Herbs
A little bit about herbs: Herbs prefer a sunny
location so they can soak up the sun’s energy and flourish. A few herb
varieties, namely parsley and mint, are tolerant of light or shade for small
portions of the day but need at least 4 hours of sunlight each day. Herbs can
be planted in a garden or flower bed for beauty and practicality. What are
herbs used for outside of the kitchen? Herbs are used in bath, beauty and other personal products that can be found in fresh markets or can
be made at home. For an example, potpourri provides a way to extend the beauty
and fragrance of herbs and flowers.
Basil
‘Genovese’
The Berry Farms Martha’s Herbs students have chosen
this variety for its classic Italian sweetness, spicy flavor, and wonderful
aroma. Genovese is an easy variety,
grows large leaves, and maintains its strength through the heat of the
summer. The fragrant plants grow 18-24
inches tall. This is the variety of choice for an Italian dish known as
pesto. Basil leaves, along with parmesan
cheese, pine nuts, and garlic cloves, pureed with lemon juice and olive oil,
produce a delicious dip, sauce or pasta topping.
Basil is an annual, a plant that grows, flowers, and
dies in one season. Basil gardeners are
happy to soon learn that new seedlings sprout each year from fallen seed,
providing the flavorful plants from year to year. It prefers warm temperatures
and must be planted after the danger of frost has passed. Plants grown in shade
will be spindly and weak. The flower blossoms should be removed as they appear
on the plant. This helps to increase leaf production, the most flavorful and
useful part of the plant.
Cilantro
The Berry Farms Martha’s Herbs students have chosen
this herb that is found in Mexican and Chinese cuisine. Cilantro is not as easy
to grow but is possible which it can grow around 7- 12 inches. The leaves of
which are harvested from the immature plant before seeds are produced.
An important thing to remember is that if the temperature
of the roots gets above 75 degrees because if it does then the plant will send
up a flower stalk. The plant should be about 6 inches tall before harvesting
the outer leaves. Cilantro can live in an open window as long as it gets plenty
of sunlight and a well-drained area.
Mint ‘Mojito Cocktail’
Mint ‘Mojito Cocktail’ is a new plant to the Berry
Farms Martha’s Herbs collection. This herb is one of those herbs that like
moist soils. All mints prefer, and thrive in, cool, moist spots
in partial shade. In general, mints tolerate a wide range of conditions.
Almost any kind of soil and light levels are great
for mint. The mint plant will become invasive when the roots are not kept in
check and should be pruned regularly. The container may be too small for the
growing plant. Be aware that the roots can grow through the bottom of the pot
and send up new shoots. The leaves can be harvested whenever you wish during
the growing season.
Mint Mojito is an herb which can be used in a
variety of ways. The obvious use is to make delicious mojitos. Other uses
include spicing up your vegetables by putting mint in water used to steam
vegetables. Make mint tea use 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried peppermint leaves per cup
of boiling water steep for 10 minutes. Mint ice cubes, freeze whole mint leaves
in ice cubes for tea or lemonade. Or spice up your tuna; chop spearmint and mix
with olive oil and use as a marinade for fresh tuna. Marinate 30 minutes,
grill.
Oregano
Oregano is a perennial herb which loves sunny
locations. When one is planting this herb outside, a sunny place with good
drainage would be ideal. The flowers should be removed as they form to
encourage more vegetative growth. Leaves lose their flavor with prolonging
cooking so for the best results pick the leaves then add them to the dish
towards the end of the cooking time.
Parsley
Curled Parsley is normally used for decorating a
plate and is not as flavorful as the flat-leaf variety, although it can be consumed. Flat-leaf Italian Parsley, which is grown by
The Berry Farms Martha’s Herbs is the most flavorful of the parsley varieties,
and can be mixed with other herbs because it balances out really well,
especially with basil. Parsley is a biennial, meaning it flowers and produces
seed in its second year. This
second-year growth is stalky and tough, not as desirable for cooking. The seeds which fall will germinate readily
the next spring, producing plenty of young tender leaves. Parsley enjoys a well-drained and sunny area
for maximum growth. Harvest and use
plants as they are thinned.
Rosemary
Rosemary is used with butter and salt to season
boiled herb potatoes. Perennial with pungent needle-like leaves, Rosemary is a
sun-loving evergreen shrub in North Georgia.
It is also a great plant to use in landscaping. Harvest succulent tips, prune a
stem or two, and remove all the leaves by running your thumb and forefinger
from the tip to the base of the stem. Can be dried to store for later use, and will last for
many months.