The seasoning herbs in most constant use are summer
savory, thyme, sage, sweet marjoram and parsley, while
coriander, caraway, sweet basil, spearmint, tarragon, dill, and
a number of others are grown for special uses. The medicinal
herbs most often employed are catnip, peppermint, sage, saf-
fron, horehound and hops. With the exception of peppermint,
tarragon and hop seed, and the roots of sage, the seed of
all the herbs may be had at a uniform price of 5 cents per
packet, and as a majority of the varieties are perennial, it
will readily be seen how slight is the expense of maintaining
an herb bed. And even this may be reduced, if the family
is very small, by buying a 10-cent package of all the varie-
ties, mixed. The ground space required is very small.
307
308 FARM AND HOME COOK BOOK
General Cultural Directions
With a few exceptions, to be specially noted, the culture j
of all is the same. Few require a rich soil, and the majority .
are stronger and better flavored if grown on decidedly poor \
soil. All will thrive on a sandy soil. As the seeds are |
small, the soil should be made very fine, and be firmly i
pressed over the seed. The young plants, when started, '
should be given thorough and frequent cultivation, as, being ;
ratber small and slow growing, they are easily choked out by ;
weeds, until well started. The seed may be sown in the
permanent bed as early in the spring as the ground can be [
worked, or may be sown in the house early in April, and the
young plants transplanted in June. When sown outdoors, the j
plants should be thinned to give plenty of room in the row !
when well started, and the rows be from 12 to 18 inches apart, j
Curing
!
All the varieties cultivated for their leaves, stems or bios- j
soms should be cut when in flower, wilted in the sun, then |
quickly and thoroughly dried in the shade, in a current of
air or a very cool oven, protecting carefully from dust and '
flies. The few varieties cultivated for the seeds must be ;
allowed to mature and the seeds be gathered before they \
shatter off. ^^
■i
Proportions !
i
The most convenient way of preparing what are termed i
"pot-herbs," viz: summer savory, sage, thyme, bay leaves and .
sweet marjoram, is to strip off the dried leaves and blossoms, ;
cut or break them and the stems into tiny bits, and mix i
thoroughly, using equal quantities of each herb. Keep in !
a closely covered can or jar, and allow 1 teasp of the mixture
to each qt of material to be seasoned. By the term "a •
bouquet of herbs," is meant two leaves of each of the above
varieties, wrapped with a sprig of parsley and tied for ease j
in removal. The broken mixed herbs should be tied in a bit i
of cheesecloth to make their removal from soups or gravies
easy.
Medicinal Herbs
The medicinal herbs are most commonly employed in the
form of herb teas. When long boiling is required to extract
the medicinal properties, the tea is termed a decoction, but ,■
an infusion is sufficient to extract the strength from the j
majority of the herbs. This is made by pouring boiling water >
over the herb and standing the dish where it will keep ;
hot, without boiling, for 10 minutes or longer. For a decoc- I
CULINARY AND MEDICINAL HERBS 309
Page 212
Presented as published in 1907. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The seasoning herbs in most constant use are summer savory, thyme, sage, sweet marjoram and parsley, while coriander, caraway, sweet basil, spearmint, tarragon, dill, and a number of others are grown for special uses. The medicinal herbs most often employed are catnip, peppermint, sage, saffron, horehound and hops. With the exception of peppermint, tarragon and hop seed, and the roots of sage, the seed of all the herbs may be had at a uniform price of 5 cents per packet, and as a majority of the varieties are perennial, it will readily be seen how slight is the expense of maintaining an herb bed. And even this may be reduced, if the family is very small, by buying a 10-cent package of all the varieties, mixed. The ground space required is very small.
General Cultural Directions
With a few exceptions, to be specially noted, the culture j of all is the same. Few require a rich soil, and the majority . are stronger and better flavored if grown on decidedly poor \ soil. All will thrive on a sandy soil. As the seeds are | small, the soil should be made very fine, and be firmly i pressed over the seed. The young plants, when started, ' should be given thorough and frequent cultivation, as, being ; rather small and slow growing, they are easily choked out by ; weeds, until well started. The seed may be sown in the permanent bed as early in the spring as the ground can be [ worked, or may be sown in the house early in April, and the young plants transplanted in June. When sown outdoors, the j plants should be thinned to give plenty of room in the row ! when well started, and the rows be from 12 to 18 inches apart, j
Curing
! All the varieties cultivated for their leaves, stems or bios- j soms should be cut when in flower, wilted in the sun, then | quickly and thoroughly dried in the shade, in a current of air or a very cool oven, protecting carefully from dust and ' flies. The few varieties cultivated for the seeds must be ; allowed to mature and the seeds be gathered before they \ shatter off. ^^
■i Proportions !
The most convenient way of preparing what are termed i "pot-herbs," viz: summer savory, sage, thyme, bay leaves and . sweet marjoram, is to strip off the dried leaves and blossoms, ; cut or break them and the stems into tiny bits, and mix i thoroughly, using equal quantities of each herb. Keep in ! a closely covered can or jar, and allow 1 teasp of the mixture to each qt of material to be seasoned. By the term "a • bouquet of herbs," is meant two leaves of each of the above varieties, wrapped with a sprig of parsley and tied for ease j in removal. The broken mixed herbs should be tied in a bit i of cheesecloth to make their removal from soups or gravies easy.
Medicinal Herbs
The medicinal herbs are most commonly employed in the form of herb teas. When long boiling is required to extract the medicinal properties, the tea is termed a decoction, but ,■ an infusion is sufficient to extract the strength from the j majority of the herbs. This is made by pouring boiling water > over the herb and standing the dish where it will keep ; hot, without boiling, for 10 minutes or longer. For a decoc- I
CULINARY AND MEDICINAL HERBS 309