor to a dish you cannot get from other herbs. It is used to make the traditional Turkish rice pudding, yet can also add amazing flavor to fish or poultry.

No matter what you enjoy cooking, your masterpieces will be enhanced by growing culinary herbs. Cooking with herbs is fun and adds just the right spice to any old ho-hum dish.

Making a potted herb garden has many advantages over regular outdoor gardening. For example, you can bring the potted herbs indoors during the colder months where you have better control over conditions such as soil contamination and light. It’s easy to ensure that nothing gets into the pot to contaminate the soil if it is indoors, likewise, you can move the pot into or out of the sun to control the amount of light.

Sometimes growing herbs in pots can be difficult because pots do not offer the same moisture control and necessary nutrients as outdoor soil does. Many herbs do fine in pots with some extra attention from the grower. These hearty herbs include basil, dill, mint, sage, and lavender.

Begin with quality seeds. Because they are like any other natural food product, they have the potential to spoil. The airborne spores present in the air can attack them. Oxygen is able to react with numerous organic compounds. It is easy to obtain fresh seeds and to keep them this way. To do this, you need to read the packages to check the date. It is also necessary to throw away seeds if they get wet.

When making a potted herb garden, don’t get stuck on the notion that you have to keep it indoors. They can thrive outdoors too! Like most plants, herbs need certain amount of sunlight. Essentially, it varies with the species: some requires a full sun, others prefer a partial shade.

Make proper preparations to the soil and make sure the amount of moisture is sufficient. Lavender enjoys the sun and needs an alkaline soil that is dry. Clay chips will maintain the moisture in a pot, but this can also lead to too much moisture. When in a container, the clay will absorb the moisture and hold it for extended periods of time. You should make sure that your soil contains a mixture of sand and clay.

People often do not understand why their plants do not survive. Sure, some people aren’t blessed with a green thumb but the most common reason that our plants die is a condition called root rot. We often overeater our plants, and although there are a few types of plants that thrive on this, most plants do not, especially herbs. There is a large difference between keeping plants moist and drowning them.

There are many great reasons for making a potted herb garden. On thing you can use your herb garden in pots for is keeping culinary herbs on hand all year long. Keep the pots outside near the kitchen door in summer and bring them in and sit them on the windowsill in winter.

How to Dry Herbs and Retain Their Quality

No doubt that, herbs are considered compliment to most of recipes. Purchasing herbs from the shelves of supermarkets means getting products of lower quality that are stored for a long term. Consequently, knowing how to dry herbs from your own garden is to get the best quality.

One of the easiest ways to dry herbs is to air dry them and this slow drying process which doesn’t rob the herbs of their natural oils, works best with herbs that don’t have a high moisture content, like oregano, bay, and thyme.

How to Air Dry Herbs

It can cut herbs in the mid morning, as soon as confirming that the dew has dried. It must remove any insect damage or disease leaves. Herbs can put under cool water. Four or five small bundles of the herbs may be made. They may tied with string or using a band of rubber. Herbs bundles can be hanged in a ventilated place and left to be dried.

To use paper bags in drying herbs is a good method. The paper may be punched firstly. Put the small bundles of herbs into the paper bags and hang them. A couple of weeks later, you can check your herbs and see that they are dried completely.

How to Dry Herbs Using a Dehydrator

If a food dehydrator or freezing are used, drying of herbs including more moisture will be best. A dehydrator is a best way of drying. It is quicker and easiest way that maintains the herbs’ high quality and control of air circulating and temperature as well. Drying times are varied according to moisture contents. Also leaves’ thickness and quantities of drying per a time are reasons of different times of drying. As soon as the leaves are crisp, and stems brittle herbs can be dried.

Storing the Dried Herbs

Store herbs after having dried, is important in order to maintain their freshness. There are many methods to store herbs, such as small plastic bags or jars. It must avoid light and heat. As soon as learning the ways of drying herbs, it will be considered as the first step towards being skillful cookers.