How to dry thyme
Thyme leaves are great in soups, salads, and Moroccan dishes. Drying thyme leaves is a great way to preserve the flavor of fresh thyme for later use. Simply place fresh thyme sprigs on a paper towel, cover with another paper towel, and microwave for one and a half minutes. This will remove the moisture from the leaves which will cause them to turn brown. If microwaving seems too risky, you can try placing your thyme in front of an electric fan. Once the leaves have dropped their moisture, you must quickly remove them from the heat or cold in order for them not to rot.
Thyme harvest time
Thyme has been cultivated since Roman times, and was used to flavour some of the earliest recipes. The essential oil in thyme makes it a powerful antibiotic, and it is also rich in iron and vitamin C. Thyme is full of flavour, great in soups, stews and meat marinades.
How to harvest thyme without killing the plant
Thyme is a very easy herb to grow from seed. Once you have a thriving plant, it’s important to harvest regularly to keep the plant healthy and growing. You can do this by pinching off the tops of each stem, one here and one there. Put your fingers over the top of the stems and gently roll back the top of the leafy top section of each stem. This will expose some of those dormant leaf buds that are already “set up” for you to come back later in the season and harvest thyme for cooking purposes. If you want to harvest for decorative purposes, then leave all the leaves on until you are ready to use them, then harvest just before using.
How to grow thyme
Space them 12 to 24 inches apart, in full sun and fertile soil. Thyme plants are extremely compact and bushy, so there is plenty of room for several thyme plants in a 24-inch raised bed. They can grow to the size of a 2-foot wide shrub. Thyme plants like rich soil that drains well and loves water and is high in organic content.