Herbs

Does anyone like to grow herbs for culinary use, herbals, or just to look at? I try to do all of the above. I am learning how to use them for salves, baths, and many other things. I want to make natural soaps this year. I have been using herbs in my cooking for as long as I can remember. And they are some of the most interesting and beautiful plants. Let me know what you think.

I raise mints and balms just to look at and smell.

I grow a ton of herbs all year round, just love cooking with fresh herbs. If you want a great catalogue of herbs the best is Richters here in Canada. They have a great web site www.richters.com and you can order their catalogue. Makes wonderful reading even if you don't want to grow herbs. Check it out!

Thanks! I went to the site and signed up for the catalog and news letter. Looks like a really good info site too.

I love and grow lots of herbs. I dry the aromatic herbs to use as a herbal tea for the bath, which is very good for winter dry skin. I use comfrey for the base and then add the aromatics like mint, scented geraniums, agastache, lavender leaves, lemon balm, lemon verbena, rosemary, a little sage, calandula flowers, pansies, roses, larkspur blooms. Whatever you have just dry it and put it all together. Then to use in bath, take a handful of the herbs, put in saucepan with 2 or 3 cups water, bring to boil, simmer for about 15 mins. then take a strainer and the saucepan to the bathtub and pour liquid into the strainer over the tub with water running into the tub. Get in and soak away your troubles.
I make bath oil, with comfrey leaves and calandula blossoms. You can use any good oil as the base, sunflower oil, safflower, olive oil. To one pint of oil in a jar, add at least one cup of comfrey leaves or calandula petals. Let this set for about a month, give the jar a shake whenever you walk by it. Then after they have steeped, strain off the oil and use about 1 tablespoon of it in your bath. You can add an essential oil for fragrance.
I have a salve recipe, hoping to make this spring. Their is so many things you can do with herbs other than cooking with them. Debby

I grow a ton of herbs too. I have what I think is a fairly large herb garden, plus pots of them inside the house. Chek out my website sometime! I have all my herbs listed there with info. I just love them and can't seem to get enough! I'm not a 100% tea drinker yet...just can't seem to give up my coffee, but I've dried enough herbs for it that I need to start drinking it more often! *lol*
Hey, Debby!!! Could I get some of your recipes for herbal things to post on my website? I've got several of those kinds of recipes, but am always looking for more! I'd give you credit if you want me too. Just let me know. AuntyB

I grow herbs to make vinegar in the fall. I sell these to people from a friend's vegetable stand by Chautauqua Institution. I make all kinds... from fiery hot habenero pepper vinegar, to an absolutely gorgeous blueberry-basil and raspberry vinegar. My favorite to make is strawberry mint, and serve it drizzled over angel food cake with whipped cream. To die for. =)

herb vinagars for sale. what a great idea. Strawberry mint. I love dessert.
I grow rosemary. I brougt 2 of my plants this yr(for winter) and have been using them for cooking. No rosemary pound cake yet.. all kidding aside i have a new plot dug up and i think it will be all herbs. I usually spread them all over the gardens. Have not noticed any big advantage to this. I've read how different things help other things. I am not sure of it but i do it anyway.
I took cutting from these rosemary plants(2 days ago) put them in a growmix,watered well, put in plastic bagon windowdsill..I check them all the time. Does anyone know if it is the same as for a watched pot???

Since it is the "year of the salvias" does anyone have a favorite sage?

Eiroberts, I don't know about the rosemary in water but if you're in a zone where they will overwinter outdoors just lay a branch on the ground and cover with dirt. You may have to weight it down with a rock or something. It should be rooted by mid spring or so.

I don't know about a favorite salvia but I love all my herbs salvia included. I'd love some soap recipes to play with. I'll have to check AuntyB's site for certain.

The only sage I've ever tried is garden sage. I didn't even know there were other varieties until I came to Dave's place here! Now I'm wanting to try the "bush sage", but I don't know what it's like yet! As far as the vinegars....I'm VERY new at trying out recipes to make my own vinegars and so far I haven't been successful in making one I like to put on my lettuce salads. I like more of a clear vinegar dressing, but with no oil...or at least not much at all. Anyone have any real easy recipes for this? I usually buy the kinda clear "Zesty Italian" in the stores and just love the stuff, but there's gotta be a way to make it!

Herbed vinegars are really quite simple to make. One of my new ones last year that I couldn't keep on the shelf was a spicy lemon, black pepper and basil. It's very simple. Just take a gallon of white vinegar (any other type overpowers the lemon) cut up 3 lemons, skins and all and throw 'em in there. Add about 1 cup fresh basil leaves, and about 1/8 of a cup of whole black pepper corns. Seal up your container ( I usually use those huge pickle jars, or just the container the vinegar came in) and store it in a cool, dark place for about 2 - 3 weeks. Don't worry about shaking it or anything. When the steeping time is done, strain it and put it into bottles. I get empty liquor bottles from the local bars. :) slap the lid on, and viola... a nice, light and spicy vinegar that needs no oil at all to dress a salad.

Oooohhhh...I'm gonna hafta try that one! Thanks, Nepthys! Ü