Tips to Growing and Using Herbs

Most people would agree, herbs make the world more interesting. They add flavor to soups and other foods without adding any fat and can make food taste better than ever. They also can have medicinal qualities as anyone who is interested in herbal remedies can tell you.

But did you know you can grow them quite easily? I started several different herbs from seed, from mint, to sage, to chives in an easy and simple way. I simply took the seeds and put them in a Ziplock bag sprinkled on a wet paper towel and let them germinate.

Then when they had sprouted in a couple of days, I simply tore the paper towel off and planted it in a pot. I made sure they got enough water. And the Ziplock bag kept them the right moisture level while germinating and was sterile. Now I have many herbs growing in my window and I can cook with them fresh or dry them for later.

Sage is good for chicken and you can spice up cottage cheese with chives or even put them on a baked potato. I liked dried thyme on my fried egg with garlic salt and pepper. And if you can't get all the herbs to grow good from seed, they are fairly inexpensive to buy and you can bring them in for the winter.
Herbs don't like too much water and they like a lot of sun in general. They are pretty hardy and look nice too. You can get a lot of health benefits from certain herbs and drying them is as simple as cutting and letting them air dry in sprigs hung up out of the way.

Some people even love growing herbs so much, they start herb farms. This can be profitable if you are a good gardener and can do a lot of physical work. You can make essential oils with them or sell plants, or fresh or dried sprigs to supermarkets. Or some farmers sell directly to the public with farmers markets.
There is nothing quite as satisfying as growing herbs from seed, except maybe eating the fresh herbs. Anyone with a little patience and a little know how can grow herbs. Even if they just buy a plant from Home Depot and stick it outside. They add wonderful flavor and aroma and are a healthy alternative to a lot of butter. I hope you learned how to grow your own herbs.