new to herbs...what do I do?

[CrestedHorizonPoultry]

I have planted these herbs and I am not sure when to cut or not cut and what to do with them after they are cut.

Rosemary-
Sage-
dill- I know I'm suppose to use the flowers off these, right?
cilantro-

 

[Mrs.H]

I planted a bunch of herbs too, basil etc and ive been online trying to figure it out too. I found this website helpful. But being new to herbs I dont know how correct it is.

http://culinaryherbguide.com/howtogrowherbs.htm

 

[lesa]

You can always snip away at herbs right out of the garden and use them fresh in your cooking. Rosemary is used with meats a lot, and sage with poultry. You can google recipes using these herbs and see what looks good. You can use the dill heads for pickles, but the little leaves are very tasty. You can add dill to many things if you enjoy the flavor. Cilantro is used in salsa and I like it with shrimp. Remember, your cilantro will turn into coriander when it goes to seed.. Experiment- take a taste and add it to something you are making... Happy Gardening and Cooking!

 

[CrestedHorizonPoultry]

When do I pick them?
Like the Celantro, when do I know when to pick it? I am seeing leaves are those what I pick now, as it grows? The plants are about 8-12 inches tall at this point.
I understand the dill. What about the sage and rosemary?

 

[digitS']

I'm probably not the best one to answer any questions about food preparation but . . .

As was said, dill can be used at any time, cilantro too. Cilantro will change as it reaches the flowering stage. The seeds are coriander - they really taste a good deal different to me than the plant's foliage.

Cilantro is a very fast growing plant. Reseeding helps but the best growing conditions soon pass. I should probably try to grow it in the greenhouse during the summer but I have a hard time believing that conditions would be good in there. If I had air conditioning - or, wanted to burn resources to provide it - things might be different. My nicest cilantro is from over-wintered plants.

About the only thing I do for rosemary, other than make new starts each year, is to remove the flowers if the plants bloom. I don't know if it is even necessary to do that. I especially like rosemary on salmon.

I've grown sage several times over the years and never seem to make use of it. By autumn, it always seems coarse and the "poultry seasoning" is on hand for Thanksgiving. Maybe if I cut the sage back during the growing season so that new growth is available late in the season . . . or, start making breakfast sausage . . .

I hope some of this helps.

Steve

 

[jojo54]

I found trial and error works. Follow the website you gave us and adapt it to your needs. Some people prefer fresh herbs or freeze them while others dry them. I planteda bunch of herbs last year for the first time. I dried basil, oregano, parsley, dill, mint. I used my chives fresh and my thyme did not produce enough to do much with it. I also grew stevia and dried some to sweeten tea, etc., I also chewed it fresh for a burst of sweetness. I may not use all my herbs to the fullest extent but I like how the look and how they smell. I always stop off in the herb garden and pull of leaves of various plants to crush and smell for enjoyment. So enjoy them!

 

[patandchickens]

Cilantro: you can pick small amounts of it any time, but as above posters have said, the plant bolts to seed *real soon* so as soon as you notice any change in taste (sample a leaf occasionally even if you're not cooking with it) or see it elongating towards flowering, I'd suggest cutting the whole thing (kill the plant) and use it however you can think. Unfortunately IME cilantro does not dry real well; you can chop it with a little oil and freeze in a ziploc or ice cube tray, but that's only useful for future *cooked* recipes. Realistically, you may end up having a glut of cilantro when it's about to bolt, and either have to give it away or compost it.

Rosemary: it is a somewhat slow-growing woody plant. You generally just pick however much you need for a given recipe, rather than cutting a huge whack of it all at once. How much you can harvest depends on how big the plant is and how fast it's growing. It dries fairly well.

Sage: see 'rosemary' above although sage is not woody and grows faster. Dries well.

Some herbs do not dry well at all, like mint; others like rosemary and sage and oregano dry really well.

I would bet your library has a book on growing and *using* herbs; plus, just experiment

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[ninnymary]

I've found that my cilantro goes quickly to seed, so it's best that I start using it when young. I use tons of cilantro. I put it in my salsa, chopped in my chicken soup at the end, guacamole, etc.

The sage, I like to put a sprig inside of my chicken when I'm roasting it.

I don't use rosemary that much. My husband likes to chop it up and add to his fajitas. I do use it in some meat recipies.

I love adding chopped dill to my potatoe salad and macaroni salad.

Mary