Photo: Herbscapes.com Yesterday a neighbor gave me a small jar of Madagascar Bourbon vanilla she has been curing for about six months. The vanilla beans stood in a brown liquid of vanilla and bourbon. For some reason I immediately thought of chicken. I will definitely infuse this liquid gold into some dessert creations, but I happened to have three chicken filets in the fridge ready to make their culinary debut. I rinsed the filets under cold water and placed in a plastic bag. It occurred to me that if I poured too much of the vanilla bourbon into the bag, it would be absorbed by the filets and overtake the flavor, knocking out the fresh German thyme I planned to top on the cooked meal. In plain English: it would be too strong. I carefully dripped about an eighth of a teaspoon into...
Photo: Herbscapes.com We have found through years of practice and growing herbs that too much water can kill an herb. Many herbs are native to a Mediterranean climate, a climate that is fairly dry, with periodic rain. Even if you live in a hot, humid climate, too much water for some herbs will spell their demise. Examples of herbs that do not need a lot of water: oregano, thyme, lavender, rosemary. Mint herbs may wilt with out enough water so they stand out as a exception but still do not require much water unless you see them starting to wilt. So, with herbs sometimes it's better to resist the temptation of over-care and just allow the herb to grow without much attention. Of course there are exceptions to this and the best practice is to monitor the herbs and if any look sick then take the appropriate action.