John Myers
Fresh herbs add color and flavor to many dishes. You can find out here how you can grow Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary, sage, and thyme as well as local garden herbs yourself on the windowsill, and how to keep those you have bought fresh.
Care tips for kitchen herbs
Saltimbocca, tomatoes with mozzarella, and rosemary potatoes: dishes like these would be unthinkable without the aromatic herbs sage, basil, and rosemary. The healthy flavor enhancers enrich our kitchen with a variety of flavors – provided they are nice and fresh. But anyone who has ever brought a pot of basil home from the supermarket knows that it’s not that easy to keep the greenery healthy and beautiful. First of all, it is important to know that each herb requires individual care. This starts with the location – sunny, semi-shady, cool – and continues with watering and fertilizing. It is best to prepare care instructions for the most common kitchen herbs before you grow or buy the plants. These include:
- basil
- dill
- Lovage
- Marjoram
- Parsely
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Chives
- Thyme
Coriander and lemongrass are also popular with fans of Asian cuisine, and mugwort and tarragon are considered medicinal herbs. Our herbal recipes provide you with suggestions as to which dishes the aroma dispensers can be used for.
Kitchen herbs need space
Regardless of the variety, there are some universal care tips. So it is advisable to divide kitchen herbs after purchase and repot them into several containers. As a rule, the plastic pots are planted too densely and do not have a water reservoir. Use good quality soil with a slow-release fertilizer. When watering, sun-loving Italian herbs need water at least once a day. On hot days, they should be supplied with liquids in the evenings as well as in the mornings. The right harvest is also important so that you can enjoy your kitchen herbs for a long time. While the continuous harvesting of sage, rosemary, and thyme is used for care, it is better to cut off larger quantities of dill, parsley, and chives at intervals. But what to do with the bountiful harvest?
From Popsicle Stick to DIY Plant Sign
Popsicle sticks can be reused as a plant sign and also look good in the herb pot. So you always know which herb grows in which pot.
Which herbs can be planted on the balcony?
Most herbs for the kitchen can also be planted on the balcony. However, you should take into account the different location requirements of the plants and find out before you buy which herbs are best suited for the balcony and which combinations of herbs go particularly well together.
Herbs for the south-facing balcony:
- basil
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Sage
- dill
- Marjoram
Suitable for the north balcony:
- Parsely
- Chives
- Mint
It is best to choose plants that have been brought forward for the balcony. Because you can harvest them immediately. Rearing with seeds is more time-consuming and takes several weeks to germinate. Once you have chosen the right herbs for your balcony, plant them directly in a window box or in a large pot that has been enriched with nutrient-rich garden soil. For better growth, the potting soil can be mixed with some compost.
When you buy the plants from a nursery, find out which container is ideal for your type of herb and how it should be watered. Dill, for example, should be planted in a higher pot as a deep root. Make sure your spice gets enough water, but be sure to avoid waterlogging. It is, therefore, best to use containers with a drainage hole. In this way, the water can run off and does not accumulate in the pot.
This is how kitchen herbs stay fresh
If you don’t want to use everything at once, you can freeze kitchen herbs. Simply wash it off, dry it well, and put it in freezer bags or cans in the freezer, whole or chopped up. You can also freeze the chopped greens in portions in an ice cube tray with a little water or oil. So it can later be added directly to the food. Alternatively, dry your crops and use them as spices and tea herbs. To do this, tie the kitchen herbs or wild herbs into bouquets and hang them upside down in a warm place until they are dry. In winter, the oven helps. Set the temperature to no more than 50 degrees and leave the door ajar. Another possible method of preservation is to put it in oil or to use it for herbal vinegar. Would you like more kitchen tips? Here we tell you how to clean your ceramic hob with simple home remedies!
