Five of the best winter herbs
At this time of year, hardy herbs such as sage, thyme, rosemary, bay and oregano come into their own.
Heat-loving herbs such as basil and shiso die down over winter, but the herb garden has plenty of hardier herbs that are still ready to harvest. From flavouring food to providing natural remedies for dozens of common ailments, these aromatic plants are a valuable addition to the winter garden.
Rosemary
Rosemary is a stalwart for winter roasts but try it as an ingredient in sweet scones and shortbread (add 1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped leaves to your mix). It provides a kind of gingery flavour that most people have a hard time identifying. It’s ideal for herb butters too, which you can slather over baked potatoes or steak.
How to grow this herb
Rosemary’s biggest threat is wet feet, so position your plants in light, sandy, free-draining soil in full sun. Plants are frost-hardy, but soggy soil in frosty locations is bad news. Rosemary prefers medium to low fertility, so it really doesn’t require feeding, but you should prune your plants by one-third in late winter or early spring to keep them from going straggly.
How to use rosemary
To make rosemary butter, mix 2-3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary leaves, 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon zest and 1⁄4 teaspoon red chilli pepper into 125g softened butter. Pack into ramekins and refrigerate until needed.
Thyme
Can’t stop coughing? Follow the age-old practice of using thyme (Thymus vulgaris) leaves to soothe the respiratory tract. Like sage, thyme has antimicrobial properties and is traditionally used to treat coughs, laryngitis, bronchitis and pleurisy, among other ailments.
How to grow thyme
Thyme likes a sunny spot in free-draining soil. It doesn’t like wet feet, so add horticultural grit or pumice to improve drainage if required.
If planting in pots, use a potting mix that’s low in nutrients. Rich soil encourages softer growth and diminishes flavour.
Plants in the garden also have low fertiliser requirements. Another plus: thyme is drought and cold hardy.
How to use this herb
To make a syrup that’s palatable to adults and kids, steep 1⁄4 cup fresh thyme leaves in 300ml boiled water, covered, for 15 minutes. Strain out the leaves and add 1⁄4 cup honey and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Store in the fridge and keep no longer than a week. For children 1 year or older, give 1-2 teaspoons every 2-3 hours. Teens and adults can take 1-2 tablespoons at a time.
Sage
Stuffing wouldn’t be the same without sage, and gnocchi would be nothing without this classic herb. But aside from its culinary uses, Salvia officinalis has a long history of medicinal uses that range from sore throats to menopausal night sweats.
How to grow this herb
Drought- and frost-resistant, sage grows best in full sun and well-drained, limey soil (add lime to your soil if necessary).
Avoid overly fertile soil – sage prefers medium to poor soil. The lower half of the plant will stop producing leaves after two or three years if pruning is neglected. To prevent this, trim the tops of the plant each spring to encourage bushy growth all over. When harvesting, snip off whole sprigs to promote the development of further shoots.
The many ways to use sage
Sage has an affinity to cheese. Use it in this simple version of welsh rarebit. Lightly toast a slice of bread. In a small bowl, mix together 1⁄4 cup tasty cheese (firmly packed), 2 teaspoons milk,
1⁄ teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage and
1⁄2 teaspoon English mustard powder. Spread
8
mixture on one side of the toast, and grill until cheese is melted and slightly golden. (Serves 1)
With its antimicrobial properties, it is especially useful in homemade remedies for sore throats and mouth ulcers. Steep 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves or 2 teaspoons dried sage leaves in 1 cup of freshly boiled water, covered, then strain into a new cup, add 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt and stir. Gargle with this every 1-2 hours. If you are breastfeeding or pregnant it’s best to avoid sage altogether.
Oregano
Oregano (Origanum vulgare) is often passed over by cooks in favour of the milder-flavoured sweet marjoram (Origanum majorana), but oregano is the hardier of the two – sweet marjoram is unlikely to survive long in cooler regions, unless it’s brought indoors.
How to grow this herb
Oregano requires full sun and good drainage. Plant in raised beds or dig in plenty of horticultural grit and organic matter.
Keep fertilisers to a minimum and trim plants after flowering to stop them becoming straggly.
Use oregano dried or fresh
Oregano is also higher in antioxidants than sweet marjoram, though the latter still has its fair share. Dried oregano has higher levels of antioxidants than fresh oregano because the water content has been removed. You can easily dry your own oregano too. Place a few sprigs on paper towels on trays, then set the trays in a well-ventilated room out of direct sunlight. When the leaves become brittle, place them in airtight containers and store away from light and heat. Crush or pulverise them just before use.
Use fresh or dried oregano on pizzas, spaghetti and in tomato dishes, and fresh oregano and hazelnuts in place of basil and pine nuts in pesto. The hotter the climate the more intense oregano’s flavour. That goes for the seasons too. During winter the intensity of your herb will not be as strong, but it’s flavoursome enough. When picking for drying, though, it’s best done in summer.
Bay
Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) is an evergreen tree that’s ornamental and edible.
Bay tree in the garden
Grow in sun or part-shade in moderately rich soil that’s free-draining. Dig compost into the soil before planting and add slow-release fertiliser.
Bay trees are male or female; if you have both, the female plant will produce berries. You can dry these berries to use as flavouring too.
How to use the leaves
Bay leaves can be used to flavour almost anything – stews, casseroles, tomato and pasta dishes, soups, stocks and sauces. Insert into slits cut into fresh meat, or place under the skin or in the cavity of chicken before roasting.
You can use dried or fresh bay leaves in cooking, but the dried leaves have a fuller flavour and some prefer them dried in stocks, sauces and casseroles. You can dry leaves after picking, but be aware that they won’t develop their full flavour until several weeks after harvesting.
Bay leaves lend themselves to sweet dishes too. Try bay ice cream. Put in a saucepan: 250ml milk, 250ml cream, 150g sugar and 10 bay leaves. Bring slowly to a simmer, stirring until the sugar melts, then remove from the heat and let the bay leaves infuse for an hour. Remove the bay leaves, return to a medium to low heat and bring back to a simmer. Whisk 6 egg yolks in a large bowl. Then, in a steady, slow stream, pour the hot milk and cream mixture into the bowl, whisking all the time. Too fast and you’ll get scrambled eggs. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into another 250ml cream. Allow to cool, then refrigerate overnight before churning in an ice cream maker.