Culinary Herbs, Part 6

Subject: Culinary herbFAQ (v.1.14) Part 6/7

Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 10:17:57 GMT
From: HeK@hetta.pp.fi (Henriette Kress)
Organization: ...ei meill' oo...
Newsgroups:
rec.gardens.edible,alt.folklore.herbs,rec.food.preserving,alt.answers,rec.answer
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Archive-name: food/culinary-herbs/part6
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Last-modified: 1998/04/06
Version: 1.14
URL: http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed/culiherb.html
Available by ftp: sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp
/pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/faqs/
==========
3.6 Growing herbs from cuttings
----> Has anyone ever tried to root lavender before? I am trying it and I'm not
quite sure if I'm doing it right. I have taken long woody stems from my
outdoor plant and have placed them in damp sand in potting pots indoors. I
believe I am just to keep the soil moist, is this correct? Also, how long
should it take before roots develope and I am able to transplant them?
From ceci@lysator.liu.se (Ceci Henningsson):
This is something about lavender that I wrote for rec.gardens some time
ago. It works well with most herbs. For particularly watery-stemmed plants
(think impatiens) putting them in a jar with water, like you describe works
well. If you add just a teeny-weeny pinch of rooting hormone to the water,
you'll be surprised at how quickly the cuttings develop lots of roots.
Lavender is one of the easiest plants (along with fuchsias) to take
cuttings from, so it's a good idea to start with them if you're not
familiar with the technique.
In addition to what you do, I do the following: I take fairly new stems and
pinch out the flower buds. New stems root easier than older, woodier stems.
For this reason cuttings are often taken in spring when there are lots of
new stems. If your cuttings fail now, try again in spring. (Disregard that
if you're in the southern hemisphere.) The reason I pinch out the buds, is
that I want the plant-to-be to concentrate on making roots, not on
flowering and setting seed. I cut the stem from the plant just above a leaf
pair, and then I cut the stem just below a leaf pair. It may seem wasteful
to throw a large portion of the stem in the compost, but it won't grow any
roots anyway (or at least not as easily as the part just below the leaves).
I also remove the leaves below soil level.
Start by watering the growing
comes out at the bottom. That
surface before coming back to
sells as "sowing soil". It is

medium. I usually water it so that water

means it is fairly wet. Then I level the
the cutting. I use what my local nursery
potting soil with 1/3 sand added.

Before I insert the stem into the growing medium, I dip the lower part (the
one that will be below the surface) in a rooting hormone, that will aid the
formation of roots. If you don't have any rooting hormone at home, you can
get it at your garden center. It doesn't cost much, and lasts a lifetime,
so it's really a cheap investment. Because you now have the powder on the
stem, you can't just push the stem into the growing medium, or you will rub
off the powder. Instead you poke a hole into it, and insert the stem. Make
sure there is contact between the stem and the growing medium. That is
called "firming in". Then I take a clear polythene bag, cut a few small
holes into it and put it over the pot. Place the pots in the shade. Too
much sun and heat will dry out the plants before they have formed any roots
to take up water with. Rooting usually takes a few weeks.
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Culinary Herbs, Part 6

Some general advice:
* Think about hygiene. This is something to do on the clean kitchen
counter, rather than on the lawn, because you want to introduce as few
germs and fungus spores as possible. Since soil and plant material
from the garden carries a lot of microbes which are harmful to people
(tetanus and parasite eggs for instance), it's vital for your health
that you clean the counter afterwards. If you have a greenhouse or
potting shed you can do this in, that's probably the best place.
* Check on the cuttings from time to time. They won't need any water for
the first few weeks until they have formed roots if you have them
under plastic bags. You can see that roots have formed when there's
new (light-green) growth on the cuttings. Have patience and don't put
them in the garden at once. They need to be a bit more established
first. I suggest that, depending on the size of the pot you're using
and how exposed to sun and winds the site is, to wait for maybe 1
month after new growth is showing before planting out.
* Place as few cuttings as possible in each pot. That way, if you get a
fungus infection in one pot, the whole lot won't be ruined. Also, use
small pots. Soil that is not "used" by roots has a tendency to get
stale, and that's something you have to avoid here.
* When planting out, remember that lavender plants get quite big,
although the cuttings seem tiny. I know from experience that it's easy
to be tempted into putting them quite close to each other.
This is getting to sound quite complicated, though, in real life, it isn't.
I've taken maybe 10 lavender cuttings at 3 occassions, and none of them
failed. Lavender cuttings seem particularly tough. Some times I've been
convinced that they had died when they were bone-dry, but they've always
come back to life with the help of some water.
==========
3.7 Warning signs of soil nutrient deficiencies
----From: Jennifer A. Cabbage <fxjac@camelot.acf-lab.alaska.edu>
This is information obtained from Charles Knight (my soils professor).
----------------------------------------------------------------------ELEMENT
FUNCTION
DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS in plants
----------------------------------------------------------------------Macronutrients:
----NComponent of all amino
Uniform yellowing appears first
nitrogen
acids, enzymes,
on lower leaves. Growth ceases.
proteins, etc.
PEssential for ADP, ATP, Purple veins. Some plants:
phosphorous DNA, RNA. Involved in
unform ashy color. Stunted
protein synthesis.
growth.
KRegulates water uptake. Tip-burn, brown spots appear
potassium
Component of cell walls. first on lower leaves. Weak
stems.
CaComponent of cell walls. Uniform yellowing appears first
calcium
Involved in cell
on young leaves. Growing tips
division.
(roots and shoots) die. Plants
dwarfed.
MgComponent of chlorophyll. Yellowing of the veins. Yellowed
magnesium
Enzyme activator.
areas die.
SComponent of all
Uniform yellowing in whole plant.
sulphur
proteins. Important in
Thin lateral stems (exception:
enzyme reactions and
Cruciferae).
photosynthesis.
----Micronutrients (only a few GRAMS per acre needed)
----FeComponent or co-factor
Yellowing of the veins. Larger
Strnka 2

