Collecting Thyme Herbs

You will barely be able to go through a cooking website or cookbook without seeing this herb mentioned, so if you want to expand your skills as a cook or gardener, knowing how to harvest thyme will be vital.

Step 1 on how to harvest thyme: cut as much as you like

This is one of the reasons why growing and collecting thyme is easy for new gardeners. Unlike other herbs that require you to gauge how many leaves you are removing from the plant, here you can cut as many as you need. The reason is that the more you remove, the quicker it will produce leaves to replace them.

Step 2 on how to harvest thyme: store in the right place

As with most other culinary herbs, thyme can be kept and preserved for later use. If you are not going to use the herbs for a few days, you should store them in your fridge. But first you need to place them in plastic bags that are sealed tight (do not let air get in as it will remove the flavor).

Step 3 on how to harvest thyme: use freezing method for long term use

This is the best way for keeping the flavor of the herb if you will be using them for several days or weeks. What you need to do is to take all the leaves, place them in a cookie sheet, and put inside a jar or bottle and seal it. Put them in the freezer and keep it there until you are ready to use them in your cooking.

An alternative is to store the thyme in a dry manner. This can be done by taking the branches, tying them and placing them in a room that is well ventilated. Do not expose the herbs to sunlight as much as possible.

Step 4 on how to harvest thyme: collect in the mornings

If it is summertime you should do it early before the sun rises. This is essential because if you wait until noon, the heat of the sun will take away a lot of the flavor inherent in the herb.

Knowing how to harvest thyme will help bring out the flavor in a variety of meals, from pork tenderloin to chicken soup to a variety of spicy recipes. With this in hand, you will never have to worry about your dish not tasting right.