In a previous post I discussed drying herbs (and veggies), growing woody herbs, and today I am looking at growing soft herbs.
Gardening
I tend to look at my herbs, almost every day, as they are quite visible as soon as I go into my back yard. But looking at them is not the same as attending to them. When they have my undivided attention, I look for any discolored leaves to remove, check for bugs, do some weeding, cut back any flowering (if not wanted), and check the soil around the plant.
Let me clarify a couple of confusing aspects to discussing herbs. First is the distinction between perennial and annual plants.
- Perennial herbs are the plants that continue on each year. They may look like they die, like my lemon verbena that loses its leaves and just looks like sticks in the ground, but grow renewed each Spring. Or they are like sage, just sort of sits there dormant, and starts to show life in the Spring.
- Annual herbs, like sweet basil, die each winter and have to be replanted or grown from seeds the following year. Some, like parsley plants, can reseed themselves but have a life span of ~2 years..
Second is the distinction between woody and soft herbs.
- Woody herbs have wooden like structures, that is, a tough, inedible stem: rosemary, oregano, sage, lemon verbena, etc.
- Soft herbs have soft green structures, in other words, generally edible stems: chives, basil, dill, cilantro, parsley, mint, etc.
- Either may have edible flowers, but that is another post.
Wintering Herbs
I live in zone 9, and many of my perennial herbs (rosemary, sage, chives, winter savory, lemon verbena, thyme, oregano, and mint) can stay outdoors during our winters.
As it is already September, and winter is fast approaching. I know there are steps I need to make to protect my herbs. Frankly, if my herbs were in pots I would start to clear off a spot downstairs, near a large window, to just bring them indoors. But my herbs are planted in two 8’ long raised beds. So, here is what I am going to do to winterize my herbs:
- Weed
- Prune carefully
- Check for pests + eggs (I will wash leaves with soap + water if needed)
- Feed my soil + plants just slightly, they will get a good feeding next spring. Mainly, I will mix mulch into the top soil
- Cover the soil with ~3-4” of organic hay
- Once the days are heading to below 50F, I will keep an eye out for the occasional 30F nights so I can place a thin plastic grocery bag over the plant
Soft Herbs
Soft herbs do not have woody stems above ground and are often low lying plants, but not always. The soft herbs that I grow include: Basil, Cilantro, Chives, Dill, Mint, and Parsley, All the herbs I grow are in well-drained soil, well watered, and sitting in sun.
Sweet Common Basil
Herb: I am growing sweet Basil and Thai Basil (has a slight licorice taste) as those are the two I cook with the most. I handle Basil with care for it is easy to bruise, and it can turn black from rough handling.
Pruning: My gain goal is to clip the flowers to keep the basil growing as long as it can before it dies off each winter.
Drying: While I do dry basil leaves, I find it best to just make a pesto and freeze that rather than dry. To me dried basil does not taste like anything, again because my experience is how delicate that herb is.
Cooking: Sweet basil is what is used in Mediterranean and Italian cuisine. I use Thai basil for Pho soup and Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches. If chopping do not cut too far ahead of time, for basil will oxidize and turn black (same with fresh tarragon).
Cilantro
Herb: I like cilantro, although a fair amount of people do not for it can taste metallic to some of us. (It is a matter of genetics.) I use the stems in many of the dishes and use the leaves mainly when using the herb as a topping.
Pruning: I just cut off the flowers when they show up.
Drying: I do not like dried cilantro much, so do not dry it at all. I may blend the leaves with some oil and freeze for future use, but that is all.
Chives
Herb: I cut fresh leaves (really they are longish, hollow green stems) whenever I need some chives. I planted garlic chives, that bloom lovely lavender flowers, but there are over 500 varieties to choose from.
Drying: I generally do not dry this herb since I can just go out and cut what I need. However, they can die back in the winter with only a bit of the green visible, so this year I decided to dry some. I just chopped off some of the visible green leaves, chopped them up into 1/4” size and left out to dry.
Cooking: The flowers are edible and have a very mild onion flavor. That, of course, is because they come from the onion family. When cooking with chives, since they are so delicate, I always add them towards the end of the cooking time. More often than not, they are added like a garnish.
Dill
Herb: My family loves dill. I tend not to chop dill but pluck the stick-like leaves off the stem. I find it a delicate herb and treat it gently. I cannot imagine cooking Greek or Greek-inspired food without a handful of dill. I also use some in fish-salads or even to brighten up a potato salad sometimes.
Mint
Herb: Mint has a strong, some call even “pungent” smell with leaves full of the oil that can brighten dishes. I use it mainly as a tea, but also to add to Greek or Mediterranean-inspired dishes.
Pruning: Herbs like mint ”die back” over winter, then regrow in spring. I cut them back after flowering, to about 4” above the soil in order to get a second crop of new leaves. I leave these plants to spread naturally, but they are invasive.
I grow mint under the lemon tree so they get full sun part of the day, and good shade the other part, with the belief that this packs in the best flavor. To dry, I pick leaves right before flowering, or after the last pruning in the summer. But I rarely do this because I prefer fresh mint for cooking.
Drying: I wash and dry the herb and leave it out on my outdoor table for a couple of hours to dry, making sure the plant stems do not touch so they thoroughly dry. Then I pluck off the leaves, keeping only those in good condition. Then I place them in the kitchen by the sunny window to dry. Dried mint is used for tea only.
Store: I put these leaves in a glass jar with tight fitting lid. I keep them as whole leaves, not crushed so they retain their flavor and aroma. The key for mint, or any dried herb really, is to stop moisture.
Parsley
Herb: I have about 6 flat leave Italian parsley plants. Originally I tried to grow curley parsley, but it died. These plants have gone through one of our winters and are still here. Parsley usually lives ~2 years, so during the second season is the time to harvest seeds for replanting, this year I am going to try to set it up for self-seeding.
Cooking: I tend to use lots of parsely in Mediterranean and German cuisine. I also use this herb in times when I do not have any lettuce and want some green, like on a taco or something else.
Pruning: When I go out to cut parsley for a dish, I cut the whole stem down to the soil, and then pluck the leaves off. While you can eat parsley stems, I taste them as very bitter, and choose to usually only eat the leaves. I trim the plants from the outside, leaving the inner part of the plant intact. I will use the plants for food until late Fall and Winter, when the leaves turn pale, then I leave the plants alone, until Spring.
Drying: I do not dry parsley, for I think it adds nothing to the taste of a dish. All the tasteless, dried parsley can do is add a fleck of green.
A Personal Note
There is nothing I find more exciting, rewarding, and pleasure-inducing than running out back to cut fresh herbs for something I am going to cook. I will gladly do this rain or shine, hot or cold, as it just brings me such happiness. I find when I share my food, I am always quick to add that the herbs were grown in my garden.
—Patty
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