Read all about Thyme both a culinary & medicinal herb with natural antiseptic properties.
Jekka's Herb of the Month:
Thyme (Thymus)
Thyme (Thymus) is a wonderful aromatic evergreen shrub from the family Lamiaceae. It is a "must-have" in the kitchen and an excellent plant for growing in containers, for making Thyme walks or at the front of a culinary herb border.
Thyme can be classified either as upright, mat forming or mound forming. It is best grown from softwood cuttings in order to maintain the true plant and therefore, rarely found in seed form (you can learn to take cuttings in Jekka's Master Classes).
Jekka's top tip for growing Thymes is to trim all Thymes after flowering; this not only promotes new growth but also prevents the Thyme becoming woody.
Thyme (Thymus) is is such a useful herb in the kitchen, the flavour of Thyme is gentle and is a combination of pepper and mint with slightly bitter notes. As an evergreen herb it is very useful for the winter months and will feature in Jekka's upcoming Herb Box Collections.
Thyme compliments many dishes from roast chicken to baked fish. It is one of the main ingredients in bouquet garni that is simple and easy to make at home and adds lots of flavour to stocks and stew; perfect for the winter months.
Fresh Thyme is more flavourful than dried and can be preserved by freezing or putting in either vinegar or oil. At Jekka's we like to make our herb-based recipes with seasonal food such as Thyme, Parsley, Winter Savory, Marjoram, Rosemary and Sage that are all available in Jekka's Herbetum at the moment. We have combined three of these herbs in Jekka's Herby Sausage Rolls to go along with our Herb Box Collections. They will also be featured in a future episode of Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh.
Jekka's Herby Sausage Rolls are wonderful for lunch or as a canape for a Christmas party (fingers crossed!). Other Thyme recipes for you to try can be found online and include a winter warmingThyme, Taleggio and Red Onion Tart.
Thyme is not only an important culinary herb but also has numerous medicinal properties as well. For example, its leaves and flowers contain volatile oils which have been found to have antiseptic properties. This supports the historical use of this herb to treat coughs, colds, sore throats and chest infections, where it was also said to help promote the coughing up of phlegm, promote sweating and to reduce fevers. It has long been a traditional ingredient in cough remedies. The medicinal information on Thyme in Jekkapedia has been contributed by the National Institute of Medicinal Herbalists.
On Jekka's How to Use Herbs Master Class we teach how easy it is to make natural herbal disinfectants for use in the home. You can make your own with the recipe found through the link below.
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