Growing Chervil
Chervil: A Fines Herb
What are fines herbs? Fines herbs are a classification of an important combination of herbs used as a mainstay in French cuisine. Chervil is one of the fines herbs, a designation that also includes chives, tarragon, and parsley. It is a wonderful ingredient to some of the finest recipes around, from a superb garnish to vinaigrette to adding flavor to the main dish.
Chervil works wonders just like parsley. It makes a salad tastes fresher and sprinkling it to butter or cream cheese, béarnaise sauce, or any meat gives extraordinary flavor. Its versatility in the kitchen is endless!
One small tip: Always get it fresh! It is utterly useless adding chervil to your dish if its taste has long gone with prolonged storage. The best way to have fresh chervil anytime you need it is by growing chervil yourself. Read on for our full guide on how to grow chervil in your own garden.
Growing Chervil
When growing chervil, there are a few tips to keep this herb healthy and fresh all the time.
- Chervil hates the warm season, but it needs a good dose of sunlight.
- Never transplant chervil plant as it can bolt easily. It is advised to plant a new seed every season instead of going the self-planting route.
- Most herbs need rich, moist soil and Chervil is not an exception. Make sure that your soil has a good drainage as it will rot in a badly drained soil.
- Once you start growing chervil, try to plant it monthly. You will discover more uses for it as time goes by.
- Apparently, growing chervil indoors, close to your kitchen gives convenience whenever you need some fresh Chervils while cooking. Feel free to pick some leaves over and over again to spice up your dishes.
Okay, so let’s get started! First off, cut the stalks and harvest the seed in August. Rub the seed heads. Once you finish harvesting what you need, you can use the seeds to replant your chervil with the seeds you previously harvested. Make sure that you clear out the patch first.
Sow the seeds at least one foot apart. The Winter Chervil should be sown in late summer and the Spring Chervil in late winter. Some people are quite superstitious that they think that the best results will come out if you sow 2 days before a full moon.
Spring Chervil thrives in a shady spot, while Winter Chervil needs sunlight so place it where the sun can smile over it. Constant weeding is needed for chervil to grow. Chervil can live from a year or so. But do not stack up on seeds.
On the other hand, you can also find a chervil plant or seed at your local gardening store. However, be careful when buying Chervil as it looks a lot like Hemlock. Double check your purchase because you might just cultivate a poisonous plant instead of a bounty flavorful harvest.
To conclude, harvesting your chervil is easy. Just pinch up some and add to your dish. Chervil is a very important part of cooking. It is a must-have in every home especially if you love French cooking.
