Harvest, store & preserve thyme

Thanks to its ingredients, thyme is not only versatile in the kitchen. For good results, however, it must be harvested and stored properly.

harvest thyme

The valuable thyme oil leaves the real thyme (Thymus vulgaris) also become an effective medicinal and medicinal plant. In order for the herb to be used effectively, the harvest time must be observed. This is the only way to achieve optimal results when using thyme, which has a disinfecting and expectorant effect. In principle, young shoots of thyme can be harvested continuously. However, this should be done before flowering (June-October). This is exhausting for the plant and basically leads to a loss of aroma. When harvested in the morning, the concentrations of the essential oils contained are highest. As the day progresses, the respiration and thus the water requirements of the plant also increase. This dilutes the ingredients and even “breathes them out”, so to speak. You can actually easily tell this from the more intense smell of the plant in the afternoon.

store thyme

There are several useful and tasty ways to extend the shelf life of thyme.

• Dry: 10 to 15 cm long sprouts of thyme are cut off and hung upside down. Ideally, a dry and dark place should be selected for this. The essential components of the thymain oil are protected from accelerated degradation due to the exclusion of light.
• Freeze: The small thyme leaves are plucked from the shoots and washed in delicate manual work. They can then be frozen on their own or with water in an ice cube mold. The garden herb is thus preserved for portioned removal as required.
• Insert: Whole dried or fresh thyme shoots can also be preserved in oil or vinegar to extend their shelf life. Incidentally, you can produce a spicy vinegar or a Mediterranean-inspired oil. The only thing to note is that the shoots must be completely surrounded by the liquid. Otherwise, especially young shoots quickly begin to mold.

It doesn't matter which way - it is always worthwhile to extend the shelf life of the medicinal culinary herb so that you can enjoy it all year round.

Thyme has long been known for its healing powers. In our special article you will find information about Use of thyme as a medicinal and aromatic herb.

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