Herbs

is a very popular and well known culinary herb. It is a very decorative plant while it is growing and is also very easy to grow as well but be prepared because bees just love . Many people use in stews, salads, meats, soups, and vegetables. is a very common household herb and is a member of the mint family. The plant is very aromatic and comes in many varieties. is a frequently used herb in many fish dishes. Oddly enough as much as honey bees love to suck the nectar from the plant is as much as other insects loathe it. Some people have been known to make a mist spray of and water and use it as a bug repellent.

Various forms of are available year round but many people prefer to grow their own. Nothing beats the smell and taste of fresh as long as you know to pick it just as the flowers appear. Once fresh is harvested it should be stored in either a plastic bag in the crisper or stood straight up in a glass of water on the shelf in the refrigerator for easy access.

The bad news, fresh does not have a very long shelf life, you will be lucky if it last a week. If you have selected fresh and decide to dry it then simply hang it upside down in a warm and dry atmosphere for about a week to ten days. Then you can crumble it into a powdery form and stored in a sealed dark container for no more than six months. You want to eliminate the stems as they have a tendency to have a woody taste to them.

has some medicinal purposes as well as an antiseptic, an expectorant, and deodorant properties as well. When combined with fatty meats has been known to aid in digestion too, especially with lamb, pork, and duck. Herbal medicine has used for various things such as extracts, teas, compresses, for baths, and for gargles. More modern medicine has chimed in and verified that just might strengthen the immune system.

Distilled oils have been used for the commercial use of antiseptics, toothpaste, mouthwash, gargle, hair conditioner, dandruff shampoo, potpourri, and insect repellant. It is also used in the production of certain expectorants that are prescribed for whooping cough and bronchitis. has also been used in part as an aphrodisiac and in aromatherapy oils as well.

If by some chance you are in the middle of cooking recipes that calls for and you find that you are out do not fret, it is said that you can use a pinch of oregano as a substitute if you have to. is very often used when cooking European cuisine but is essential for the correct preparation of French foods as it has that faint lemony taste to it. It has also been said that is one of the only herbs that a cook can not over season with because the flavor is so mild. is a primary spice that everyone should have stocked in their pantry.