Brad's:
Latin name: Thymus vulgaris
Common names: Thyme,
woolly thyme, lemon thyme and English thyme
History: Greek
poets and scholars wrote of the wonderfully scented thyme and the Greeks used springs of
thyme as sweet-burning incense in their temple prior to thyme being used as a culinary
herb. It wasn't until the 12th Century that the English began using thyme
extensively in their cooking, primarily for fish.
Growing: Thyme
is best grown from seed indoors or under glass outdoors. Thyme requires very little
care but does require plenty of sun and the soil needs to be well drained, dry and
preferably sandy. It is best to plant new Thyme plants every two years.
Uses: To
dry Thyme, tie the cut stems into loose bundles. Hang them in a shady, airy
spot. When dry, the leaves may be stripped by hand or stored in tightly covered
containers. Use Thyme not only in cooking, but also as an aromatic by boiling in
water. The flowers may be dried separately and put into potpourri, sachets and tea. The sprigs of older plants may be used as kabob skewers by stripping the leaves from
the sprig and soaking the sprigs in water for about 15 minutes before using.
Comments from Your Host,
Brad
Thyme is member of the mint
family. With over 400 varieties of Thyme, this is a wonderfully flavorful and
multi-faceted herb. Just laying a few springs across fish or lamb chops will infuse
the flavor just enough to give you the hint of Thyme.
Recipes using Thyme:
Bouquet
Garni
Beef
Stew
Herbed
Pork Roast
Lobster
Bisque
Chicken
Broth
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would appreciate this?
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