Hooper`s Garden Center
Herb Information
Herb Descriptions
Stevia, Sweet Leaf
Leaves are 30 times sweeter than sugar. Single plant yields up to a ½-pound of dried leaf.
Sun: Full Sun
Height: 12-20 inches
Days to Maturity: 40-60 days
Sowing Method: Indoor Sow
Oregano
Oregano is one of the best and hardiest herbs for cooking, and it has one of the strongest flavors, too. Pinch or harvest from the plants frequently to keep them bushy. Italian seasoning favorite. Widely used in Italian dishes, tomato sauce, pizza, fish and salad dressing.
Sun: Full Sun
Height: 12-24 inches
Days to Maturity: 90-200 days
Sowing Method: Direct Sow
Mint
Leaves impart flavor to iced drinks, sauces, vegetables and lamb. The plants are vigorous and spreading. Prefers Part Sun to full sun. Plants tolerate light frost; set outside early. Must use certified plants
Sun: Full Sun, Part Sun
Height: 18-24 inches
Days to Maturity: 90-200 days
Sage
This shrubby herb has a distinctive rounded shape and a striking leaf texture. Sage leaf tea is useful in treating colds and for aiding digestion.
Used in sausages, poultry, meat, bread, dressings, vegetables, omelets and stuffing.
Sun: Full Sun
Height: 12-24 inches
Days to Maturity: 90-200 days
Sowing Method: Indoor Sow
Parsley, Single Italian Or Plain
Plain, flat, deeply cut dark green leaves with more pronounced flavor than Curled varieties. Flat-leaved variety used in salad dressings, poultry, soups and as an ingredient of pesto.
Sun: Full Sun, Part Sun
Height: 12-18 inches
Days to Maturity: 40-60 days
Sowing Method: Direct Sow/Indoor Sow
Parsley, Curled
Finely cut, curly leaves, compact plants. Wonderful flavor and an excellent source of vitamins. This variety has finely cut, curly leaves on very compact plants. Biennial. Start early indoors or outdoors after danger of frost.
Sun: Full Sun, Part Sun
Height: 10-12 inches
Days to Maturity: 40-60 days
Sowing Method: Direct Sow/Indoor Sow
Chives, Common
Cut leaves for salads, potatoes, soups. Good for growing indoors. Start early indoors or outdoors after danger of frost.
Sun: Full Sun
Height: 12-18 inches
Days to Maturity: 80-90 days
Sowing Method: Indoor Sow
Chives, Garlic
The flat, tender leaves have a flavor midway between garlic and onion. Delicious in salads, spreads and flavored vinegars. Start early indoors or outdoors after danger of frost.
Sun: Full Sun
Height: 18-24 inches
Days to Maturity: 80-90 days
Sowing Method: Indoor Sow
Basil, Spicy
The best basil for Italian pesto. Extremely tender, fragrant, extra-large, dark green leaves. An Italian strain, best for pesto. Start early indoors or outside after all danger of frost. Grows best in full sun. Annual.
Sun: Full Sun
Height: 18-24 inches
Days to Maturity: 60-90 days
Sowing Method: Direct Sow/Indoor Sow
Basil, Sweet
Classic herb, used in tomato sauce, pesto and salads. Annual. Start early indoors or outdoors after danger of frost.
Sun: Full Sun
Height: 12-18 inches
Days to Maturity: 60-90 days
Sowing Method: Direct Sow/Indoor Sow
Chamomile, Roman
Use small white daisies in potpourris, tea and hair rinses. Likes full sun. Start seed indoors early. Plants tolerate light frost; set outside early.
Product Details
Sun: Full Sun
Height: 4-8 inches
Days to Maturity: 120 days
Sowing Method: Indoor Sow
Rosemary
Fragrant leaves flavor meats, poultry and potatoes. Use in potpourris. Perennial. Start seed early indoors. Plants tolerate light frost; set outside early.
Sun: Full Sun
Height: 24-36 inches
Days to Maturity: 90-400 days
Sowing Method: Indoor Sow
Thyme, Common
Aromatic leaves season meats, poultry, stews, sauces, soups and dressings. Handsome low-growing plants. Perennial. Start early indoors.
Sun: Full Sun
Height: 6-12 inches
Days to Maturity: 180-200 days
Sowing Method: Indoor Sow
Marjoram, Sweet
Use fresh or dried leaves in salads, dressings, meat, sausage, lamb dishes, beans and soups. Annual. Start early indoors or outdoors after danger of frost.
Sun: Full Sun
Height: 12 inches
Days to Maturity: 60-90 days
Sowing Method: Indoor Sow
Lemon Balm
Use lemon scented leaves in teas, potpourris. Start early indoors or outdoors after danger of frost.
Sun: Full Sun, Part Sun
Height: 24 inches
Days to Maturity: 90-200 days
Sowing Method: Indoor Sow
Borage
Young leaves used in salads and lemonade for their refreshing, mild cucumber-like fragrance. Blue flowers can be candied. Annual. Plant outdoors after all danger of frost.
Sun: Full Sun, Part Sun
Height: 18 inches
Days to Maturity: 50-80 days
Sowing Method: Direct Sow/Indoor Sow
Cilantro (Coriander)
Salsa essential! Use pungent leaves (Cilantro) in Oriental and Mexican dishes. The seeds (Coriander) are used to make curry powder and in sausages.
Sun: Full Sun
Height: 18-24 inches
Days to Maturity: 60-90 days
Sowing Method: Direct Sow/Indoor Sow
Dill, Mammoth
Seeds flavor pickles; leaves enhance salads, soups, omelets and vegetables.