iron
Mnmanganese
Znzinc
Cucopper
Bboron
Momolybdenum
Clchlorine
Cocobalt

Culinary Herbs, Part 6

of many oxidases.
veins stay green.
Essential for photoYellowing of the veins in younger
synthesis, N-metabolism, leaves
N-assimilation.
Promotes growth
Rosette. Small yellowed leaves.
hormones, seed
Scalloped leaf edges.
maturation and production
Important in photoPale yellow-bleached leaves.
photosynthesis, protein Leaves and stems not firm. Tip
and carbohydrate
and stem dieback.
metabolism.
Essential for cell
Yellowing of younger leaves.
division + development
Internal browning of cork of
Synthesis of nucleic
stems and fruit. Many flowers
acids, plant hormones.
abort.
Essential for N-fixation Uniform yellowing of whole plant.
and assimilation.
Extreme curling of leaves.
Influences photosynthesis
Unknown.
and root growth.
Essential for N-fixation.
Unknown.

==========
3.8 Etc.
=====
3.8.1 Fungicides in general and for damping off
---->I need help identifying a whitish fuzz that's causing our rosemaries to
shrivel and die back. Then I need help figuring out what to do about it. I
have tried washing it off, but it keeps returning within a week. One of the
big ones seems to have died completely from this already, the others have
mostly only new growth left alive. Is it possible that the fuzzy mildew
from our neighbor's grape vines could have taken hold on rosemary?
From: Joyce Schillen <gardenpg@cdsnet.net>
http://www.cdsnet.net/Business/GardenPages:
What you describe certainly sounds like a fungus, of which powdery mildew
is one. A very good fungicide is 3 tablespoons baking soda, 2 1/2
tablespoons horticultural oil (also called ultrafine oil or summer spray
oil) and 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap mixed in a gallon of water. Spray all
surfaces about every ten days. This has been tested extensively by Cornell
U. for black spot on roses, and in Israel for powdery mildew on squashes.
Some plants are sensitive to the oil, so test it on a small section first
to make sure there's no phytotoxicity.
Another good fungicide is strong chamomile tea. This works great on damping
off disease in seedlings:
Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1/4 cup chamomile blossoms and let steep
until cool. Then strain into a spray bottle. Spray on seedlings AND soil
whenever evidence of damping off disease or other fungus appears.
I swear, this is nearly magical. I've seen it completely knock down that
white cottony growth that shows up on soil surfaces and makes seedlings
keel over and die. The tea only keeps a week or so before turning rancid,
so that's why I make such small quantities.
From: Kathryn M. Bensinger <kbensin@MAIL.STATE.TN.US>:
What you will find inside any plant suffering from fungus is the vegetative
body know as mycelium. What you see above the stem surface is actually the
fruiting body of the fungus. The mushrooms you eat are just the fruiting
body, the rest of the "plant" is below ground. If you slice open a twig or
stem of an infected plant (dying or dead) and find squiggley line which
resemble threads or fine root hairs, you have fungus. Most mycelium is
whitish or tannish but may be other colors depending on which fungus; one
toadstool has blood red!
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Culinary Herbs, Part 6

Both vinegar and baking soda will work by altering the pH of the plants
surface; one to very acid, the other to very alkaline. This allows the
plants natural resistance with an edge so it can throw off the fungus.
Baking soda is used most often with powdery mildew because this fungus
likes cool, humid, acidic environments. It works best before the "powder"
shows. Here in TN the summers are always so humid it feels like you could
wring the air and I spray my bergamont and other suseptible plants with
baking soda/ water mix once a week from before any sign of fungus til
humidity levels drop (about the end of June til end of Sept). It works.
Vinegar works everywhere baking soda doesn't - this is my choice when I
don't know which fungus I'm dealing with.
Healthy plants never get fungus. Too much fertilizer causing too lush
growth, light conditions which are low and (plants get leggy), night
temperatures that are too cool or too hot, and (especially in
winter)waterlogged soil due to poor drainage, etc. are all stress which
weaken the plant and allow fungus the opportunity to move in.
==========
4 Processing herbs
==========
4.1 Vinegars
----Also see at least 2.4.3 / Chive Vinegar, 4.6.3 / Rose Vinegar, 2.27 Borage
Vinegar, and 2.9.3 / Mint Vinegar.
----From: adawson@ehs.eduhsd.k12.ca.us
Hmm...I have made many herbal vinegars for my own home use and have always
used cidar vinegar. This, for me, has always seemed quite sufficient and is
very economical. Is there any reason why cidar vinegar is not acceptable?
Have I unknowingly been commiting a culinary crime? Also, I have found bay
leaf and rosemary to produce a very well flavored vinegar.
----From: HerbalMuse@aol.com
Not at all...I use either apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar, depending
on what kind of herb/flower is to be infused.
----From: christopher@gn.apc.org (christopher hedley)
I use cider vinegar.
How about Rosemary vinegar which can be used as a hair rinse as well as in
cooking and Garlic vinegar which is a good general antiseptic as well as
excellent salad dressing.
Good looking labels are an important final touch.
----After asking about uses for a combination of parsley, sage, rosemary and
thyme I got the following reply:
From: kate@netway.net (Kate Blacklock):
It makes great flavored vinegar!
Which of course sounds intriguing and has to be tried. ;)
----From: mrooney@mrooney.pn.com (Michael Rooney)
Basically, if you like it as an herb, put a good sized sprig of it in some
white vinegar and wait a couple of months and try it. This works with sage
(don't leave it too long), oregano, tarragon, thyme (may have to leave it
longer) and chives that I can think of.
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Culinary Herbs, Part 6

