After the hyssop has been harvested, there are several storage options. The flowers are edible and he can even scare away uninvited guests from the garden.

Hyssop should not be missing in the herb bed

Harvesting hyssop: How to do it right

If there are green leaves on the hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), it can also be harvested. However, the main harvest time is shortly before flowering, i.e. around June. This is when the essential oil content is highest and the aroma of the hyssop is most intense. Either the leaves are harvested individually or they are cut off sitting on the shoots. The blue-purple flowers are also edible and worth harvesting. They can be cut off with a shoot that also has spicy leaves, or simply removed individually.

Hyssop is harvested in June just before flowering

Storing Hyssop: Freezing, Drying or Pickling

The aroma of hyssop is best when freshly harvested. But you cannot and do not want to use the spicy herb all at once. Fortunately, there are several good ways to extend the useful life of hyssop:

  • Drying

Sprouts and leaves can easily be dried. With a slight loss of taste, the spice can then be preserved for several months. Shoots are simply hung upside down, individual leaves air-dried lying on a towel in a dry place.

Dried hyssop can be used as a tea
  • Freeze

The individual leaves can also be frozen. They can be kept in the freezer for several months, as if they were dried, but they are available in portions as needed at any time without any loss of aroma, almost as if they were freshly harvested.

  • Insert

If whole shoots of hyssop are harvested, they can also be preserved in oil or vinegar. In order to avoid mold formation, the shoots must be completely surrounded by the respective liquid. The spicy oil or vinegar with hyssop aroma can then be used for dressings, marinades, sauces or for frying.

Using hyssop: many uses

In the kitchen, hyssop is popular in sauces, salad dressings or forSeasoning of various meat dishes. The aromatic foliage of the perennial subshrub is used. But the flowers of hyssop are also edible. These blue-violet beauties can decorate the plate with a lot of taste.

In the past, hyssop was used widely as a medicine. Today, however, it is no longer used for this purpose, since the ingredients it contains can trigger cramps in excessive amounts.

The delicate flowers of hyssop attract butterflies and bees

However, the hyssop in the bed can also be used particularly sensibly. Due to its essential oils, it develops an intense smell that deters some pests. For example, some caterpillars, aphids or snails will run away if hyssop is nearby. So if you have problems with these unwanted visitors on certain plants in the garden, it can already help to place a hyssop near the affected plant.

You can find everything else you need to know about hyssop in our special article. There you can read everything from cultivation to harvest.

Category:

Herbs