With its wonderful aroma, lemon thyme refines Mediterranean dishes and delicately spices up meat dishes, vegetable stews and crisp salads. The herbal plant achieves this culinary masterpiece with flying colors when fresh and dried. Read here how to skillfully harvest lemon thyme.
When and how should you harvest lemon thyme?
To harvest lemon thyme optimally, cut the shoots before the flowering period begins and in the mid-morning hours when the dew has evaporated. Leave a piece of green tissue and harvest around the entire bush.
At this point the aroma is at its zenith
In order to harvest lemon thyme at the best possible time, the current growth phase in general and the time of day in particular play a crucial role. If you heed the following premises, you will receive a premium quality herb harvest:
- Optimal harvest time is in the days before the flowering period begins
- The ideal time is in the morning when the dew has evaporated
Before the flowers on lemon thyme open, a lovingly cared for plant sprays with vitality right down to the shoot tips. The aromatic leaves benefit from this. As soon as the flowering is in full swing, the aroma content in the plant drops significantly and takes on a slightly bitter taste.
Harvesting lemon thyme with a sense of proportion – this is how it works
No herb plant will thank you if you chop around it haphazardly. As a Mediterranean subshrub, lemon thyme is no exception in this regard. If you combine the harvest with maintenance and shape pruning, this care will contribute to a long lifespan. How to do it right:
- Cut the shoots so that a piece of green tissue remains
- Harvest the entire herb bush around it, if necessary beyond current requirements
If you harvest lemon thyme regularly, you can also effectively prevent baldness from the inside out. With each harvest, please look out for dried shoots and thin them out at the base.
Preserve harvest surplus – This is how it works in the air
Do you have more thyme sprigs in your hands after the harvest than the kitchen can currently handle? Then tie the shoots together into small bouquets. When hung upside down in an airy, rain-protected place, the herbs dry within 8 to 14 days. In contrast to other types of herbs, dried lemon thyme tastes more intense than fresh.
Tip
The diverse varieties of thyme not only enhance food and drinks. Thanks to its valuable ingredients, Thymus vulgaris was named medicinal plant of the year in 2006. Prepared as a tea, lemon thyme relieves cold or digestive problems and strengthens the immune system.