Rose petal vinegar
From: Baker.325@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Gwen Baker):
1 c rose petals
3 whole cloves
2 c white wine vinegar
Trim away white part of rose petals. Wash and drain thoroughly. Slightly
bruise petals and place with cloves in a wide mouth canning jar. Place
vinegar in a medium saucepan bring to a boil. Pour vinegar over petals,
cover at once with metal lids, and screw bands tight. Let stand at room
temp for 1 week. Strain vinegar into decorative jars, discarding rose
petals. Seal jars with a cork or other airtight lid. Makes 2 cups.
----From: Silkia@aol.com
Herbed Vinegars
Cayenne Vinegar
Put from a 1/4 to 1/2 ounce of the best cayenne pepper into a bottle. Pour
on it a pint of strong vinegar. Cork it closely, and shake it well every 23
days. It may remain any length of time but will be ready in about 2 weeks.
Celery Vinegar
Add to a pint of boiling vinegar a few grains of cayenne pepper, or 1/2 oz
peppercorns, a teaspoon of salt and 2 C white portion of the roots and
stems of fresh celery, sliced thin. Let boil 2-3 mins, turn into a stone
jar and close tightly as soon as cold. It may be strained off and bottled
in 3-4 weeks with out injury.
Chili or Capsicum Vinegar
Put an oz of chilies or capsicums into a pint of vinegar, cover closely and
let stand 2 weeks. After straining the vinegar will then be ready to use.
Cucumber Vinegar
First wipe then without paring, slice young cucumbers into a stone jar.
Pour on sufficient boiling vinegar to cover. Add a t of salt and 2/3 the
quantity of peppercorns to 1 1/2 pints of vinegar. The mixture may remain
thus for a month, or even two months if well protected from the air. It
should then be strained, allowed to settle, and poured quite clear into
small dry bottles, which should be tightly corked. A mild onion may be
mixed with the cucumbers, if it is desired.
Horseradish Vinegar
On 4 oz of young and freshly scraped horseradish pour a quart of boiling
vinegar, and cover closely. The vinegar should be ready in 3-4 days. But
the mixture may remain for weeks or months before straining. An oz of
shallot, minced may be substituted for one oz of horseradish if the flavor
is preferred.
Mint Vinegar
Slightly chop or bruise the young leaves of freshly gathered mint pack in
bottles, filing nearly to the neck, pour in vinegar to; cover the mint. In
50 days strain off and bottle for use.
Nasturtium Vinegar
Loosely fill a quart jar with clean nasturtium flowers. Add a finely
chopped shallot, a very small piece of garlic, and a piece of red pepper.
Fill the jar with cold vinegar, and let stand 2 months. Add 1 t of salt,
strain through several thicknesses of cheesecloth and store in sterilized
jars closely sealed.
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Culinary Herbs, Part 6

Raspberry Vinegar
Crush 4 qts raspberries and cover with 4 qts mild vinegar. After 2 days
strain through doubled cheesecloth and pour the same vinegar over a further
4 qts of berries. Let stand again for 2 days. Strain, measure. Add 2 #
sugar for each quart of liquid, bringing slowly to boiling point. Boil 10
minutes then skim, turn into sterilized jars and seal. (Use 2-3 T in a
glass of icewater for a pleasant summer drink)
Raspberry strawberry Vinegar
Use the same recipe as for Raspberry Vinegar only half the quantity for
each fruit.
Shallot Vinegar
Over 46 oz shallots peeled and bruised, pour a quart of good vinegar. Cover
closely and in 23 weeks vinegar may be used after straining. A few drops is
sufficient flavor for sauces and dressings.
Onion Vinegar
Same as for shallot.
Garlic Vinegar
Make the same as for shallot using only 1/2 the quantity of garlic.
Tarragon Vinegar
Strip the tarragon from the large stalks. Put into small stone jar or wide
necked jar, and in doing this, twist some of the branches so as to bruise
the leaves and tear them apart. Pour in enough very pale vinegar so as to
cover the top. Allow to infuse for about 2 months or more. Strain into
small bottles and cork.
=====
4.1.1 Vinaigrette
----From: Pat Peck <arpeck@FREENET.SCRI.FSU.EDU>
A vinaigrette is just a simple quick and easy way to dress a salad without
sacrificing the taste. Usually a vinaigrette call for oil in a 3 to 1 ratio
to the vinegar. That's what's so much fun about using vinaigrettes. You can
experiment and use all of those vinegars and oils you've made from the
herbs in your garden.
A classic french vinaigrette is:
2 tablespoons wine vinegar (any type of herbal vinegar you might like)
6 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin preferred (sometimes I'll use 2
tablespoons of the 6 with garlic oil, rosemary oil, basil oil, lemon oil
(homemade of course)
1 teaspoon salt (I use less - to taste)
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Put vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Beat the mixture with wire
whisk or fork until the salt dissolves. Add the olive oil and beat until
creamy. Let stand for 5 minutes and beat again.
For garlic version Add
been beaten. Let stand
stated above sometimes
clove of garlic. Makes

a clove of crushed garlic after the olive oil has

for 10 minutes, remove garlic and beat again. As I
I'll use 2 tablespoons of garlic oil instead of
1/2 cup.

