Thyme
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), common
Thyme or garden Thyme is a commonly used culinary herb. It also has
medicinal uses. Thyme is a member of the mint family. Common thyme
is a Mediterranean perennial which is best suited to well-drained
soils and enjoys full sun.
Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming. The ancient Greeks used
it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples,
believing that thyme was a source of courage.
It is a very decorative plant while it is growing and is also very
easy to grow as well but be prepared because bees just love Thyme.
Oddly enough as much as honey bees love to suck the nectar from the
Thyme plant is as much as other insects loathe it. Some people have
been known to make a mist spray of Thyme and water and use it as a
bug repellent.
Many people use Thyme in stews, salads, meats, soups, and
vegetables. It is often used as a primary flavour with lamb,
tomatoes and eggs. The plant is very aromatic and comes in many
varieties. Thyme is a frequently used herb in many fish dishes. When
combined with fatty meats Thyme has been known to aid in digestion
too, especially with lamb, pork, and duck. The herb is a basic
ingredient in Macedonian, Lebanese, Italian, French, Albanian,
Persian, Portuguese, Libyan, Spanish, Greek, Syrian, and Turkish
cuisines, and in those derived from them. It is also widely used in
Arab and Caribbean cuisines. It is a common component of the bouquet
garni, and of herbes de Provence. As with bay leaves, thyme is slow
to release its flavours so it is usually added early in the cooking
process.
Various forms of Thyme are available year round but many people
prefer to grow their own. Nothing beats the smell and taste of fresh
Thyme as long as you know to pick it just as the flowers appear.
Once fresh Thyme is harvested it should be stored in either a
plastic bag in the crisper or stood straight up in a glass of water
on the shelf in the refrigerator for easy access.
Fresh Thyme does not have a very long shelf life, it only lasts a
few days. If you have selected fresh Thyme and decide to dry it then
simply hang it upside down in a warm and dry atmosphere for about a
week to ten days. Then you can crumble it into a powdery form and
stored in a sealed dark container for no more than six months. You
want to eliminate the stems as they have a tendency to have a woody
taste to them. Thyme retains its flavour on drying better than many
other herbs. As usual with dried herbs less of it is required when
substituted in a recipe. As a rule of thumb, use one third as much
dried as fresh thyme - a little less if it is ground. Leaves may be
removed from stems either by scraping with the back of a knife, or
by pulling through the fingers or tines of a fork. Leaves are often
chopped.
Fresh thyme is commonly sold in bunches of sprigs. A recipe may
measure thyme by the bunch (or fraction thereof), or by the sprig,
or by the tablespoon or teaspoon. If the recipe does not specify
fresh or dried, assume that it means fresh.
Depending on how it is used in a dish, the whole sprig may be used
(e.g. in a bouquet garni), or the leaves removed and the stems
discarded. Usually when a recipe specifies 'bunch' or 'sprig' it
means the whole form; when it specifies spoons it means the leaves.
It is perfectly acceptable to substitute dried for whole thyme.
Thyme has some medicinal purposes and has antiseptic, expectorant
and deodorant properties as well. Herbal medicine has used Thyme for
various things such as extracts, teas, compresses, for baths, and
for gargles. More modern medicine has chimed in and verified that
Thyme just might strengthen the immune system. It can also reduce
headaches and fever, as well as lower cholesterol levels. It can
help with asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory problems.
The essential oil of common thyme is made up of 20-54% thymol.Thymol,
an antiseptic, is the main active ingredient in Listerine mouthwash.
Before the advent of modern antibiotics, it was used to medicate
bandages. It has also been shown to be effective against the fungus
that commonly infects toenails.
Distilled Thyme oils have been used for the commercial use of
toothpaste, mouthwash, gargle, hair conditioner, dandruff shampoo,
potpourri, and insect repellant. Thyme has also been used in
aromatherapy oils as well.
Thyme is a good source of iron, amino acids, calcium, essential
fatty acids, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium,
zinc and vitamins B-1, B-2, B-3, and C.
If by some chance you are in the middle of cooking recipes that
calls for Thyme and you find that you are out do not fret, it is
said that you can use a pinch of oregano as a substitute if you have
to. Thyme is very often used when cooking European cuisine but is
essential for the correct preparation of French foods as it has that
faint lemony taste to it. It has also been said that Thyme is one of
the only herbs that a cook can not over season with because the
flavor is so mild. Thyme is a primary spice that everyone should
have stocked in their pantry.
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