Summer Savory

The slender stems and small leaves of summer savory (satureja hortensis) are pretty enough to tuck into flower arrangements.

Try making an arrangement for the kitchen table where you can enjoy their wonderful fragrance anytime.

It also makes a great container plant because of the graceful, drooping habit of its stems.

This savory is the better known of the savory species. It is an annual, but otherwise very similar in use and flavor to Winter savory.

Its preferred over winter savory for use in sausages because of the sweeter, more delicate aroma. Summer savory is a traditional popular herb in Atlantic Canada, where it is used in the same way sage is elsewhere.

Description

A annual herb that grow to about 18 inches tall.

Flowers: White or pale pink, 1/4 inch long flowers that bloom in groups of three to six at upper leaf axils (where the leaves join the stems) from midsummer until frost.

Leaves: The smooth gray-green 1 inch long leaves are narrow and opposite.

Flavor and fragrance: It has a peppery flavor and aroma that's somewhat milder than that of winter savory.

How To Grow

When to plant: Sow the seeds directly in the garden a week before your last spring frost date. Another option would be to start the seeds indoors six weeks before your last spring frost date, and transplant seedlings to the garden after all danger of frost has passed.

Where to plant: Prefers full sun.

Soil and fertility: Plant in well-drained soil of average fertility and keep it moderately moist. A pH of 6.8 to 7.0 is ideal.

Plant spacing: Space the plants about 10 inches apart.

Pests: Usually pest-free

Diseases: Susceptable to leaf spot and other fungal diseases if the humidity is too high. Plant where air circulation is good, and make sure not to overcrowd.

Harvesting

When to harvest: Pick small sprigs anytime after the plant reaches a height of 6 to 8 inches. Harvest the stems for drying before the plant flowers. Harvest in the morning after the dew dries.

How to harvest: Cut off the stem tips when harvesting small amounts; this will also delay flowering. For drying, cut the whole stems several inches aboe the soils surface.

Drying: Hang the stems upside down to air dry, or dry them on screens.

Freezing: Freeze in butter or ice cubes.

Uses

Cooking: Use fresh or dried savory leaves to season beans of all kinds. This herb is also good with cheese, eggs, cabbage-family crops, parsnips, squash, chicken, fish, and in soups, sauces, and marinades.

Vinegars: Use in vinegars for a light, delicious flavor.

Medicinal: A strong infusion aids in digestion.

Crafts: You can add dried summer savory leaves to potpourris.