Fennel
- Thread starter Mickey328
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897tgigvib
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Seeds are good for spicing up meat.
Stems and leaves are great for chewing on!
If it bulbed up, or at least has a tender base, that is good sliced into salads
Stems and leaves are great for chewing on!
If it bulbed up, or at least has a tender base, that is good sliced into salads
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I love fennel seed and was hoping to get some, but it never bloomed. It's an annual, right? If I could leave it to grow more next year, I would, but I really don't want to see it go to waste. Suppose I could chop the stems and dry them to use as flavorings?
digitS'
Garden Master
Mickey, it sounds like you are having some of the same experiences I did with fennel.
I grew Florence fennel first and had no idea what to do with the bulbs. I like licorice flavors but didn't really want that for a salad or soup. That's just me.
Anise hyssop is an herb of choice for herb tea. I decided to try non-bulbing fennel next for its leaves and seed to use as a tea. What I learned was that I do not like the leaves . . . nope, not for me! And . . . the plants flowered but were killed by frost before they matured seed.
So, I grew it for yet another year. Same story -- the plants flowered very late and did not have time to set seed. It is easy enuf for me to buy fennel seed and try with, or as a substituted for, anise hyssop but I haven't gotten a round tuit.
Steve
I grew Florence fennel first and had no idea what to do with the bulbs. I like licorice flavors but didn't really want that for a salad or soup. That's just me.
Anise hyssop is an herb of choice for herb tea. I decided to try non-bulbing fennel next for its leaves and seed to use as a tea. What I learned was that I do not like the leaves . . . nope, not for me! And . . . the plants flowered but were killed by frost before they matured seed.
So, I grew it for yet another year. Same story -- the plants flowered very late and did not have time to set seed. It is easy enuf for me to buy fennel seed and try with, or as a substituted for, anise hyssop but I haven't gotten a round tuit.
Steve
journey11
Garden Master
Chewing on a few seeds also helps indigestion.
I used the bulb cut up in rabbit stew and thought it really made it good. Not sure what other dishes you would use it in, but I know Italian cooking uses a lot of fennel.
The plant itself is a good attractant for pollinators and swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. I'll grow it again just for that reason.
I used the bulb cut up in rabbit stew and thought it really made it good. Not sure what other dishes you would use it in, but I know Italian cooking uses a lot of fennel.
The plant itself is a good attractant for pollinators and swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. I'll grow it again just for that reason.