Another tangier type of vinaigrette

3/4 cup olive oil, extra virgin
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Culinary Herbs, Part 6

2 tablespoons wine vinegar (here again experiment with herbal vinegars)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon mustard (dijon) or 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Put vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper in bowl and whisk until
salt dissolves. Add olive and and mix well. Let stand 10 minutes. Whisk
again before serving. Makes 1 cup.
A lot of times I just use a jar and shake it all together. Makes it easy
and quick.
If you really feel lazy, dump into food processor. This mustard & thyme
vinaigrette is especially good done in a food processor.
7 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar (this one plain red wine vinegar is best)
1 Tbsp. Dijon
1/2 tsp. dried thyme or 2 tsp. fresh thyme (lemon thyme is nice or oregano
thyme (I really have such a thing)
2 tsps. soy sauce
1 small clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Put vinegar, dijon mustard (again use dried mustard 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. is you
prefer), thyme, soy sauce, garlic and pepper into food processor.
Pulse for 3 seconds or until well blended. Add the olive oil and pulse
again until fully integrated. Makes 2/3 cup.
==========
4.2 Herb oil
----From: edbw@unixg.ubc.ca (Edgar Wickberg)
All homemade herb or vegetable flavoured oils have doubtful safety if they
are not refrigerated immediately and kept in the refrigerator. The reason
for concern is botulism. Clostridium botulinum, the organism that makes the
deadly poison that results in botulism, grows in airfree environments. It
is only when it grows that it produces the toxin. Putting anything up in
oil produces a really great airfree (oxygen-free) environment and therefore
the risk of toxin production. Clostridium botulinum is a very common
organism in all of our environments, but the organism itself isn't
dangerous to us. It requires, besides the airfree environment, a low acid
one and temperatures above fridge temps. This is probably more than you
ever wanted to hear about why not to make garlic flavoured oil. Why not dry
most of your garlic so it will last and make just a little oil and keep it
in the fridge. To make the kind that you store in the fridge, just heat a
small quantity of oil (of your choice), put a few peeled cloves of garlic
in a small bottle, pour the hot oil over, cool for half an hour, cover and
refrigerate.
----From: baker.325@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (gwen baker)
Take the cleaned herbs and place into a jar (a mason jar will do). Heat the
oil to just warm (too hot and you will cook the herbs instead of extracting
the taste), pour the warm oil over the herbs and let set. Check every 3
days to once a week, straining and adding additional herbs until the
desired flavor is reached.
HeK comment to above: keep in refrigerator until desired flavor is reached
and thereafter.
==========
4.3 Drying your herbs
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Culinary Herbs, Part 6

----From: aks3@cornell.edu (Amy Smith):
You don't need anything terribly high tech to dry herbs...
For leaves you can use old window screens in a DRY DARK place (like the
attic). If you are growing seedlings, place the screens on the top of the
fluorescent lights.
For roots you might want to use the oven on low. Chopping the roots first
helps. Food hydrators are better for roots.
Flowers are like leaves but you MUST be careful about keeping it dark. (the
sun leeches the nutrients out of herbs and they disintegrate too.)
You can also hang bunches of leaves on string in a dark place outside (if
you are in a fairly low humid climate) Or put flowers or leaves in paper
sacks and hang them to dry (shake them or stir them periodically so they
don't stick together inside the sack.)
----From: ?:
Never store herbs in completely airtight containers unless you have access
to a desiccant (like you get in pill bottles) to store with them since you
will never perfectly dry them and therefore they need to breathe.
----From: jrogow@ridgecrest.ca.us (Judith Rogow), in response to above:
An old remedy - tie a few grains of rice in a bit of cheese cloth and add
it to the bottle if you must keep it tightly closed.
----From HeK:
Never use a microwave to dry herbs. First, timing and stuff is different
for different microwave ovens, second, the taste isn't that good, and
third, you can end up with a fire in your kitchen.
If you use a dehydrator never go above 40 deg. Celcius. Most herbs are
tasty because of volatile oils and in high temperatures these volatile oils
get volatile and your herbs get tasteless.
And, if you use the bunched-herbs -method outlined above, strip the leaves
off the stalks after your herbs are dry. Stalks aren't that tasty in soups,
and can be tossed on barbecue coals to give some taste there.
==========
4.4 Freezing your herbs
----From: mrooney@mrooney.pn.com (Michael Rooney)
The best way to do it is to cut the leaves off and then put them into a
tight container and freeze them. If you are in a hurry you can put in the
stems too and cut the leaves off later.
From HeK:
I've found the best way to freeze parsley is to cut it fine before
freezing. Then you can scrap some directly from the jar into your
soup/sauce/whatever without having to cut it while it's frozen / going
mushy on you. I've done this for the others I've frozen as well - dill at
least is way too stringy to be easily cut when frozen.
From: baker.325@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (gwen baker)
Chop the herbs into the desired size and place into a ice cube tray. You
can fit a premeasured amount in so you know how much in each segment (I use
a tblsp). Then add just enough water to cover the chopped leaf and freeze.
You can pop out the cubes and store in bags and have the flavor of fresh
herbs year round.
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Culinary Herbs, Part 6