Use seeds to flavor pickles and the leaves to brighten salads, soups, omelets and vegetables. Likes full sun.
Sun: Full Sun
Height: 36 inches
Days to Maturity: 40-60 days
Sowing Method: Direct Sow
Fennel, Florence
Use fresh leaves in salads, with eggs, fish and sauces. Bulbous stem can be steamed, grilled or served raw, like celery with a delicate anise aroma. Likes full sun and mild to cool weather.
Sun: Full Sun
Height: 30 inches
Days to Maturity: 60-90 days
Sowing Method: Direct Sow
Preserving Herbs by Drying
Air drying Herbs is the easiest and least expensive method of drying your fresh garden Herbs. Air-drying preserves the Herbs natural oils maintaining the best flavor. The air drying process works best with Herbs that do not have high moisture content. These Herbs would include Bay, Dill, Marjoram, Oregano, Rosemary, Summer Savory and Thyme.
Harvesting
- Harvest before flowering. Harvesting all season long limits your Herbs ability to flower. After they flower, most Herbs tend to lose their flavor or become bitter.
- Harvest or cut in mid-morning to allow the morning dew to dry on the leaves. Pick before it is too warm causing the Herbs to wilt before they are brought inside.
Air Drying Method
- Cut healthy branches from your Herb plants removing any dry or diseased leaves. Brush off any specks of dirt and check for insects. Only if necessary, rinse with cool water and pat dry with paper towels or hang until dry. Washing off leaves may remove oils from the leaves reducing flavor.
- Remove the lower leaves along the bottom inch or so of each branch.
- Bundle about 5 branches together and tie together as a bunch with string or a rubber band. Make smaller bundles for Herbs with a high water content. Check the bundles periodically as the bundles will shrink during drying and the string may become loose.
- Place Herb bundles upside down in a paper bag with holes or cuts made into the bag. Label each bag with the name of the herb you are drying.
- Making sure the Herbs are not too crowded, gather the ends of the bag around the Herb bundle and tie the bag closed.
- Hang the bags upside down in a warm, well ventilated room
- Check your Herbs weekly until your Herbs are adequately dry and ready to store.
Storing Dried Herbs
- Dried Herbs should be stored in airtight containers in a dry area away from sunlight. Zip type bags and Canning Jars work well.
- Any dried Herbs showing the slightest amount of mold should be thrown out.
- Label and Date your storage containers.
- Store the leaves whole and crush before using to ensure optimum flavor.
- As the dried Herbs lose their color they are also losing their flavor. Dried Herbs are best used within a year.
- 1 teaspoon of Crushed Dried Leaves replaces 1 Tablespoon of Fresh Herbs. Experiment and modify this ratio to your personal tastes.
Preserving Herbs by Freezing
Drying Herbs from your garden is a great way to continue the enjoyment of and great taste of your fresh Herbs all year long. Although air-drying is the easiest and most efficient method of drying Herbs, Herbs with a high water content often mold before they become dry. Preserving Herbs by Fresh Freezing is a great method for preserving these high water content Herbs without worrying about mold and mildew.
Herbs that have a high water content and work well with the Fresh Freezing method of preserving include: Basil, Chives, Lemon Balm, Mint and Tarragon.
Fresh Frozen Herbs will keep their flavor for many months and should be used at the same proportion as you would use Fresh Herbs. The process of Fresh Freezing Herbs will cause them to go limp, but their flavor will remain intact.
The following are three methods for Fresh Freezing Herbs:
Harvesting
- Harvest before flowering. Harvesting all season long limits your Herbs ability to flower. After they flower, most Herbs tend to lose their flavor or become bitter.
- Harvest or cut in mid-morning to allow the morning dew to dry on the leaves. Pick before it is too warm causing the Herbs to wilt before they are brought inside.
- Cut healthy branches from your Herb plants removing any dry or diseased leaves. Brush off any specks of dirt and check for insects. If necessary, rinse with cool water and pat dry with paper towels or hang until dry. Washing off leaves may remove oils from the leaves reducing flavor.
Method 1:
Puree 2 cups of fresh, loosely packed leaves with 1 1/2 cups of water in a blender until it becomes slurry like. Pour the Herb slurry into ice-cube trays and freeze. Add cubes as needed to hot soups, stews, sauces and beverages. Basil and Mint are great Herbs using this method.
Method 2:
- Place a spoonful of chopped fresh Herbs or stuff 2-3 individual leaves into ice cube trays.
- Add water to the tray until it is half full making sure the leaves are down into the water as best as you can. The leaves will tend to float but that is okay at this stage.
- Place the half-filled ice cube tray into the freezer.
- Once the ice cubes are mostly frozen, finish filling the tray with water. The leaves should be completely covered with water and no longer able to float.
- Place the ice cube tray back into the freezer.
- Once the ice cubes are completely frozen, remove from the tray and store in zip enclosure bags or airtight containers in the freezer.
- Add cubes as needed to hot soups, stews, sauces and beverages.
Method 3:
- On a small tray or cookie sheet, spread the individual Herb leaves flat making sure they are not touching.
- Place the tray of leaves into the freezer.
- Once frozen, place into airtight containers or zip enclosure bags and return to freezer.
- Once frozen individually, the leaves will not merge together.
Links for How To Information
How to Make Herbed Vinegars
How to Make Herbed Oils & Butters
How to Make Herbal Teas
©Hooper`s Garden Center - 2010