Growing And Using Fresh Herbs & Spices For Cooking

in Natural Medicine3 years ago (edited)

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I usually grow herbs for personal use, such as cosmetic, medicinal and culinary purposes, and I continue to reap the benefits of their usage.

Here I have selected four of my regular herbs which I tend to use on a daily basis for my meals.

What's a Herb

A herb is any plant with stems that die at the root each year - in cold climates, definitely at winter.
Any herbaceous or woody plant which is aromatic in one or more parts, and is considered to have culinary, medicinal or cosmetic value, can be termed a herb.

The usage of herbs go back many centuries, and according to McCormick Science Institute

" Early documentation suggests that hunters and gatherers wrapped meat in the leaves of bushes, accidentally discovering that this process enhanced the taste of the meat, as did certain nuts, seeds, berries, and bark. Over the years, spices and herbs were used for medicinal purposes. They were also used as a way to mask unpleasant tastes and odors of food, and later, to keep food fresh."


Growing Herbs

I was skeptic about planting herbs on my terrace since I'm right facing the sea, but the good thing is that I'm on a cliff, so the sea water/splash does not affect my plants.

Herbs are easy to grow and can be planted anywhere, it was most convenient for me to plant my herbs in pots as the surrounding garden outside my apartment is strategically planted with sharp cactus plants for the dual purpose of security. You're guaranteed to get painful pricks once you go behind the railing on my terrace.

The soil is of much importance when growing herbs so make sure that it is fertile, well-drained and free of weed. Also the sunlight exposure needs to be taken into consideration, as some herbs might thrive better in direct sunlight, and others might do better in more shady areas and be exposed to sun only for short periods.

The four herbs I use most are:

  • Basil
  • Chilies
  • Coriander
  • Lemongrass

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Basil


I always have a lot of Basil. See how tall they can grow. It's best to harvest the basil before it starts flowering, as basil will easily propagate. However, sometimes over busy periods, when I don't have the chance to tend to it daily, it grows this tall. It has a strong flavour, and I cannot think of one dish that I don't include basil leaves, well, that's not true, I don't add it to porridge, but I haven't had a bowl of porridge in ages.


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💡Herbs are best when had fresh.
💡The fresh leaves are great for garnishing, as well as just munching on.


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Shredded basil and spring onions over tomato salad

Other ways I use my Basil leaves are chopped up on top of pasta, as well as for a nice homemade Pesto, which @discoveringarni and I made with my last crop of basil.

Medicinal Benefits Of Basil

  • Basil is a great immune booster
  • Basil leaves are good for digestion, as it's anti-inflammatory, it helps with flatulence and stomach pains
  • Basil helps to stabilise the mood,
  • Basil supports liver function and detoxify the body.


Chilies

I love the convenience of being able to pick a red chili to add to my cooking. I like them chopped for curries and sometimes on omelettes. Chillies are versatile and relatively easy to grow. Generally speaking, I think chilies give an oomph to most dishes.

Medicinal Benefits Of Chilies

  • Chilies are rich with vitamins and minerals, particularly Vitamin C, B6, K1, Vitamin A, Potassium, and Copper.
  • Chilies help to kick start the metabolism, so they are believed to assist in weight loss.

Source:


Coriander

Awesome with my curries. I love the freshness in sandwiches and also served on top of quinoa salads. My coriander didn't thrive well for some reason. I only got one crop and I never got around to purchasing more seeds.

However, this herb also needs fertile well-drained soil and should be open to the sun.

Health Benefits Of Coriander

  • Coriander helps to boost the immune.
  • Coriander may help to lower blood sugar
  • Coriander is good for brain health
  • Coriander helps to protect the gut and aids digestion.

Source:


Lemongrass

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Fresh lemongrass and my precious claypot

Lemongrass is a powerful herb which has so many uses and benefits.
I particularly like to stuff stems of lemongrass up the cavity of my chicken which I roast in my claypot.
I add lots of chilies, fresh herbs and seasonings, along with fresh garlic and lemon, and I add the lemongrass for a delicious flavour.
Here I've added a link to my previous post on Lemongrass Goodness where you'll find many added uses and benefits of lemongrass.


There are so many benefits to adding herbs to your health practices. As it stands, I no longer own any of these herbs due to preparations to relocate, however, as soon as I move back to the UK, in the springtime - perfect for planting herbs, my mission is to sow some seeds in pots and hopefully they'll be fit for harvesting before winter.