----From: mrooney@mrooney.pn.com (Michael Rooney)
Another great way is to make them into pesto. Try different herbs with
pignoli nuts, pecans (dill and pecan is one of my favorites), walnuts,
almonds, hazelnuts, etc. until you find the combinations you like. We
freeze the pestos by putting saran wrap over a pint ice cream top (yes, the
plastic one from a Dutch sounding one made really in NJ :-)), forcing in as
much pesto as we can, and putting the saran wrap over the top. Then we wrap
it in aluminium foil and label it and put it in the freezer. The best part
is we have it all winter long and it tastes great on many things,
especially pasta, chicken, pork, shrimp, fish, etc.
(also see Pesto, 4.9.2 below).
==========
4.5 Herb butter
----Basic recipe for Herb Butter
From: "Janice D. Seals" <DianeTN5@AOL.COM>, quoting "The Herbal Pantry" by
Emelie Tolley and Chris Mead:
1/2 pound(2 sticks) unsalted butter
5 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs and/or herb flowers, or 5 teaspoons dried
herbs or 2 1/2 teaspoons herb seeds.
1 teaspoon lemon juice or a few gratings of lemon zest (optional)
Salt and white pepper to taste or dry mustard, paprika, cumin (optional)
Chop the herbs very fine or pulverize the seeds. Cream the butter and blend
in the herbs and seasonings. Shape as desired and chill or freeze up to 6
months.
Makes 1/2 pound.
Suggested combinations:
* Dill, mustard seed, parsley, and a touch of lemon rind or a few
mustard seeds for fish and potatoes.
* Thyme, garlic, chives, oregano, and parsley for tomatoes, zucchini,
eggplant or beef.
* Sage, parsley and chives for chicken, veal, rice, and pasta.
* Tarragon or fennel, lemon zest, and parsley for fish, chicken, or
eggs.
* Chives, mint, and chervil for fish, tomatoes, carrots, peas.
* Basil and garlic for lamb, chicken, or fish.
* Salad burnet, garlic chives, and parsley for potatoes, tomatoes, veal,
salmon.
* Savory, marjoram, and parsley for beans, veal, beef, corn.
* Caraway seed and parsley for cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and bread.
* Aniseed, grated ginger, and orange zest for pork, chicken, or carrots.
* Cilantro, cumin, parsley, and dried red or fresh jalapeno pepper for a
taste of the Southwest on rice, chicken, pork, potatoes, peas, or
corn.
* Basil, tomato paste, and oregano for fish, chicken, pasta, and rice.
* Rosemary, chives, parsley, and garlic for potatoes, rice, pasta, beef,
veal, chicken.
* Tarragon, chives, chervil, and white wine for fish, chicken, or eggs.
* Basil, thyme, and parsley for bread, vegetables, tuna, salmon, and
shrimp.
* Anise hyssop, parsley, and chives for fish, chicken, veal.
* Mint, garlic, and parsley for lamb, mussels, swordfish, chicken, peas,
carrots, green beans, or eggs.
* Rosemary, savory, thyme, oregano, marjoram, lavender, and garlic for
grilled meats.
* Calendula petals, chives, and parsley for chicken, rice, or eggs.
* Scented geranium, rose, or pinks for toast, scones, waffles.
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Culinary Herbs, Part 6

