Organic Herb Savory, Winter (p)

Winter Savory
satureja montana
Approx. 2800-3200 seeds per gram

Winter savory is a small perennial shrub. It grows to a height of just over 30cm and is compact with dark green, almost needle like leaves. The small narrow leaf is dotted with glands and it is highly aromatic with a spicy, peppery aroma. The tiny white flowers appear along the stems in twos at the leaf axils from mid summer. Winter savory belongs to the labiatae family like mint, rosemary, hyssop and thyme and so is loved by bumble bees. Winter savory is native to the Mediterranean and was brought to the UK by the Romans. It was highly valued as an antiseptic and was also used for digestive and respiratory complaints. In the Tudor period, when herbal knot gardens were very popular, it was used as one of the border plants.

How to grow:
Sow the seed in trays of good organic compost in April and May or in August and September. Prick out the seedlings and grow the plants on in 8cm pots. Transplant into the growing site allowing a distance of 30cm or so between plants, or closer for a hedge. Once the plants are established, trim regularly to prevent the plants from getting woody.

Pests and diseases:
Winter savory is hardy and easy to grow and does not suffer from much in the way of pests and diseases.

How to use:
Use with beans and other pulses. Add sprigs to the bean water as you cook dried beans or chop fresh leaves and add to bean casseroles and soup. Chop and add to breadcrumbs for coating fish or vegetable patties or use it in a nutty stuffing mixture for vegetables like marrows. Here is a simple recipe you can use. Fry one chopped onion slowly until soft, add 50g of chopped hazelnuts, one stem of finely chopped celery and one small apple, peeled cored and chopped. Add a good teaspoon of finely chopped savory and the same of parsley. Then stir in 50g of breadcrumb and season to taste. Remember that winter savory can be used as a pepper substitute so go easy on the pepper. Combine well and add a little more oil or butter so that the mixture sticks together.