Harvest, dry and use tarragon

The tarragon is ideal for use in the kitchen. When it comes to harvesting and processing, there are a number of options.

the tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) quickly reaches an impressive size under optimal conditions. One or the other will ask what is best to do with the green branches. In the following you will find out which dishes are best refined with the aromatic herb and how the tarragon is best harvested and stored.

Harvest tarragon correctly

No matter which of the Varieties of Tarragon is grown in your own garden - it is always harvested in the same way.

For spontaneous use in the kitchen, it is advisable to harvest individual twigs fresh as required. However, if the herb is to be preserved for supplies, it is worth harvesting the plant whole. For use as needed, you can harvest the fresh, young shoots, i.e. about the upper third of the plant. For more radical harvests, the shoots are cut off to the bottom third. If possible, this should be done before flowering, as that is when the flavoring ingredients are most concentrated. It is best to harvest continuously and only use part of the plant at a time. In this way, sufficient photosynthesis can still be carried out via the remaining parts of the plant and energy can be generated for continuous growth. Under good conditions, the so-called dragon herb can tolerate up to three radical cuts a year. By cutting the shoots, flowering can also be delayed and the time window in which the aromatic tarragon can be harvested can be extended.

Tip: If the soil is too nutrient-rich and moist, the spice plant develops masty, less flavorful foliage. This is ideal for harvesting in large quantities in spring and preparing as a leafy vegetable.

Storing and preserving tarragon

After the harvest, the question now arises: What to do with all the herbs? Of course, tarragon is best used freshly harvested. But there are also several ways to preserve the herb quickly but well:

Can you dry tarragon?

Yes, tarragon can be dried, although the leaves lose some of their intensity as they dry. However, if the leaves are plucked from the shoots and dried before drying, flavor loss will be reduced.

Freeze tarragon

Tarragon can also be frozen and is thus available for months almost freshly harvested. The leaves are stripped from the stems and are best frozen in ice cube molds with a little water. The tarragon ice cubes can then be conveniently portioned and used for cooking.

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The shoots can also be preserved in vinegar or oil. The liquids then absorb the flavors of the spice and can be used for frying, salad dressings or marinades, for example. It is important that the cut parts of the plant are completely covered by oil or vinegar so that no mold can form on the tarragon. The pickled shoots should be left for at least two weeks to pull through.

How does tarragon taste?

The tarragon has a delicately spicy taste with a slightly bittersweet note. An anise-like aroma is also often attributed to it. The taste experience is most intense with the French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus var. sativus). The Russian tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus var. inodorus) is almost odorless, less aromatic and has a slightly tart note. The German tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus var. thuringiae) can be classified between the two varieties in terms of taste. The taste, however, depends to a large extent on the cultivation conditions: This can change in dry periods For example, enhancing aroma in the plant while excess nutrients and water weaken it.

Use of tarragon as a spice

Tarragon is particularly popular in French and Italian cuisine. The light anise aroma is ideal for seasoning, for example meat dishes or egg and cheese dishes. The aromatic French tarragon is part of the classic Bernaise sauce. You can also cook tarragon - the aroma is not reduced by cooking, as is the case with other herbs. It is sometimes recommended that when seasoning with tarragon, only this herb is added to the seasoning and not combined with other herbs. Everyone has to try it out for themselves to see if it makes sense.

Alternatives to tarragon: Herbs such as oregano (Origanum vulgare), rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), chervil (anthriscus) and parsley (Petroselinum crispum) in conjunction with a few fennel seeds. The oregano is best used dried, because then it is most aromatic. The chervil, on the other hand, is used fresh and because of the milder taste, the seasoning can be achieved with pepper. It is also best to use fresh parsley.

What effect does the herb have?

Tarragon is not only used in the kitchen - it is also said to have an effect as a medicinal herb. It generally stimulates the digestion of heavy foods and stimulates the appetite. It is also said to counteract slight toothache.
However, the use of tarragon has been criticized for a number of years due to the ingredient estragol. It is suspected of causing cancer. However, the amounts to be consumed are far greater than those usually used for seasoning. Nevertheless, pregnant women in particular are advised not to eat dishes refined with tarragon.

So that you can harvest enough of the tarragon in your garden and preserve it, the plant must be vital and grow vigorously. You can find out how you can strengthen the spice plant in this way in our article Care of the tarragon.