Eight favorite herbs for pots

This article was written for the participants at the Herb Potting Workshop @ Trailhead Coffee Shop in Concord, MI, on June 20, 2024.

We often think herbs belong in gourmet kitchens and garnishes on plates of special dishes. We love them, but leave them, for a special dinner out or a holiday meal. In Michigan, herbs are easy to grow, and can be at your finger tips all summer long!

I will feature 8 favorite herbs and discuss growing tips, uses, benefits, storage tips, and a recipe for each. Come with me to discover how planting an herb pot with these easy-to-grow plants can add flavor and more to your meals this summer!

Basil

There are many types of basil, but in America we most often see Genovese or “Sweet Basil.” This is the bright green leaf featured in the trendy Caprese Salad. Fresh basil is always best! Add it chopped (or whole leaves) to salads, pasta, sauces, breads, and soups. Basil is known to reduce high blood sugar, inflammation, and helps fight infection.

GROW - Basil is best transplanted (seeds take a long time to germinate) in soil that will drain well. Full sun is best, and water often.

STORE - Make a bouquet of basil and place it in a glass of water on the kitchen counter. The refrigerator is often too cold for it to stay fresh.

RECIPE - Make a Grilled Tomato-Basil Pizza! Starting with frozen bread dough (thawed, and cut into 1/4’s, and rolled into 1/8” rounds). Brush with olive oil and place the dough round grease side down on the grill - for 2-3 minutes - until you see grill marks. Flip the crust and arrange sliced tomato, mozzarella on top. Sprinkle salt/pepper and chopped basil on top. Then grill for another 4-6 minutes until melty and crisp.

Cilantro

Cilantro is the spanish word for coriander. In America, we use the leafy plant for “cilantro” and the tiny round seeds that mature on the plant as “coriander.” This herb is delicate and full of flavor. People usually love it or hate it — it tastes differently from person-to-person. It’s used in salsa, stir fries, seasons pork and chicken, and adds flavor to salads. Fresh is always best! Cilantro is good for digestion, gut health, boosts immunity, and lowering blood sugar. Cilantro is one of the most economical herbs at the grocery store, but believe me, there is nothing like fresh cut cilantro!

GROW - Plant from seed in well-draining soil, and water well. Early stems and leaves will wilt if it gets too dry. This herb can last all summer long if you keep cutting it. And re-seeding every 2-3 weeks will keep your supply fresh.

STORE - Make a bouquet of cilantro stems, trim the ends, and place it in a glass of water - in the refrigerator.

RECIPE: Try a Cilantro-Lime Dressing! Load your food processor with cilantro, lime juice, garlic cloves, honey, salt, and olive oil, adjusting the ingredients as you like for the best taste. Use it on fresh sliced veggies or salads.

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Dill

Dill plants attract butterflies, and are best known as a host plant for the black swallowtail butterfly. Dill makes a “dill pickle,” flavors potatos, salmon, and salads. The flowering heads work well in flower bouquets too! Dill is believed to be good for gassy tummies, your liver, gallbladder, and digestive issues.

GROW - Dill can be started from seed or transplanted. It loves full sun and well-drained soil. It will re-seed prolifically; so don’t be surprised to see dill popping up all over the following spring!

STORE: Make a bouquet, snip the stem ends, place it in a glass of water, cover loosely with a ziploc bag and place it in the refrigerator.

RECIPE - Try Refrigerator Pickles! Pinterest is full of recipe variations for these. Ingredients are cucumbers, water, vinegar, salt, sugar, garlic. and of course, dill. Packed in a clean glass jar with a lid screwed on tightly, these pickles will stay fresh for 2-3 weeks.

Oregano

Oregano is a perennial — so in most areas it will over-winter in your pot or garden bed. It is most associated with tomato sauces and baked dishes - but its savory flavor pairs well with other herbs for grilled meats, egg dishes, and roasted vegetables. Oregano gives us Vitamin K and helps with respiratory and gastrointestinal issues. It is known to curb inflammation and fight bacteria.

GROW - Oregano needs well-draining soil; and should not be watered too much.

STORE - Fold oregano sprigs in a damp paper towel. Place it in a ziploc bag (keep it open) and store in the refrigerator.

