Tarragon is a perennial herb that is valued as a cooking spice. It has numerous he alth properties, and when added to dishes, it can replace s alt. We can successfully grow our own tarragon on a garden plot or even at home in a pot, and harvesting is possible throughout the season. See how tarragon is grown and how tarragon is used in cooking and medicine.
Tarragon, mugwort tarragon, draganek - Artemisia dracunculus
Tarragon - cultivation
Tarragon(Artemisia dracunculus), also known as mugwort tarragon or draganek, is a perennial herb that came to Europe during the Crusades from Central Asia.It is a strongly branching perennial, with straight stems, wooded at the base. It can reach 1.5 m in height. The leaves are oblong, lanceolate, green in color. Yellow-green flower baskets, gathered in paniculate inflorescences, can be observed from mid-summer to autumn.
Tarragon - requirements, growing position
Tarragoncan be grown in a sunny position, sheltered from the wind. The soil should be fertile, humus, with a pH close to neutral, well loosened and weeded. Tarragon requires weeding and watering during the growing season.
Tarragon - reproduction, sowing seeds
There are two forms of tarragon in cultivation in our country - Russian and German. The German form (also known as the French) is more popular, but in our climate it rarely blooms and produces seeds. Therefore, this tarragon breeds from underground runners in spring. For this purpose, tarragon must be dug up and fragments of runners with a few meshes from the mother plant, and then planted directly into the ground at a distance of not less than 40x40 cm.Cover the prepared seedlings with a layer of soil about 8 cm thick. In summer, you can also collect herbaceous cuttings.From the seeds, you can reproduce the Russian form, which is a bit spicier in taste and more bitter. In spring, they are sown in pots at home or on a seedbed.
Tarragon - harvesting and drying
Tarragon can be harvested successively throughout the season, although the bestharvest dateis in July and August. For this, the tops of the shoots are cut off, each time leaving at least 2 to 3 stalks on the plant for it to grow back. The collected leaves are best added to food fresh, crushed just before consumption, but they can also be dried and frozen.Tarragon herb is driedtied in bunches in shaded and airy places.
Tarragon - WinteringTarragon is quite sensitive to low temperatures and requires some covering for winter. For this purpose, in autumn, tarragon shoots are cut low and the entire bed is covered with e.g. agro-textile.
Tarragon - application
Tarragon is primarily a spice plant. However, it also has valuable healing properties (it contains, among others, organic acids, mineral s alts, vitamins A and C) and therefore it is worth including it in a he althy diet.The use of tarragon as a seasoningin dishes is especially recommended for people with arterial hypertension and other people who should limit their consumption of table s alt. Well, tarragon with its mild taste and smell definitely mitigates the lack of s alt in the dishes. Therefore, it is the most recommended s alt replacement herb. Chewing fresh tarragon leaves can also help prevent atherosclerosis and vascular disease.
Tarragon leavesare an excellent addition to pickling cucumbers and cabbage (they prevent spoilage and help maintain the natural firmness of pickled vegetables). Fresh tarragon sprigs are added to vinegar, mustard, sauces and spice mixtures. Tarragon added to heavy game and lamb dishes will make digestion a bit easier.It also tastes great when added to veal, poultry (a few pinches of tarragon added to the chicken will give it more flavor) and dairy products. Tarragon mixed with chives and parsley, is an excellent addition to many salads. It is also worth adding it when preparing the cucumber salad. Tarragon goes well with vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and squash.
Note!Tarragon should be added carefully to the dishes, so that it does not dominate their taste and does not drown out other spices. We should also remember that tarragon should not be cooked, because the high temperature kills its taste. If you add tarragon to a cooked dish, it's best to add this herb only at the end of cooking.
Estragon - recipes
Bread with butter and tarragonIf you like bread with s alted butter, it is worth adding tarragon to the butter instead of s alt. To do this, cut off the leaves from 3 or 4 sprigs of tarragon, and then pour boiling water over the leaves. Then strain it, cool it, chop it finely and rub it with about 10 g of butter.
Tarragon sauce for cheese, eggs, cold meats and fish
To prepare this tasty sauce with a wide range of uses, we will need the following ingredients: 1 red pepper, 2 medium onions, 3 cloves of garlic, 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh tarragon leaves, 1 tablespoon of green parsley and dill, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, s alt, chilli seasoning , lemon juice, cloves. Clean the paprika from seeds, cut it and put it in a pot with boiling water, then add the chopped onion. It should be boiled for about 10 minutes. Then remove the pepper and remove the skin from it. Mix all ingredients together with garlic and greens. Season with chilli and add s alt if necessary. You can also add a bit of ground cloves.
Tarragon infusion
To prepare an infusion of tarragon, 1 tablespoon of dried tarragon or fresh tarragon is poured over a glass of boiling water, then steamed, covered for 15 minutes, and then filtered. You can drink 1 glass of the infusion twice a day to improve digestion, in case of flatulence and as a diuretic.
