This is one of the best herbs for phlegmy coughs, bronchitis, asthma, and other respiratory ailments. And a great herb for the digestive system too.
If you only have a small amount of space for a herb garden, thyme is one of the herbs I recommend you plant. It has so many uses in the kitchen, first aid box, home and garden.
There are more than 350 varieties of thyme and, as they hybridize easily, new names are being added all the time. The majority of thymes are decorative and popular in gardens as they are evergreen, mostly low growing, sweet scented and neat. Several are used for culinary, household, cosmetic and decorative purposes, but Common Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is the primary one used for medicine.
It has a long history of use, with Ancient Greeks using it to improve vigour and courage, the Scots using it for strength, courage and to prevent nightmares. There is even a 1663 British recipe combining it with beer to make a soup, with the reputed ncredible power to overcome shyness. Of course this could be the beer talking rather than the thyme! The Egyptians used it for embalming, and it is one of the ingredients of modern embalming fluid. Perhaps that is one of the reasons for it being associated with the souls of the dead.
Culinary Uses
I think common thyme has the best flavour, especially for long, slow cooked meals like soups and stews. ‘Bouquet garni’ is made with common thyme, parsley and a bay leaf, and is possibly one of the best know herb combinations in western food preparation.
Lemon thyme (Thymus x citrodorus) has an amazing aroma and lovely with steamed vegetables. It is also fabulous in a liqueur.
I’m not keen on thyme in salads as the leaves are too chewy,. I prefer to use it in salad dressings which I strain before adding to the salad.
It is often added to marinades and chutneys, and you should definitely try this ‘Thyme Jelly’ which is a sort of smooth marmalade, with a savoury aspect due to the thyme. It is perfect with cheese and delicious if you toss sweet potatoes in it before roasting them.
Other popular culinary thymes are Caraway Thyme (Thymus herba-barona) Spanish Sauce Thyme (Thymus zygis), Winter Flowering Thyme (Thymus hyemalis) and Oregano Scented Thyme (T. pulegioides)
Medicinal Uses
Thyme is a powerful herbal medicine and often used for the respiratory and digestive systems. It is used to treat chest infections, coughs (especially with excess mucous), asthma, bronchitis, laryngitis, sore throats, diarrhoea, indigestion, sore muscles and arthritic pain.
As it is also anti-fungal it is a very effective treatment for athlete’s foot and, as it is antiseptic, it is useful for wound healing.
Follow this link for a thyme cough syrup recipe and make this thyme foot soak to soothe aching feet.
Household
Make an antiseptic room spray that smells awesome.
Use it to wipe down counters in the kitchen and bathroom. Place leaves amongst books to prevent mould.
Combine thyme, lavender, rosemary and lemon verbena, place into small bags and keep with bedding or other linen. This will prevent mould, insects and keep everything smelling sweet.
Body Care
A thyme facial steam is good for healing acne.
A strong decoction used as a mouth rinse will heal mouth sores.
Try this ‘Thyme Foot Soak’ for smelly or aching feet.
Garden
A good companion plant for most vegetables.
All thymes have a neat compact growth making them ideal as edging plants
Loved by bees, and thyme honey is one of the most prized flavours in Europe
Creeping thyme is very hardy and can be planted between stepping stones. When anyone walks over it, the oils are released and the fragrance is lovely.
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