For a pretty presentation, cut herb butters into decorative shapes and
garnish or wrap a block of butter in rose geranium leaves and let stand
overnight to absorb their sweet flavor.
----Herb Butter
From HeK@hetta.pp.fi
1 part butter (room temperature)
1 part oil (room temperature)
2-5 parts water (room temperature) (optional)
either finely chopped fresh herbs, or crushed dry herbs, to taste
salt?
Blend butter and oil together, add finely chopped herbs to taste, add water
in drops (like you add oil when you make mayonnaise).
Can't say if you need to add some salt to this recipe, but I'm used to it,
as Finnish butter always contains salt.
My favorite herbs to add to this: parsley, or lovage, or celeriac leaves,
or fresh black currant leaves (Ribes nigrum) - Yum! Don't restrict yourself
to garden-grown herbs, there's lots of good stuff growing in the woods and
fields. And let your taste buds decide.
I make a larger batch and freeze what I won't use right away - if you add
water this will only keep for about a week or so in the fridge.
----Basil herb butter
From "Susan K. Wehe" <swehe@ix.netcom.com>
On using basil: mix with chives, parsley and butter to form an herb butter.
Different basils create different tastes.
1/2 lb margarine
1 TLB chives
1 TLB parsley
1 TLB basil
==========
4.6 Jelly, syrup and other sweet stuff
----From es051447@orion.yorku.ca (Joseph St.Lawrence):
An excellent book with info on edible flowers is *The Harrowsmith Salad
Garden* by Turid Forsyth and Merilyn Simonds Mohr. Another good one is
*Flowers in the Kitchen* by Susan Belsinger.
=====
4.6.1 Flower / herb jelly
----also see 2.9.3 for mint jelly, 2.17.3 for garlic jelly and 2.20.3 for
horseradish jelly.
----> PS... Anyone like basil jelly? B-)
From: Sallie Montuori <foxdale@widomaker.com>
Haven't tried that yet, but I really like herb jellies. After trying
rosemary jelly, I will never put mint sauce on lamb again!!! And I found
that thyme jelly makes a terrific sauce for chicken.
But what does one do with basil jelly? None of my knee-jerk reactions for
basil includes "sweet."
----From: Judy Martin-Spiker <judyms@lsid.hp.com>
My fiancee puts it in peanut butter and basil jelly sandwiches! He loves
them! Personally, I think its a little revolting, but Basil jelly would go
nice with pastas or italian cuisine, maybe even on garlic bread. Maybe an
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addition to pesto? The recipe is as follows:
Basil jelly
1 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves - the fresher the better!
1 cup white vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cups water
6 1/2 cups sugar
Two 3 oz. pouches Certo liquid pectin
Green food coloring (just enough to give it a nice emerald green color,
about 7 drops or up to 1 teaspoon full)
Place the basil leaves, lemon juice and vinegar in an 8 to 10 quart sauce
pot. The larger size is necessary since this recipe boils up a LOT. Let the
basil, lemon juice and vinegar stand while you are measuring the two cups
water. Add the water and food coloring. Heat almost to boil, stirring to
blend, then add all the sugar at once. Stir to dissolve sugar. Bring to
hard boil, add two 3-ounce pouches of Certo liquid pectin, 6 ounces total.
(Make sure to get as much of the 6 ounces as you can into the kettle, and
not all over your hands and stove, like I normally do! The jelly will not
set without all the pectin.) Bring back to boil, boil hard for 1 minute or
until jelly point is reached. Remove from heat. Remove basil leaves with
slotted spoon. Pour immediately into hot, sterilized 1/2 pint jars, seal
and process 10 minutes in boiling water bath. Makes 6 to 7 half pints.
This recipe produces a nicely set jelly that is sweet, but with a real kick
to it! Personally, I like to use 4 different types of basil leaves in the
recipe to add up to one cup, but you may use what you like. This receipe
can also be used for other herbs, like oregano, rosemary, mint, parsley,
thyme, etc.
Hope you enjoy it. I am proud enough of it to enter it in the county fair
this year.
----Basic flower jelly recipe - can also be used for herbs
From: bhaile@leo.vsla.edu (Bess Haile):
2 cups flower infusion: steep 2+ cups moderately packed flowers in 2 cups
boiling water at least 30 minutes
1/4 cup lemon juice (E. Toley says not to use bottled, but I do)
4 cups sugar
3 oz of liquid pectin (this will be 1/2 box of liquid Certo)
Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil you can't stir down. Add pectin and
boil 2 minutes. Ladle into hot sterile jars. Seal in preferred manner.
Note (Bess Haile): I prefer the liquid certo to the powdered. It seems to
jell better with flowers. Also, I find the extra minute of boiling helps to
create a stiffer jelly, though 1 minute will create a clear jam-like
texture. I always use the 4 oz canning jars because I can give away some of
the jellies without running out of all my stock. Not everyone likes jelly
from flowers. My own family HATES rose jelly which is one of my favorites.
Also, note, rose petals have a bitter white bit where the petals join the
flower. Cut these off. I do this by holding the flower, step up, and
