Thyme

Thyme is an essential herb for any herb garden whether you are a beginner or a pro. It’s easy to grow and maintain when placed in full sun, with light dry soil. It’s a Mediterranean plant so it needs a lot of heat to flourish, but yet it can survive even Zone 5 winters.

Harvest your thyme often, and use it fresh, dried or it can be frozen in ice cubes or in small bags. I use it along with  fresh garlic in my meatballs and have been told they are “better than Mom`s”.

Add thyme to your meatloaf recipes too. It is a wonderful addition to squash, carrots or dried beans, and can be added to any Pasta Primavera recipe as well.

A lovely tea can be made with 3 parts thyme and 1 part each rosemary and spearmint. Brew in a tightly closed teapot using 1 tsp. tea to 1 cup water. Let steep for 10 minutes and serve hot.

There are many varieties of Thyme; over 400 have been cataloged over the centuries. For culinary purposes three seem to be the most popular; garden (Thymus vulgaris), lemon (Thymus citriodorus) and caraway-scented (Thymus herba-barona).

Try them all if you have room in your herb garden.