About Thyme!

An Herb as old as Thyme

Thyme’s origins can be traced all the way back to ancient societies throughout the Mediterranean where it grows naturally. Evidence shows that the ancient Egyptians used thyme’s antiseptic properties as part of their embalming rituals, the ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burned it in their temples to purify the air, and Romans both consumed and burned thyme to ward off the effects of poisons. Talk about a life saver.

Today, thyme is grown all over the world and used both fresh and dried in all types of cooking. Known for its aroma and flavor, thyme is a small, low-growing shrub that can be cultivated annually or as a perennial in warmer areas. Did you know that thyme flowers? Typically purple or white in color, their flowers are a favorite of bees. In Sicily, thyme honey has been famous for hundreds of years.

Thyme is also packed full of minerals and vitamins like vitamin C, potassium, and manganese. Thyme can be used in aromatherapies to provide relief from respiratory ailments and stimulate immune and circulatory responses. A thyme tea can even help ease coughs!

Thyme to Cook

Thyme pairs well with meats, cheeses, root vegetables, beans, and even some fruits. How you cook with it will depend on whether you’re using fresh or dried thyme.

For fresh thyme, a recipe may call for a “sprig” in which case you can use both the stem and leaves (as is) and put it whole into your dish to cook. The leaves will fall off as it cooks, and the stems can be removed prior to serving. If a recipe calls for “fresh thyme” this most likely means just the leaves. To strip the leaves from the stem, pinch the top and slide your fingers down the stem - the leaves will pop off as you go. Thyme is unique amongst the herbs in that it can be added at the start of cooking - longer cook thymes (eh, eh?) allow its flavor to fully infuse with the dish!

If you’re out of fresh thyme, you can substitute dried easily. Use roughly one-third the volume of fresh thyme - dried thyme is much stronger in flavor! As with most recipes using dried herbs, this will be added at the start of cooking.

Give it a go yourself with some of these delicious recipes we found: acouplecooks.com/thyme-recipes/