cutting around the flower, leaving all the bitter bits on the flower. I've
used Rose, Honeysuckle, Lavender, and many herbs too. Rosemary makes a good
jelly for a glaze on roast pork (and probably lamb). Lemon verbena and
spearmint are great too!
Rose petal jelly
From: Baker.325@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Gwen Baker)
1 1/2 c rose petals
1 1/2 c white grape juice
1/2 water
3 1/2 c sugar
1 pkg liquid fruit pectin
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Trim away white part of rose petals, wash petals thoroughly, and drain.
Combine rose petals and grape juice in a sauce pan. Bring to a rolling
boil, stirring constantly; cook 1 min, stirring frequently. Add fruit
pectin; cook stirring constantly, until mixture returns to a rolling boil.
Continue boiling 1 min, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and skim off
foam with a metal spoon. Quickly pour jelly into hot sterilized jar leaving
1/4 in headspace; cover with metal lids and screw tight. Process in boiling
water bath for 5 min. Makes 3 pints.
For fun leave the rose petals in and you can tell folks you are eating
roses - they end up with the funniest looks on their faces.
Rose petal jelly II
From: Baker.325@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Gwen Baker)
2 quarts fresh rose petals, loosely packed (about 3 dozen roses)
1 quart boiling water
4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Place petals in a large bowl. Add boiling water. Cover and steep for 20
minutes, or until all color is out of the petals. Strain liquid into a
shallow pan. Add sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring
constantly until sugar has dissolved, and mixture comes to a rolling boil.
Maintain boil until mixture gives a jelly test (2 drops form on side of
spoon, then flow together). Skim. Pour into hot sterile jars. Cover with
melted paraffin (or use your preferred sealing method). Makes 8 x 6-ounce
jars.
Note (Gwen Baker): The rose petal jelly I have had used added pectin. This
recipe thinks rose petals have enough of their own.
Violet flower jelly
From: Baker.325@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Gwen Baker)
Violet infusion:
2 cups violet blossoms (don't have to pack tightly, just nicely full cups
will do)
2 cups boiling water
Pour boiling water on blossoms and cover 12-24 hours (If you can't get to
the cooking within 24 hours, store in the refrigerator).
Jelly recipe:
2 cups infusion
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 pkg. powdered pectin
4 cups sugar
Bring first 3 ingredients to a rolling boil (one you can't stir down). Add
sugar all at once and bring back to rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove
from heat and let boiling die down. Skim off foam with large spoon. Pour
immediately into hot sterilized jars and seal. Makes 4-5 cups of jelly. I
use the half cup jars so I can give away samples without giving away
everything.
Note (Gwen Baker): I've made two batches of this jelly and it is delicious!
The lemon juice turns the blue infusion the most glorious amethyst color.
No fruit jelly I've ever made has this color. It is tart and lemony, but
does not taste exactly like lemon. My violets are not parma violets, just
plain old Virginia weeds.
----Apple jelly with herbal variations
From: gcaselton@easynet.co.uk (Graeme Caselton),
taken from "Preserves & Pickles", by Heather Lambert, publisher: Octopus
Books Ltd.
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Apple jelly is quite pleasant plain, especially with hot, buttered scones.
Add herbs and it becomes a delicious jelly to serve with hot and cold fish,
meat and poultry dishes.
1.75 kg (4 lb) cooking apples
1.75 litres (3 pints) cold water
750g (1 1/2 lb) sugar (approximately)
Cut up the apples, discarding any bruised parts. Put in a pan with the
water and bring to the boil, then simmer until very soft. Mash with a
wooden spoon and strain through a jelly bag. Test the juice for pectin; it
should form a firm clot. Put in a pan and add the sugar. Heat gently,
stirring, until dissolved, then boil rapidly until setting point is
reached, stirring occasionally. Remove any scum, pour into small, hot
sterilized jars and cover. Makes about 1.5 kg (3 1/2 lb)
Variations
Some of these jellies, particularly the rosemary and mint ones, can be
melted and poured over ice cream or added to fruit salads.
* Sage jelly: Add 4 tablespoons chopped sage after removing from the
heat.
* Rosemary jelly: Add 8 large rosemary sprigs with the water. Set a
further sprig in each pot.
* Dill jelly: Add 4 tablespoons chopped dill or 2 tablespoons dried dill
weed after removing from heat.
* Thyme jelly: Add 8 large thyme sprigs with the water. Set a further
sprig in each jar.
* Mint jelly: Add a small bunch of mint with the water. Add 6-8
tablespoons chopped mint after removing from heat.
* Bouquet Garni jelly: Tie 1 parsley sprig, 2 bay leaves and 1 small
thyme sprig with a length of sterilized kitchen string. Put one in
each jar of jelly.
=====
4.6.2 Flower / herb syrup
----From: Baker.325@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Gwen Baker):
Rose petal syrup
1
1
1
3

