Replenishing the Herb & Spice rack

[veggiechicken]

I have a wooden herb & spice rack - like this but with 18 jars.



I've had it years, the contents are well past their best, so I've binned the lot. However, it made me wonder whether it was possible to grow the herbs & spices to refill the jars.

Some are easy, some challenging and some, probably impossible in the UK.

What do you think?

Bay leaves
Caraway
Chervil
Cinnamon
Coriander
Cumin
Curry spice
Ginger
Mace
Mint
Mixed herbs
Mixed spice
Parsley
Peppercorns
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme

The observant will notice that there are only 17 jars. I haven't a clue where the missing jar is or what it contained

How many could you fill?

[Baldy]

Depends how mixed herbs and mixed spice are defined

[Vince G]

Reckon you can do most of those VC:-

Bay - got a lovely bush in a pot, will never buy dried bay leaves again
Caraway - never grown it but perfectly possible in the UK I believe
Chervil - also grow it
Cinnamon - no chance I believe it's bark off a tropical tree
Coriander - easy
Cumin - reckon you could grow this if you get a hot summer
Curry spice - no telling what is in the blend, so best left alone
Ginger - possible in a greenhouse I reckon, never tried it, but there's always next year
Mace - is the husk of a nutmeg, whose tree would not grow here
Mint - weed of the devil unless contained in a pot
Mixed herb - blend as you see fit
Mixed spice - probably a lot of things in there that cant grow here, like nutmeg, allspice etc
Parsley - easy
Peppercorns - intriguing, grow in temperate humid places up wires/strings like hops to a great height. Could work
Rosemary - easy if no R.beetles
Sage - easy
Thyme - easy, lemon thyme is delicious

Others to consider for your spare jar:

Dill - easy and I use it in my gherkin vinegar recipe
Chives - to include in my cheesy mash, mmmm
Basil - so good
Oregano
Marjoram

Presume you'd use all these fresh and wait until we get towards the end of the season before drying for use in the winter.

[veggiechicken]

Hi Vince & Thanks

I have
Bay
Mint
Parsley
Sage
Thyme
and, from your extras - Chives, Marjoram, Oregano.

Schwarz mixed herbs are Marjoram, Basil, Oregano, Thyme.
Mixed Spice is Ground Cinnamon (Cassia )(40%), Ground Coriander (38%), Caraway, Nutmeg (4%), Ginger, Cloves so that's a non-starter.
Medium curry powder is Ground Coriander (30%), Salt, Turmeric, Ginger (8%), Fenugreek (7%), Cumin (7%), Mustard Flour, Garlic Powder, Allspice, Cayenne Pepper, Black Pepper. Could grow most of those, maybe

[Jay-ell]

Lets see :-

You probably have alot of these already, the rest shouldn't be a problem to grow :-

• Bay leaves
• Caraway
• Chervil
• Coriander
• Mint (loads of choice here)
• Parsley
• Rosemary
• Sage (another one with loads of varieties)
• Thyme (yet again loads of different types to choose from)
• Cumin

• Mixed herbs - depends what the mix is - Tescos mixed herbs includes Thyme, Marjoram, Parsley, Oregano, Sage, Basil all of which are doable.
• Mixed spice - the Schwartz mixed spices includes Ground Cinnamon (Cassia), Ground Coriander, Caraway, Nutmeg, Ginger, Cloves - some may be trickier e.g. cloves (a substitute could be the root of Wood Avens aka Clove Root)

• Cinnamon - this is the bark off a tropical vine. IIRC it grows for 2 years, is cut down, the bark stripped off and the plant regrown. May grow in a greenhouse.
• Mace - this comes from the covering of the nutmeg kernel. Nutmeg is a tropical tree so may not prosper in the British Isles. Now sure how the taste of Mace compares with English mace (Achillea ageratum)
• Peppercorns - could try growing the vine in the greenhouse I suppose. What about a substitute such as Sichuan Pepper - would they grow?
• Curry spice - different plant to the silver grey herb (Helichrysum italicum). The Curry Tree (Murraya koenigii) is a tropical plant but can be grown indoors or in a greenhouse
• Ginger - I've tried and failed a couple of times but that's probably just me as there seems to be alot of people gowing it.

[Snadger]

I believe peppercorms are IMPOSSIBLE to grow in the UK, even in a heated Greenhouse.

I just need someone to prove me wrong now! The peppercorm challenge perhaps!

[Mr Bones]

You could add

Fennel seed
Winter savoury
Lemon grass
Cayenne

[Tripmeup]

From that list, I am currently growing


Chervil
Coriander
Cumin...struggling
Curry spice..ground up dried chillies, so that counts
Mint
Mixed herbs
Mixed spice
Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme

also growing
Dill - for dill seeds for seasoning
Basil -
Oregano
Marjoram
Fennel

[Chestnut]

another couple to add to your ideas list;

Saffron ( one of the chaps at our site planted a load of saffron crocus bulbs last year, but they are a bit fiddly to harvest)
Poppy seeds for bread etc
Dried garlic flakes
Mustard seeds (apparently you have to harvest before seeds fully ripen, else they self seed everywhere!)
Aniseed
Angelica

[Jay-ell]

How about

• Savory
• Turmeric
• Paprika
• Cayenne
• Basil
• Chives
• Onion seed
• Celery seed
• Coriander leaf
• Nasturtium seeds
• Nasturtium flowers
• Safflower flowers (false saffron)
• Juniper berries

Or vanilla pods - may need a heated greenhouse and you have to tickle the flowers at the crack of dawn each morning on a pair of stepladders.

Not really a spice but rosewater

[Thelma Sanders]

I believe peppercorms are IMPOSSIBLE to grow in the UK, even in a heated Greenhouse.

I just need someone to prove me wrong now! The peppercorm challenge perhaps!

You can grow Szechuan pepper in the uk, after all it gets cold in China in winter

Jurassicplants Online Tree Nursery

https://www.plant-world-seeds.com/st...XYLUM+SIMULANS

[veggiechicken]

Another Bump from the past

A bit like the Growing Seeds to eat thread at https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...eat_72965.html

Maybe time to revisit this as I still have a lot of empty jars.

[greenishfing]

I don't want to put a dampener on your idea but you should really keep them in the dark, either in a cupboard or drawer or if you want them in a rack in tins rather than glass jars to keep the light out.

[SarrissUK]

I have a spice rack, although more modest in size, that I've put on the inside of my larder cupboard, for that exact reason.

[veggiechicken]

I don't want to put a dampener on your idea but you should really keep them in the dark, either in a cupboard or drawer or if you want them in a rack in tins rather than glass jars to keep the light out.

Its inside a cupboard though why I keep a rack full of empty jars puzzles me.

The photo in #1 was lifted off the net somewhere.