Herbs for the Holidays

by Judith Kohnen


parsley sage rosemary & thyme


Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme – that classic Simon and Garfunkel tune began playing in my head the other day while planning a family menu for the upcoming holiday. It occurred to me that these four herbs are still growing in my garden, even though it is late November as I write this. These four herbs are nutritiously high in calcium, potassium, and Vitamin A, and they can make a flavorful substitute for salt and sugar in our diets. Less salt and sugar mean a healthier heart and endocrine system.

Both dried herbs and fresh herbs require proper storage methods to preserve their nutritional and medicinal properties. Although the drying process of fresh herbs can alter some vitamin content, the mineral content normally stays the same and often will increase. Fresh herbs can also be preserved frozen. It is the oils within the cells of the plant that bring on the flavor, so chopping or breaking apart a fresh herb is suggested to heighten its taste.

Since dried herbs are more concentrated and need more time to rehydrate, it is best to place these into your recipes early on while preparing your food. Adding fresh herbs toward the end of your cooking will best flavor and preserve its vitamin content.

A partial list of their herbal medicinal properties:

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) – diuretic, antioxidant, decreases gas & bloating

Garden Sage (Salvia officinalis) – antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, carminative

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) – antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidepressant, nervine

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) - antimicrobial, expectorant, diaphoretic, antispasmodic


 Resources
University of Rochester Medical Center:
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/collection.aspx?subtopicid=15145
Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine:
https://chestnutherbs.com/growing-medicinal-culinary-herbs-in-containers/
Colorado State University Extension:
https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/foodnut/09335.pdf




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