Right now is a great time to harvest thyme. To harvest this useful herb just take your kitchen shears and snip off bunches. I usually trim off the top three inches and make sure to leave a lot of the plant intact; if you clip off too much you can kill the plant.
You can use the fresh thyme right away, strip the leaves and freeze them or dry them on a rack or in a colander. Once the leaves are crisp and dry rub them between your hands and the leaves will fall off. Store in an airtight container in a dark place; I usually put them in a small mason jar.
Be careful and add only a little at a time. It has a tangy, strong flavor that can overwhelm instead of accent if too much is used.
Drying thyme
Here are some of my favorite ways to use thyme:
- Mix fresh or dried thyme with butter to make a lovely spread for tea sandwiches or toasted bread.
- Mix thyme with cream cheese for a deliciously flavored spread.
- Stuff a chicken with thyme and roast it.
- Mix dried thyme with sea salt and let sit for 5 minutes. Use this as a roasting or grilling rub on your favorite fish or meat.
- Use a pinch of fresh or dried in an herbed vinaigrette dressing.
If you haven’t planted any of this great herb yet then now is a good time to do so. Most plant stores carry this herb and I would suggest getting plants rather than seeds. (You can grow it from seed but it takes a lot longer.) Plant in full sun and especially during the first year, water regularly.
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