c rose petals
c water
1/2 c sugar
whole cloves

Trim away white part of rose petals was and drain thoroughly. Combine rose
petals and water in a sauce pan bring to boil. Then simmer for 5 min. Add
sugar and cloves. Simmer until sugar dissolved (do not reboil) strain
petals, refrigerate. Makes 1 2/3 cup.
Use this for
Rose cooler
1/2 c rose syrup
2 c club soda
fresh rose petals.
Combine soda and syrup garnish with rose petals. Makes 2 1/2 cups.
----Violet Syrup
From: TOIVO@aol.com
You need to collect as many violet flowers as you can find. This is the
hardest part--I can almost never find enough. (recipe based on a quart of
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violets, increase or decrease according to what you could find. You could
increase the proportion of violets to syrup, making a stronger syrup, but I
wouldn't recommend making it much weaker than this) You may wish to wash
the flowers, depending on where you found them.
The only important piece of information: go through and remove all the
green parts from each flower. Cooked, the green parts taste strong and
spinachy. Just a little green stuff can ruin your whole batch. We learned
this the hard way...
In a double boiler dissolve and heat 2 cups sugar and 3 cups water. If you
like thick syrup, add more sugar, or less if you like thin. Make sure it's
all the way dissolved and very hot. Fold in the flowers. Put on the lid.
Turn down heat so that bottom pan is just boiling - you don't want any
steam to escape from the top pan at this point (if you can help it). Let it
cook for another ten minutes. Take off heat. Let cool. Put it in a jar.
Ta-dah. You're done. You could strain out the flowers if you wanted. I
recommend keeping the syrup in the fridge. I bet you could use any edible
flower instead of/in addition to violets, but I haven't tried it.
----Gulkhan - rose petal syrup
From: raghu@hocpb.ho.att.com (-K.RAGHUNANDAN)
A delicious, medicinally effective recipe using rose petals, is simple to
prepare. Called "Gulkhan" in India, this is used as a flavoring in sweet
dishes and is also eaten as such or with butter. Among its virtues are a
nice flavor, mild sweet taste, good for reducing boils, keep skin and blood
circulation clean.
Procedure: Peel fresh petals of 1 Rose flower, spread them in a container.
Sprinkle a spoon of sugar. Repeat this process each day until, the quantity
is about 250 grams (or to fill a 10 oz jar). Choose only pink/red variety
of rose which has a fine flavor. Over a period of 10-20 days the petals dry
out and the sugar layer melts to form a syrup. At this stage, take out the
entire contents and make a paste (use mortar pestle). Put this mixture in a
jar with a lid. The GULKHAN is now ready to use.
----Mint syrup
From Trey Jackson, <trey@cs.berkeley.edu>:
Here's an Iranian mint syrup; it doesn't use a huge amount of mint --so dry
some to make tea with too. I don't know about canning it, but it lasts well
in the fridge for up to a year. Actually we use those German ale bottles
with the ceramic "corks".
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 lemon juiced
6 large sprigs of mint ( 4-5" in length)
Stir sugar and water over medium heat to boil until sugar dissolves. Add
vinegar and lemon juice and return to steady boil. Boil over medium heat
15-18 minutes ( skimming as required). Wash and drain the sprigs of mint
and add to the boiling syrup. boil one minutes. Take off heat and let cool
to room temperature. Store in closed container in refrigerator. One
traditional way to use this is to dip leaves of lettuce in it and eat. It
is also good to drink: use a little bit in a glass of cold soda water.
=====
4.6.3 Miscellaneous sweet stuff
----From bobas@freenet.vancouver.bc.ca (Waldek Trafidlo)
When I was a kid in Poland years ago my neighbor would prepare a rose petal
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spread by simply grinding rose petals with sugar, adjusting the proportions
to taste as she went. I believe it required some days for the taste to
settle but even during preparation it had a wonderful, "elegant" taste. She
would often use in baking, also to sweeten and flavour tea.
==========
4.7 Potpourris and other non-culinary uses for herbs / flowers
----Meaning non-culinary uses, in this culinary herbfaq. ;)
From: baker.325@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (gwen baker)
Dried herbs can also go into herb pillows and sleep pillows.
=====
4.7.1 Stovetop potpourri
----From: clayton2@ix.netcom.com (Jeffrey Clayton):
My favorite potpourri recipe is:
dried orange peel, dried pine needles, dried mint, cinnamon sticks (broken
into pieces), cloves
This is a stove top potpourri -- the kind you put in water and simmer.
Aromatherapy says this combination of scents is supposed to keep colds
away.
=====
4.7.2 Dry potpourri
----From: hag@aisb.ed.ac.uk (Mandy Haggith):
I've been making pot-pourri since I was about 7 and still use the same
method I used then - shoe boxes under the bed. I find that the number one
ingredient is rose petals, best of all from wild dog roses, but any smelly
rose will do. You'll need MASSES of rose petals. Lavender is also
wonderful. Pick the flowers (and herb leaves) when they're warm and dry and
smelly, stick them loosely in the shoe boxes (either mixed up or not,
depending on what you want to do with them) and stir them with a warm dry
hand a couple of times a day (or more). The petals will gradually dry out
and you can use them in pot-pourri recipes after a few weeks. Under the bed
is a good place because it is usually pretty dry, it's dark (so the petals
keep some of their colour) and the smell of the drying petals gives you
sweet dreams! I find the airing cupboard is too hot and dries the leaves
out too fast leaving them shrivelled and not so sweet smelling.
From: christopher@gn.apc.org (christopher hedley)
Ideas for Christmas:
Potpourris made by mixing 20 drops of essential oils into 2 teaspoons of
Orris root powder added to a couple of handfuls of dried flowers - remember
you can use aromatic woods as well.
=====
4.7.3 Drying flowers whole for potpourri
----From: diana.politika@tenforward.com (Diana Politika):
If you want to dry the peony intact, either bury it in silica gel or use a
50/50 mixture of borax and cornmeal. Leave it buried for about 2 weeks and
then tilt the container to get the mix to shift off the flower. Silica
works best, but the other is a lot cheaper. If using the borax mix, use a
small soft paintbrush to get all the dust off. I've used many of these in
arrangements and everyone goes nuts over them.
From: baker.325@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (gwen baker):
When drying flowers using silica be careful. It can speed the drying
process, but it can also cause discoloration and leave a residue behind. In
about the same amount of time the flowers can be dried naturally. Silica
does allow you to keep a flower whole or to preserve a shape. There is also
a liquid ( I think it is a glycerine) that will preserve greenery and keep
it soft and flexible.
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=====
4.7.4 Bath salts
----From: christopher@gn.apc.org (christopher hedley)
Bath salts made by mixing 10-15 drops of essential oils 'personally
selected' in 2 teaspoons of baking soda, mixed well with 3 handfuls of sea
salt.
----From: Ken Fitch <docfitch@telis.org>
Here is my recipe for bath salts. It is simple and great:
Mix 2 cups Borax, 1/8 cup Sea Salt, and 1/8 cup White Clay together. Use a
fork or fingers to thoroughly mix. Shake in about an ounce of essential
oil. Cover with a cloth for at least an hour. Mix the bath salts again to
distribute the oil. Store in glass.
I hope you enjoy. You can experiment with various essential oils, or pick
up a book on aromatherapy for some recipes.
----From: Henchpa@aol.com (donna):
To one box of epson salt mix 1/2 cup baking soda, 12 drops of lavender
essential oil, 3 drops each of red and blue food coloring. Add a scoop to
the bath water after the tub is filled, not during filling.
----From: JoAnne Hildebrand <hildebra@europa.umuc.edu>
While running warm water in the tub, add 1/2 cup baking soda. After filling
the tub, add a few drops of essential oil to the water, allowing it to
float on top where you can most enjoy the fragrance.
This is a most soothing bath. Easy too!
----From: SuseB@aol.com
These are recipes I have for bath salts and herb crystals, respectively,
although I have not tried making them myself as of yet:
Basic Bath Salts:
Put 1 cup rock salt in a container with a lid. Drop essential oil or
fragrance oil (about 20 drops) onto salt and stir or shake well. Next add
food coloring, if desired (approx. 15 drops per cup).
Herb Crystals:
1/2
1/2
1/2
1/4

c.
c.
c.
c.

sea salt
Epson salts
fresh herbs or flowers
baking soda

Blend the above in food processor. Add a few drops of food coloring. Spread
mixture onto cookie sheet to dry. Add essential oil and stir well. Try
several drops of spruce, lemon, patchouli, rosemary, ylang ylang and
eucalyptus.
Good luck, and let me know how they come out!
=====
End of part 6 of 7
==========
-Henriette Kress
HeK@hetta.pp.fi
Helsinki, Finland
http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed FTP: sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp
/pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/
Medicinal and Culinary herbFAQs, plant pictures, neat stuff, archives...
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