RECIPE - Try Baked Ziti with fresh oregano! Add your favorite sauce to cooked ziti and liberally incorporate chopped and whole leaves of oregano. Top with your favorite cheese blend and bake until bubbly.

Rosemary

Rosemary is a fragrant evergreen plant, with a woody scent, and sends up light white and purple flowers when it blooms. In some climates, rosemary overwinters and becomes giant bushes used in landscaping. In Michigan, we are lucky to have rosemary survive the winter —- but it could if conditions are just right! Rosemary is a sturdy herb, often laid on beef roasts, or chopped into beef stews. It is a fantastic garnish; but even more useful as an earthy flavor for anything (vegetables, meats, eggs, breads, even cookies). It contains vitamins A, C, B6, iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Some claim that rosemary relieves headaches, improves mental well-being, helps with insomnia, and digestive problems.

GROW - Starting rosemary from seed or cuttings can take some time - but it does work! Transplanting works best and guarantees a hearty start. Choose well-drained soil; don’t overwater, and cut only the tender sprigs (leave the woody stems alone). The more you cut, the more it flourishes.

STORE - Lay sprigs side-by-side in a damp paper towel and seal in a ziploc bag. Stays fresh for 10-14 days.

RECIPE - Rosemary Mashed Potatoes - Mash potatoes with heavy cream, butter, and fresh chopped rosemary leaves.

Parsley

It’s easy to mistake parsley for cilantro, or vice versa. They often look the same, bundled up into bouquets in the grocery store. But parley leaves are generally sturdier, and larger than cilantro. It has Vitamin K which contributes to bone health. It’s a natural diuretic, helps reduce bloating, and keeps blood pressure in check. It’s a famous garnish — used in fancy restaurants and downtown diners alike. When you take parsley for more than a decoration, you’ll use it chopped in salads, stirred into soft butter and spread on top of salmon steaks, baked potatoes, and garlic bread.

GROW - Parsley is best transplanted if you want to harvest quickly. It prefers well-drained soil and not too much water. If you continue to cut sprigs from your plant, it will continue to produce new growth. If left alone, it will flower with bright green/yellowish umbels resembling Queen Anne’s Lace. Plants will overwinter in Michigan, but will die out after 2-3 seasons.

STORE - Trim the ends of stems, make a bouquet, and place it in a glass of water in the refrigerator.

RECIPE - It’s time to give parsley it’s fair due! Make some Parsley Butter by softening 1 stick of butter and stirring in a tablespoon of finely chopped garlic, 2 teaspoons of chopped parsley. Store it in the refrigerator until you decide to spread it on meats, breads, or veggies.

Sage

Sage is a perennial evergreen plant native to the Mediterranean region, but it used all over the world. It has been used to relieve pain, protect from inflammation, infection, and free radical damages. Tea made from sage leaves has been used for centuries as a healing tonic. You might recognize its flavor in sausages and stuffing for fatty meats, like pork or a Thanksgiving turkey.

GROW - Transplant into warm soil that will drain well. Sage does best in full sun. In Michigan, you can start from seed just before your last frost date and still enjoy a summer crop.

STORE - Wrap sage leaves in a paper towel and put them in a bag in the refrigerator. They will last about 5 days. If you want to store them longer, put them in a container and cover them with olive oil — then you can keep them fresh for a few weeks.

RECIPE - Fry up some sage leaves for low-calorie healthy snack! Coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil — heat until shimmery. Then add a layer of sage leaves. It won’t take long for them to become crispy. Move them from the pan to a paper towel to and then sprinkle with salt!

Thyme

The thyme plant has small leaves on sturdy stems and is said to “smell like summer!” Thyme adds savory notes to soups, sauces, grilled meats, vegetables, and has medicinal properties as well. It helps with stomach ache, diarrhea, arthritis, sore throat. A sip of Thyme Tea just might be just ‘what the doctor orders.’

GROW - Growing thyme is most successful with transplants that are already established. Plants should be in full sun and nestled in well-draining soil. They don’t require much watering.

STORE - Wrap sprigs in paper towel or saran wrap (or both) and store in the warmest part of the fridge.

RECIPE - Make some Lemon Thyme Bars! Search foodnetwork.com for the full recipe. Ingredients are flour, thyme, salt, butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla.