Monday, August 16, 2010

Thymes

Thyme is a great herb to grow in our garden, it loves hot sunny location, with well-drained soil.  I love the smell of thyme, it is fragrant, though not overpowering, really pleasant.  It is not only used in cooking, but it looks pretty and very attractive, gracefully cascading over the pot.  I bought this pot of thyme, common thyme (thymus vulgaris), a couple of months back, and it is growing well. There are many varieties of  thymes, but this is the most popular.

Some interesting facts about tyhmes from Wikipedia :
"Thyme is a good source of iron and is used to flavour meat, soups, stews and baking.  It has medicinal value, it contains an essential oil, thymol, an antiseptic.  A tea made by infusing the herb in water can be used for cough and bronchitis. Because it is antiseptic, thymes boiled in water and cooled is very effective against inflammation of the throat when gargled 3 times a day. The inflammation will normally disappear 2-5 days."



This photo was taken a few days ago.


Thymes can be propagated in a number of ways, seed, root division and from cutting. The quickest way to grow is from root division. Thymes will start to become woody and produce fewer leaves after three or four years, and at this stage, the plant need to be separated by propagation and replanted.  I should really try this, it would be great if this works and I will have another pot of thyme and more to pass around!

The sprigs and leaves can be frozen or dried and will retain their original flavour.  During full bloom, cut 5-6 inch stems and allow them to air-dry.  After the leaves are thoroughly dry and brittle, remove them from the stem and store in an air-tight container. I'm going to try this soon, as I think that my pot is really full.




I have recently made a moist and delightful cake using this wonderful herb.  If you would like to try out this cake, please click Golden Pear and Thyme Cake.




If you do not have a pot of thyme in your garden, it's about time you do!  I bought mine at a nearby nursery and it cost me around RM8.00, but if you are around Sg. Buloh, you can easily buy it at RM5.00.  Growing them with seeds would take forever, for me, at least!  Since I would like to use them for cooking and baking, I just buy them from the nursery and let them grow for a bit before using them.  I am trying to grow dills by seeds.  I sowed the seeds a few days ago, but nothing so far.  But I am in no hurry, I have a pot of dill from the nursery too! 
 
 Happy Gardening!

21 comments:

  1. Your thyme is growing marvelously. It looks like it will also be very nice to grow mix with other plant in hanging basket or make it as a border plant. Thanks for sharing now I think I will try to plant them when the weather gets warmer. Do you know any local cuisine that we could cook with thyme? Nyum that cake look simply delicious.

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  2. I hope the little babies in little pots here will grow as good as yours. ~bangchik

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  3. The thyme plant look so healthy!
    I never used Thyme in my cooking but the cake looks so tempting!

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  4. Hi Malay-Kadazan girl,
    I do not know any local cuisine using thyme leaves, only western dishes. But sometimes I use it to fry prawns, will post the recipe when I cook this dish next time! Try making this cake, it is really moist and soft.

    Hi Bangchik,
    I bought mine from the nursery! But it has been growing well! I hope yours will grow healthy and lush!

    Hi Cath J
    Thank you.

    Hi Malar
    Try growing thyme! The easy way is to buy from the nursery! I find that herbs are not that easy to grow from seeds. Thyme really has a very pleasant fragrance and it is really nice with seafood. The cake is moist and soft, try it out.

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  5. I didnt know that Thyme can be added to cakes I thought its only good for seafood..thank your for sharing the recipe.Nice lush bush of Thyme you got there, looks good on a kitchen window.

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  6. I buy thyme in packet when need them for cooking. It's time to consider buying it in pot. Thanks for showing me how lush and healthy it can be. Even without the occasional cooking need, I think the plant is beautiful and deserves a place in the garden. And it's cheap too!

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  7. Hi, first time here, I find your blog really sweet, I will follow you!

    Read you soon

    ciao

    Alessandra

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  9. Hi p3chandan,
    yes, thyme is indeed a fabulous herb. Try out the cake recipe, it is really soft and moist!

    Hi ROUGH.ROSA,
    Welcome to my blog! Yes, thyme is indeed a beautiful plant to have in the garden. Hope to see you again. Have a nice day!

    Hi Alessandra,
    Welcome to my blog! Thank you for your kind words! Hope to see you again. Have a lovely day!

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  10. Hi Sweatha Sanjana,
    Thank you for visiting! Have a nice day!

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  11. I do adore thyme & next to my basils it is one of my favorite herbs. Looks wonderful!

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  12. Hi! Both your thyme and cake look wonderful. I like the smell of basil but don't know how thyme smells like...Don't laugh, ya?

    Btw, thank you for your comments and questions. I have replied to them already. I think there is quite a lot for me to learn from you...The food I grow usually don't reach the kitchen...due to lack of know how.

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  13. That's a wonderful pot of thyme! Love how the growth of the stems, sending shoots all over and overflowing. Looks really ornamental also.

    Love to try your cake one day. Looks fluffy, soft and I believe it taste really yummy!

    Have a great weekend and happy shopping with your sister :-D

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  14. Hi Dee,
    welcome to my potted garden. Thyme is a lovely herb. I have visited your blog. You have a lovely site. Hope to see you again. Have a nice weekend!

    Hi One,
    Thank you for your nice compliments! Thyme smells wonderful, the scent is lighter than basil. I'm not laughing..just smiling!
    Thanks for your reply. I do not know how much you can learn from me, I only have a potted garden! Now I'm laughing.... A lot of veggies I grew doesn't reach the kitchen too!
    But we will keep on trying, won't we....LOL!

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  15. Hi Stephanie,
    Yes, it is a beautiful plant! The cake is a delight. There are more yummy recipes with herbs that I'll be posting now and then. Looks like I'll be visiting the nursery later than I thought! We will both be away this weekend and next! Hope the sale will still be on. Thank you for stopping by. Have a lovely weekend!

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  16. Your thyme plant looks good in the container even if it is not used in cooking. And the cake looks so delicious.

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  17. Hi Autumn Belle,
    Yes,thyme really looks good in the garden! If you are into baking, then give this cake a try! It is easy and really nice.

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  18. Wow, your pot of thyme is stunning. I don't expect them to grow so lush in our hot weather. Your plant really tempt me to get one pot for my garden! I have seen Jamie Oliver uses thyme often in his recipes. Personally, I have not learnt to use it in any recipes yet. Time to get a pot from Sg. Buluh soon! Thanks for sharing with us.

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  19. Your Thyme looks great! I love Thyme and have 6 of them, different varieties! I didn't grow them from seed since that would take a long time and I use them for cooking too. The scent of Thyme is wonderful and it's one of my favorite herbs along with Basil.

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  20. You have wonderful herbs and garden! Which nursery in Sg Buloh did you get your potted herbs from? I went there last Saturday but didn't see at the two nurseries that I went (they were along the main road)...Keep up the good work!

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