Caught up in the fast pace of the present day we often forget age-old culinary treats that made life pleasant for our ancestors. One of the most aromatic is the inconspicuous savory, recommended by Vergil to his countrymen.
The Romans made a savory sauce rather like we now make mint sauce. Savory is native to the Mediterranean region; in the 9th century A.D. it was introduced to central Europe, where it rapidly became established. It was widely used for seasoning in the days when costly spices imported from the tropics were rare.
In Germany it is used mostly to flavour beans (hence the name Bohnenkraut) and in English and French cookery in stuffing for turkey and roast veal. It is also good with fish and pickled vegetables. The youngest terminal leaflets have the most delicate aroma and are delicious in salads. Savory is also used to flavour sausage meat.
Nowadays they are used to flavour compotes, jellies and jams. They may also be added to flaky pastry. The flowers or extracts prepared from the flowers are also used by the pharmaceutical industry in medicines that stimulate secretion of the sweat glands. The berries have a strong flavour and are used to make jams and juices rich in Vitamin C.
Summer savory is treated as an annual herb up to 30 cm (1 ft) high with stem that becomes woody at the base and branches like a shrub. The linear-lanceolate, short-stalked leaves are dotted on both sides with glands. The flowering period is from July until the frost; the fruits are nutlets.
It is very suitable for growing in the herb garden. Propagation is by means of seeds sown outdoors where the plants are to grow in early spring. The non-woody flowering top parts of the plant are gathered. These are tied in bunches and dried in a well-ventilated spot at a temperature not exceeding 35C (95F). They should then be stored in air-tight containers
The Romans made a savory sauce rather like we now make mint sauce. Savory is native to the Mediterranean region; in the 9th century A.D. it was introduced to central Europe, where it rapidly became established. It was widely used for seasoning in the days when costly spices imported from the tropics were rare.
In Germany it is used mostly to flavour beans (hence the name Bohnenkraut) and in English and French cookery in stuffing for turkey and roast veal. It is also good with fish and pickled vegetables. The youngest terminal leaflets have the most delicate aroma and are delicious in salads. Savory is also used to flavour sausage meat.
Nowadays they are used to flavour compotes, jellies and jams. They may also be added to flaky pastry. The flowers or extracts prepared from the flowers are also used by the pharmaceutical industry in medicines that stimulate secretion of the sweat glands. The berries have a strong flavour and are used to make jams and juices rich in Vitamin C.
Summer savory is treated as an annual herb up to 30 cm (1 ft) high with stem that becomes woody at the base and branches like a shrub. The linear-lanceolate, short-stalked leaves are dotted on both sides with glands. The flowering period is from July until the frost; the fruits are nutlets.
It is very suitable for growing in the herb garden. Propagation is by means of seeds sown outdoors where the plants are to grow in early spring. The non-woody flowering top parts of the plant are gathered. These are tied in bunches and dried in a well-ventilated spot at a temperature not exceeding 35C (95F). They should then be stored in air-tight containers
0 comments:
Post a Comment