Culinary Herbs: Garlic (Allium Sativum)
Garlic (Allium sativum)
Height: 30-75 cms (1-2.5 ft)
Spread: 23 – 30 cms (9 – 12 inch)
This is a perennial plant. Its principal characteristic is, it is bulbous. Its bulbous part is made of several parts, grouped together to make a bulb. Each of its bulb’s parts are called a clove. It is a member of the onion family. The most recognizable fact is its very distinguishing taste and aroma. It has narrow green leaves. The leaves also sometime develop round formations in the shape of small bulbs, which bloom into small white flowers.
Culinary uses: The cloves of garlic are peeled and then used along with other spices in salads, fish and meat. They can be used in most of the dishes that require frying. It is a foremost ingredient of many European dishes and it is one of the essential ingredients of many Italian cuisines. However, few people are also allergic to it and some also think that it’s strong taste diminishes the taste of other ingredients.
Sowing garlic plants: Late winter is the best season to sow the cloves. The cloves of a healthy garlic can be used to create new plants. You need to create drills and place the cloves in the drill, one at a time, each clove should be at sufficient distance from the other cloves (approx. 6 inches). The drill should be dug 3 inches deep. Any two drills should also have sufficient distance (approx. 9 inches).
Don’t press the coves when sowing them in drills. Keep the pointed end of the cloves upward and the drills should be deep enough to just cover the upper end of the cloves.
The best location would be outside in the open, the soil should have been tilled and watered earlier. Make drills and sow the cloves.
Raising the plants: Just keep watering the area where the cloves have been sown from time to time. The soil should remain moist.
Harvesting: Harvesting is done in the late summer. When the leaves start getting yellowish, use a garden fork to pull the bulb of garlic up from below the soil. Keep it in sun for some time to dry. These can then be tied in bundles and hung or kept in string bags in a dry place.
Most popular herbs culinary and medicinal herbs
What are they?
Culinary herbs:
are those which are used in cooking. The seeds or leaves of some plants are used to spice up the dishes or for creating a flavor or aroma. The stems or roots of some herbs are also used. Herbs like horseradish and Liquorice have roots which are used in cooking. The stems of some plants are candied and used in cakes
Medicinal herbs:
are those which may or may not be eatable, but which have medicinal properties. Basil is both a culinary and medicinal herb. There are also some herbs which are only medicinal and not for eating.
Some more examples:
Culinary herbs:
These are the herbs which are used in cooking. These range from the low height plants like thymes to tall and hardy biennial like Angelica. Some herbs are both culinary and medicinal like Angelica, Aniseed, Dill, Fennel, Parsley and Rosemary.
Some culinary herbs have their own very strong aroma and flavor whereas some are used to draw out the flavor in food. Culinary herb like garlic has a very strong flavor, some like it and use it extensively while some also think it cloaks the natural flavor of the food. In addition to providing flavour, garlic also has medicinal values and is used in curing asthma, coughs and hoarseness.
Medicinal herbs:
Numerous plants are known to have medicinal properties. Some of them are very well known and also available easily, can be also grown easily in a pot, requires little or no care and are very useful. Basil, Garlic, Chives are some of these. Some plants are only for medicinal purposes, like Atropa bella-donna. This plants produces atropine which is used for eye related problems. In italian bella means beautiful and donna means lady, in olden times ladies used this plant for their eyes.
Some other plants like Urtica dioica (Stinging nettle) was used by soldiers to enliven their blood circulation, to cure rheumatism and toothache. It is especially useful in cold weather.
What are herbs?
Herbs are plants which can be categorized based upon their uses. These can be culinary herbs, medicinal herbs, ornamental herbs etc.
Herbs can also be categorized based upon their size and lifespan like annual herbs, biennial, perennial.
Is growing herbs difficult?
Herbs are very easy to grow when they are provided the proper conditions to germinate, grow and flourish. They can be mixed with ornamental plants to provide beautiful borders. Entire beds can also be devoted to them. A certain mix of several herbs can also be used to be planted in a cartwheel type design. They can also be grown in pots, troughs and balconies. Some of these herbs like mint grow from year to year. You only have to divide them and replant them when they are getting congested in a small area.
Most popular herbs
Some of the numerous herbs which are very popular and have many uses are:
Chives: These are bulbous plants
Mint: This plant has many varieties, spearmint is also very popular
Parsley: This is used for garnishing in dishes
Sage: This plant has grey-green wrinkled leaves. It can be used both fresh or dried. It is used in meat products and for stuffing.
Tarragon: The leaves are used to flavour meat and fish. It is also used in omlettes
Thyme: The leaves are used to flavour any vegetable or meat.
Growing cycles of herbs
Annual: These include single season plants – they are sown, they flower and dye in the same year
Biennial: These plants take two years time to grow and flower
Herbaceous perennial: These are long term plants. They die to soil level in autumn and send up fresh shoots in spring.