What are some of your favourite fresh herbs you like to use for cooking?

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Thank you so much @priyanarc and the @hiyhub team 😊
I appreciate that so much :)

You have quite a collection of herbs! I still remember the super delicious roasted chicken you made with them inside the claypot.

Thank you!😊 I'm hoping to do another chicken before I leave :)
That claypot is the best. No need to turn the chicken, just put it in the oven and set the timer.

I am just isolating myself in the next few days. See you around 😀

Oh yeah! I think that's a good idea :)
Hope you got every thing accomplished.
I spend most days at home too 😏

Manually curated by ackhoo from the @qurator Team. Keep up the good work!

Thank you so much @ackhoo and the @qurator team 😊

You're very welcome! :)

hey Milly! I am a nature lover.... and a great coffee-lover, too :)

!ENGAGE 15 - hope to contribute some visuals to your community, from time to time

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this one exactly with Cinnamon! I like adding cinnamon, cardamom, star anis and ginger to my coffee.. and nutmeg as well
;=)

!ENGAGE 15

Oh, that's an idea. I never thought about star anis with coffee before. I only just heard about that spice while living here in the Philippines. I'm relocating back to the UK in a few days time, so I'll try it there.
I also like nutmeg in my coffee too :)

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This is an amazing collection of herbs and spices. I too am in awe of their effects and I make it a habit of adding herbs and spices in cooking and in many other aspects of food and drink. Fabulous work.

I used to grow herbs at my last home. I have to find a good spot at my current place and do it again. Basil was definitely my favorite. I also found plenty of use for Rosemary.

Hello @domgreg thanks for stopping by. I hope you get to start a nice garden. I think herbs are not only aesthetically appealing but they also give off a nice aroma and most are great for keeping insects at bay.
I really wished I could have added Rosemary, because that's the first herb I started using years ago, and one that I absolutely love. Somehow, I could never find a good plant here in the Philippines, and the stems I got from the UK did not grow.
I will definitely get Rosemary from my mother-in-law when I go back to UK, her front garden is full of them and the aroma is so inviting :)

Omg. So beautiful and interesting you information! :)

Hello @odrimartinez1303 Thank you so much 😊
I do love my herbs and was pleased with how easy it is to grow them here in the tropics. ~It's not seasonal here which was a great advantage:)

genial! tienes de todo

😱 I saw some of these herbs! Like I was really amazed by how healthy your basil is.

😄 hehe! Yeah the basil really flourished 😊 I miss them!
Looking forward to getting some rosemary and I'll try with fresh thyme when I get to the UK.
That's one thing that surprised me about the Philippines. We have the same foods and produce in the markets in Jamaica, yet no thyme here. In Jamaica, spring onion, which we call escallion/scallion is ALWAYS packaged with thyme 😅

Yeah! Thyme is difficult to procure. Dunno why tho.

Exelente post, muy instructivo, gracias por compartir.

Thank you very much :)
Glad you found it useful!

That herb collection is amazing, you have great taste buds , by the way coriander among the bunch of others is much easily available here so we use it in almost every dish.
Great post, have a lovely week :)

Oh thank you :)
Yes, I love coriander with all my Indian meals. It enhances the flavour of everything.
Wishing you a lovely week too 💐

 3 years ago  

YUM.. basil is my favourite! Although it's great in savoury, I've been loving it in a banana and mango smoothie! Yep, try it!

Thank you!😊
Oh, I like that idea of basil with banana and mangoes. Basil is also great with freshly squeezed OJ as an immune booster. It's particularly recommended for people recovering from ailments like dengue.

I love coriander and basil. Haha!! No basil in your porridge. I recently had some cornmeal porridge so seeing that made me laugh. 🤔But seriously, wondering if a little dash of it would give it an interesting flavour...

You could be right/ I think it probably would work. Maybe with the cornmeal porridge over the oatmeal one :)
I'll try it when I relocate and plant my next batch.

Haha. I might try it first with a very little pinch. 😆

hehe! Alright! You be the guinea pig 😂... let me know how it turns out :)

😂Haha! Sorry, I meant “first” I’d try it with a very small pinch instead of a dash. Lol!!!Not sure who will be the first guinea pig. 😆

haha.....let me know :)

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