Last updated on October 25th, 2023 at 11:39 am
New spices and herbs appear on the market again and again, of which only a few can snatch a place in our kitchen. An exception is the olive herb, which thrives well here in the garden and is used dried as a seasoning as well as a medicinal plant.
What you should know about the olive herb
This aromatic herb originates from Spain, Portugal and Morocco. It actually tastes like olives, but also a little like thyme and rosemary. Just like the two commonly known seasoning herbs, it goes well with roasted meats, rounds sauces and salad dressings harmoniously.
It is also known by the following names:
- Holy Herb
- Holy flower
- Cypress herb
- Drying the olive herb
If you have planted olive herb in your garden, you should wait with the first harvest until a strong bush has formed. Then you can regularly harvest and dry the branches of the herb. During the drying process, you should be as gentle as possible so that the herb loses little flavor.
- Air dry and dry in the oven.
- Separate unblemished, fresh branches.
- Wash them and dry them well.
- Bundle the branches and hang them upside down in an airy place, preferably warm but not sunny.
- After a few days, when the dry leaves can be easily stripped from the stems, the drying process is complete.
- Fill the dried olive herb into airtight tins or jars and store them in the dark.
- You can get there faster if you dry your olive herb in the oven.
To do this, preheat the oven to 40 degrees.
- Place the herbs on a tray in the oven.
- Clamp a wooden spoon or a thick pot holder between the oven door to allow the moisture to escape.
- After a few hours, the herb will be dried and ready to store.
- You can also get good drying results in a dehydrator.
Use of dried olive herb
Those who love Mediterranean cuisine will enjoy using olive herb. It is suitable for seasoning salads and pestos, it refines meat , fish and mushroom dishes. However, you should not cook with the dried herb, but give it over the dish just before serving or stir it in at the end of cooking.
An effective medicinal tea can be prepared from dried olive herb. It has a positive effect on gastrointestinal infections, flatulence, as well as against the yeast Candida albicans.