Thyme
Thymus vulgaris · Herb
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A small, woody Mediterranean herb whose tiny grey-green leaves carry a warm, pungent, faintly clove-like scent out of all proportion to their size. A cornerstone of Western cooking, it anchors the French bouquet garni.
Picking a good onedrag
Just cut, springy and fragrantLimp, yellowing, scentless
Shop freshEveryday bestThe all-rounder: sprigs into a roast, braise or stock.
Leaf colourGrey-green, a few yellow low down
The sprigTips bend, sprig still holds its shape
Cut stemCut end browning, stem still snaps
Smell when rubbedScent comes up after a hard pinch
Keeping ittap a temperature
A domestic fridge holds it about 5× longer than the counter.
90-95%
Humidity
Perforated bag
Airflow