Growing Herbs for Cooking

People have been growing herbs for cooking and healing properties for centuries. Growing herbs for cooking and drinks bring many unique flavors, fresh or dried, to enjoy and it seems they have become more popular today then they have ever been. Many herbalists value the healing qualities of specific leaves, flowers, and roots. Crafters have the talent for preserving the fragrance and beauty of herbal leaves and flowers in the designs of sachets, potpourri, wreaths, and arrangements. Most gardeners prefer herbs in the garden due to their qualities such as low maintenance, their resistance to pests, and their vitality.

When we think of herbs, we usually imagine the kitchen variety such as basil, oregano, parsley, sage, thyme, rosemary, cilantro and so forth. An herb is a type of plant whether perennial, annual, vine or shrub, which has some practical value other than looking beautiful in our gardens. Most herbs will grow best in a fairly rich garden soil that is well-drained. However, some very popular herbs, such as bay, lavender, rosemary, and winter savory, are classified as woody plants and prefer a gritty, quickly drained soil. Good drainage is most important because if there is standing water around the root crown of the herbs it can cause rot. It is best to add plenty of organic matter such as compost to heavy or clay soil in order to improve the drainage.

Many of the herbs need to have full sun and warmth to grow and develop the essential oils that are needed for their flavor and aroma. Growing herbs in raised beds is a good way to promote better drainage and give them warmer soil particularly in the early stages. If we use brick or stone edging around the raised beds it will help reflect and retain heat in the herb garden.  Paving will work to develop a warmer micro-climate for herbs that are grown in planters or containers, such as bay or rosemary, and for creeping thyme which is a low-growing ground cover.

By growing several herbs in containers is a good idea for a number of reasons. First, we can grow perennials such as rosemary and the flowering sages throughout the year just by bringing the containers indoors as the days get shorter and the temperatures drop in the fall. Second, growing in containers give us the opportunity to move the plants around when needed or for display. These containers are also great for the gardeners who are limited on growing space or have poorly draining soil.  Our garden of herbs seems to get more beautiful the closer they get to maturity and that could be the aromatic oils that keep the leaves looking so wonderful.

Fall is the perfect time to cut and dry some of those perennial herbs such bay, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. It is best to use flower clippers or sharp scissors to cut the stems. We want to keep the bundles of herbs fairly small and bind them with rubber bands. If we use twine, the bundles have a tendency to fall apart as the stems dry out and shrink. We can then hang the bundles upside down in a well-ventilated, dry area out of the direct sun. Giving gift bundles of herb bouquets to friends during the holidays is a great idea; once the herbs are picked assemble several varieties together for drying with a rubber band and wrap the stems with raffia.  

After the herbs have been dried remove them from the stems and store them in airtight containers. Herbs which have succulent, thick leaves, such as basil, are better if they are dried in a dehydrator unless you are living in an arid climate area. It does not make any difference how we dry the herbs we just need to make sure to harvest the herbs after the flower buds become visible but before they open up. This will ensure we get the highest absorption of the essential oils. Early morning, after the morning dew has dissipated and before the heat of the sun, is the right time to harvest the herbs.

Fresh herbs for cooking always add more flavor to any meal. We can enjoy the garden-fresh herbs all year long by using some easy techniques. Freezing the herbs will preserve the essential oils, and the oils are what give herbs that wonderful flavor. Freezing herbs is very simple, we just rinse the herbs, remove their leaves from the stem and allow the leaves to dry on a flat surface; then place several of the leaves together in a plastic bag and freeze them. This will give us a clump of herbs than can be chopped or cut up for use. We can also freeze the leaves individually on a flat tray first and then insert them into a plastic bag; when we need that particular herb later we can pick out one or several leaves as we need. Another way to preserve the herbs for cooking is to blend them with oil making a paste; we can then freeze them in a plastic bag, container, or even in ice cube trays. By blending together we can freeze one kind of herb or we can blend several together so they will be ready for our special sauce or soup and that is the fun of growing herbs in your own garden.