If you love Asian cuisine, you certainly know the aromatic lemon or lemongrass. It can be cultivated on the windowsill and, during the warm summer months, in the garden or on the balcony. If cared for properly, new shoots will sprout again and again during the growing season, which you can harvest continuously. Read this article to find out how to do this.
How do you harvest lemongrass correctly?
To harvest lemongrass properly, choose bulbs with new growth, cut the plant stem above the root and only use the white part of the stalks for cooking. Pay attention to undamaged roots and side shoots to ensure further growth.
Grass plant with a fine lemon aroma
Lemon grass belongs to the grass family and forms long leaves whose shape is similar to our native reed grass. They grow in clusters from a thickened bulb and are also white at the bottom with a delicate purple shimmer.
Cut lemongrass fresh if possible
Always harvest the lemongrass fresh during the summer months, as this is when the flavor of the spice is most intense. If the cut bunch contains more stalks than you need, you can store the lemongrass wrapped in kitchen paper or newspaper in the refrigerator for up to 14 days. Alternatively, lemongrass can be frozen and kept for up to six months.
Procedure for harvesting
So that the lemongrass continues to grow well, you should, if possible, only harvest bulbs that already have new growth on the side. Use a very sharp cutting tool as lemongrass is relatively hard. Clean the knife before harvesting so that no germs get into the plant.
- Separate the plant stem above the root
- Only the white part of the stalks is suitable for consumption.
- Above this part, which is about ten centimeters long, the green parts of the plant are cut off.
When harvesting, be careful not to touch or even squeeze the roots that remain in the ground. These are very sensitive, so that new tufts of grass often do not grow from injured root parts. Side shoots that have already developed could also die.
Use the harvested lemongrass
Only very young and tender bulbs can be eaten finely chopped. Lemongrass is usually opened several times, crushed with the back of a knife or flat iron and cooked for some time. Before serving the food, the lemongrass is sieved out.
Tips & Tricks
Harvesting and regular cutting are important care measures that ensure good growth and dense clump formation. If the lemongrass grows too tall, you should also harvest the green leaf tips. Coarsely chopped, you can use them to prepare a delicious lemongrass tea.