Uses for hyssop?

[CarolineW]

There should actually be a law against letting me loose in a Garden Centre!!! I'm just not safe! Anyway, I have succumbed - as I always do - to an edible plant bargain. I've bought some hyssop. That I have no idea how to use it, or whether one can even eat it didn't seem to be the point. It was a herb, and it was a bargain!

Um - can anyone tell me how to use it, please? Thanks

[Mcbee]

Snap!! I bought some for 50p on the basis that you can never have enough herbs - but am sort of struggling to find a "real" use!

One herb book I've got indicates that its more medicinal than culinary, with infusions being for coughs etc. Its also alleged to have antibiotic properties and was added tp lepers baths!

You can use the flowers in salads, but the leaves are quite pungent and should be used in small doses. It can be slightly bitter with a minty taste and is good with stews, meat and yorkshire pudding batter!!!

Hope this helps - and good luck. i think it will be trial and error - but nothing wrong with that

[Two_Sheds]

Ah ... it's not a bargain if you don't use it

from the Beeb: Hyssop is a strong-flavoured aromatic herb from the Med, similar to rosemary or lavender. During the Middle Ages it was popular as a flavouring for soups and stuffings, but now its main use is in the distillation of liqueurs, such as Chartreuse.

The young leaves can be used chopped on salads, sprinkled on meat or oily fish dishes or used to flavour soups, stews and fruit dishes.

It's said to help aid digestion of fatty or rich food and hyssop tea is said to be good for chesty coughs.

Bees & butterflies are attracted to its beautiful blue flowers and it makes excellent honey.

[kitchengardner]

There should actually be a law against letting me loose in a Garden Centre!!! I'm just not safe! Anyway, I have succumbed - as I always do - to an edible plant bargain. I've bought some hyssop. That I have no idea how to use it, or whether one can even eat it didn't seem to be the point. It was a herb, and it was a bargain!

Um - can anyone tell me how to use it, please? Thanks

It's main use is as a tisane (herbal tea) - just but a few leaves in a pot, pour in boiling water and stew for five minutes. Don't make it too strong however as it can be mildly dysphoric at high doses.

You can also use it to infuse milk or cream to flavour a variety of dishes and it is good stuffed in oily fish. Also you can't go wrong with a good cheese cake

regards

Kitchen gardener

[Mcbee]

Wise words TS!

Where were you when i needed you? Obviously not at the GC!

[zazen999]

We've got a couple of hyssops, they are in the borders [which is my OH's domain], I bought the first one but he loved it so much that he wanted another so I helped him find one.

The main thing we use it for is the delight of the flower...it really brings the insects in and the main reason I bought it is that it is mentioned in one of my favourite songs * ever...so when I see it I sing it.

*my curse by the afghan whigs, if you were wondering...

[Two_Sheds]

Wise words TS!

Where were you when i needed you? Obviously not at the GC!

No, I was down the poundshop buying tat that I don't need

[Flummery]

If you eat beef a sprig of hyssop on top when you roast it is really nice.

Also it liquefies mucus (too much info?) Put some in a bowl, add boiling water and put a towel over your head and breathe in the steam - clears a blocked sinus system a treat.

[CarolineW]

Its also alleged to have antibiotic properties and was added tp lepers baths!

So now I know what to do next time I have leprosy

I'll give it a try in a stew - thanks for the tips. Good to know I'm not the only one who's a hazard

Seriously, though - brilliant tips everyone, thanks.

[Pumpkin Becki]

I bought some because I read that I was a good companion plant (I can't remember what for at the moment - but it was in 'Allotment Gardening' by Susan Berger)

[CarolineW]

companion planting

I bought some because I read that I was a good companion plant (I can't remember what for at the moment - but it was in 'Allotment Gardening' by Susan Berger)

I googled hyssop in companion planting, and found the following in Alternative Medicine Encyclopedia

This garden favorite is especially useful in companion planting. Hyssop attracts the white butterfly, a pest to cabbage and broccoli, thus sparing the food crops from the infestation. The herb also has been used to increase the yield of grapevines and the flavor of the fruit when it is planted nearby.

Thanks for the tip, Pumpkin Becki

The encyclopedia also said that it was good as a "digestive aid, relieving flatulence and relaxing the digestive system." So I guess I should eat it with my Jerusalem Artichokes!!

[Tam]

It makes a super little hedge as it is evergreen and the bees and beneficial insects do love the flowers.