Savory is not only a culinary herb but also a well-known healing and home remedy for various digestive problems and respiratory diseases. The healing effect unfolds when used as a tea or bath additive, but also when used as a seasoning.
When and how should you harvest savory?
Savory is best harvested when the young shoots are 8-10 cm long, although the winter-hardy mountain savory can be harvested almost all year round. With summer savory, the harvest begins after sowing or planting.
When do you harvest savory?
You can harvest savory almost all year round, provided you have the winter-hardy mountain savory in your garden. The harvest begins shortly after sprouting in spring and only ends with increasing frost. The young shoots are still quite mild in taste at the beginning of the harvest, but that can be quite attractive.
You can also harvest summer savory when the young shoots are around 8 to 10 cm long. However, this annual herb must be sown or replanted every year. By the time the seeds sprout, you have already started harvesting mountain savory. The taste of summer savory is much milder than that of mountain savory. So it makes perfect sense to plant both variants.
How do you harvest savory?
Even if savory does not have the same intense flavor all year round, you can harvest it any time when fresh shoots are present. Trim these as needed.
You can tie the stems into small bouquets and add them to stews or vegetable dishes. After cooking, the herb can be easily removed again. If you want the savory to remain in the dish after cooking, only use the softer leaves. The stems of mountain savory in particular are relatively firm.
The use of savory
As the name suggests, savory is often used for all types of bean dishes and is said to make legumes easier to digest. But it also tastes good with other vegetables and its slightly peppery aroma goes well with fish dishes. You can use the herb fresh or dried. In folk medicine, savory is used against coughs and for various stomach and intestinal problems.
Using tips for savory:
- Stews
- Vegetable and fish dishes
- Cough and cold tea
- Digestive tea
- Appetitive stimulation
Tips & Tricks
Savory not only goes well with bean dishes, but also with other vegetables and fish.
