Choose a sunny spot to start the garden or for the pot. Thyme needs heat and sun to grow. If planting indoors, place in the sunniest or westward facing window. Prepare the potting soil as a loose, fast-draining soil with a pH level around 6.0. Plant thyme plants or seedlings in rows or clumps about 6 to 8 inches apart. Do not overcrowd or they will not grow to their full size. Mulch the thyme beds or pots right away if planting outdoors in the fall. Use pine needle mulch. When spring arrives, remove the mulch and prune back any and all upper stems. Water the plant only during extremely dry conditions or when the soil appears dry. Thyme is a hardy plant and thrives on little care. Harvest the thyme just before the flowers bloom.
The fresh thyme is the best and should always be chosen over the dried for its superiority in flavour. The leaves should be green gray in collor. The thyme leaves should be free of blemishes and yellowing. If we don’t plant our own thyme - to keep fresh herbs the longest (about a week), place them in a lightly sprayed paper towel. Then seal them in a plastic Ziploc bag and store in the refrigerator. It is very important to remove the air from the Ziploc bag before closing, to preserve the freshness of the herbs. It can also be frozen on a baking sheet and then stored in zipper baggies in the freezer for up to six months.
In its dried form, thyme will keep for about six months in an airtight glass container in a cool, dry place. Thyme retains much of its flavour when dried. When substituting dry for fresh, use one-third as much dried thyme as you would use fresh. So if a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves, you'd use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme. Dried thyme can be also used to protect linens from insects.
No comments:
Post a Comment