Winter is a magical time of year, filled with hearty stews, savory soups, roasted meats, fresh baked goods, and other delights. Celebrate the season, and perfectly season your dishes, by growing these culinary winter herbs at home, right in your own kitchen.
Rosemary
This fragrant, evergreen herb can be grown year-round, but it’s particularly wonderful in the winter when paired with rich meats like beef or lamb. Rosemary has a piney aroma and peppery flavor, and can be used fresh or dried. Extremely versatile, Rosemary is also suited for seasoning salad dressings, artisan bread, and even shortbread cookies.
Thyme
Like Rosemary, Thyme is an evergreen perennial that can be used both fresh and dried. It has a lemony flavor that helps to add a bit of brightness to whatever you’re cooking, be it roasted pork tenderloin, roasted potatoes, or Roasted Chestnut Soup. Like Rosemary, Thyme’s fresh scent will fill even the largest open concept kitchen with festive fragrance.
Parsley
This hearty herb has a vibrant flavor that works well in a multitude of recipes, from pasta with Parsley Pesto to holiday appetizers with Garlic Herb Cheese Spread. It is also the main ingredient in Green Goddess dressing, and compliments beef, poultry, seafood, and vegetables. Thanks to it’s ruffled leaves and bright green hue, parsley is also used to pretty up dishes as a garnish.
Mint
Strong and aromatic, mint comes in several varieties, including peppermint, spearmint, and chocolate mint. Mint pairs nicely with citrus, winter squash, and lamb, and adds a bit of cheer to a hot mug of cocoa. It is also found in cold weather cocktails like this Mistletoe Martini or Moscow Mule made with vodka and spicy ginger beer from your home bar cabinets.
Sage
This leafy, evergreen herb gives holiday stuffing its distinctively earthy flavor. Somewhat sweet, somewhat bitter, sage also enhances vegetables, seafood, steak, poultry, and pork. But use it sparingly — a little sage goes a long way, and packs a powerful punch.
6 Tips For Growing Winter Herbs Indoors
- Heating your home during a cold spell can dry out the air indoors. Choose plastic or glazed pots that will retain moisture.
- Make sure your pots have proper drainage holes, with a saucer below to catch drips. Herbs can develop root rot if they become too soggy.
- Check your plants every few days and water when the soil is dry a half inch below the surface.
- Use proper potting soil for indoor herbs and apply fertilizer sparingly in the winter.
- Find a sunny, easily accessible spot close to where you’ll be cooking, whether you have a small galley kitchen or large, open concept kitchen.
- While they do need sunlight, winter herbs like the warmth of being indoors, so avoid placing your pots too close to drafty windows.
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