Growing Indoor Herb Gardens and Culinary Uses

There is nothing like growing your own indoor herb gardens to give you something to look forward to during a long cold winter. This article discusses planting tips and culinary uses for 10 of the most popular culinary herbs. Learn how to start new herb plants and window lighting requirements to get your indoor herb gardens off to a great start.

Herb Thyme
Thymus vulgaris

Thyme can easily be transplanted from outdoor herb gardens or you can start a new plant with soft tip cuttings for rooting. You will get the best growth if it is planted in a window with full sun in west or east facing windows. Thyme is a good-looking herb for a window sill herb garden.

Culinary Uses Thyme

Salad dressing, chicken, beef, fish, meatballs, fish marinades, salads, tomatoes, soups and broths.

Herb Tarragon
Artemisia dracunculus

Tarragon is best started by transplanting a mature outdoor plant and letting the leaves on the plant die back while still outdoors. Then bring it indoors to a cool location for a couple of days and move it to a window with a southern exposure and good sunlight. Fertilize heavily with liquid fertilizer.

Culinary Uses Tarragon

Cottage cheese, cauliflower, green beans, salads, salad dressing, mayonnaise, butter and cream sauces, fish, chicken, poultry, tarragon tartar sauce, seafoods, liver, meats and mushrooms.

Herb Sage
Salvia officinalis

Using sage for indoor herb gardens requires a window with a southern exposure if possible. Plants tolerate warm, dry air indoors and are best started from tip cuttings taken from a mature plant in your outdoor herb garden.

Culinary Uses Sage

Dressing or stuffing, pork, duck, goose, rabbit, fish, sausage, stews, salads, casseroles, sauces and meat loaves.

Herb Rosemary
Rosmarinus officinalis

Rosemary will do best in indoor herb gardens in your south-facing windows. Take a rosemary cutting if and plant it in a light mixture keeping the cutting moist.

Culinary Uses Rosemary

This pungent smelling herb can be used in many recipes containing poultry, mutton, beef, chicken or lamb. Try it in scones, breads, stews, dumplings and dressings.

Herb Parsley
Petroselinum crispum

Parsley is another herb that prefers full sun, but you can still grow it in a west or east-facing window. Parsley is a perfect herb for indoor herb gardens because it is easy to grow and not very demanding. It can be transplanted from existing outdoor herb gardens or you can start fresh from seed.

Culinary Uses Parsley

Parsley is best used in fish and meat dishes, salads, a variety of soups, egg dishes, stuffing, dips, garnishes, salad dressings and it's yummy on potatoes.

Herb Oregano
Origanum vulgare

Culinary Uses Oregano

The perfect herb for all you Italian food lovers. Oregano is great for cooking in Italian dishes, meat sauces, veal, pizzas, tomato sauces, casseroles, poultry meals, cabbage dishes, vegetables and egg dishes.

Herb Chives
Allium schoenoprasum

The amazing indestructible chive. If you let chives have their head, these rascals will reproduce all over an outdoor garden incredible fast. Dig up a shovel full of chives from summer gardens and pot for a hearty addition to indoor herb gardens. Bring it indoors, place in a cool area for a couple of days, and then move it to the sunniest brightest window that you have available.

Culinary Uses Chives

The versatile chive is a nice addition to sauces, dips, egg dishes, sandwiches, salads, soups, soufflés and assorted potato dishes.

Herb Chervil
Anthriscus cerefolium

You will want to start chervil from seed in the late summer. This is one herb that does not require such high sunlight needs. It will grow well in conditions with low light, but it is going to require an indoor herb garden with temperatures in the 65 to 70 degree Fahrenheit range.

Culinary Uses Chervil

Cottage cheese, egg dishes, soups, fish, chicken, vegetables and her butter.

Herb Basil
Ocimum basilicum

Another indoor or outdoor herb that adds a fantastic flavor to any Italian dish. Believe me this is one of the easiest herbs to grow and requires very little attention. Pruning is a good idea to make it bush out. Easily started in indoor herb gardens from seed. Place the basil pot in a sunny warm window for lots of great growth.

Culinary Uses Basil

Any tomato dish, Italian foods, chicken, salad dressings, pizza, spaghetti, vegetables, egg dishes, tuna, salmon and soups.

Herb Bay Leaves
Laurus nobilis

Using bay leaves in indoor herb gardens is an excellent idea. They require plenty of space for proper air circulation and need a west or east-facing window. They can be germinated indoors from seed or grown from hardwood cuttings, which is often easier for most people. Another herb plant that takes pruning well.

Culinary Uses Bay Leaves

Stews, meat dishes, casseroles, soup stocks, garnish, syrups, pickling, sauces and meats

There you have 10 culinary herbs that make fine additions to indoor herb gardens. Take advantage of the internet to order seed or seedlings to get started if you have no transplants from your summer herb garden. Additional information can be found at Grow an Herb Garden Indoors All Year Round. Comments are welcome about your growing experiences good or bad for indoor herb gardens.

Sources:

http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,7518,s1-5-71-378,00.html

http://www.herbbee.com/quick-guide-to-common-herbs-and-their-uses-in-recipes-and-cooking/