Latin name: Satureja hortensis
🌱 Days to Sprout: 7-14
😋 Plant Food: after true leaves
✂️ Thin to: 3 plants per yCube
🍅 Days to Maturity: 50-60
💡 Light Zone: Moderate
📏 Plant Size: <1 ft
💚 Care Level: Intermediate
Origin
Native to Eurasia and North Africa, Savory has been used for millennia as a seasoning as well as a medicinal plant. It is also commonly known as Summer Savory, which differentiates it from its slightly more bitter counterpart, Winter Savory. Historically, Savory was also used in love potions as a supposed aphrodisiac.
Qualities
Savory grows 8-16 inches tall with thick, square stems covered in fine hairs and delicate, feathery leaves. Savory produces pale pink flowers that are small and fragrant. Its flavor is reminiscent of thyme and oregano with notes of mint. Savory contains a variety of beneficial polyphenolic compounds that contribute to its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Use
Enjoy Savory leaves fresh or dry to season dishes with beans, vegetables, meats, and sauces. You can steep Savory into tea, flavor vinegar or oil with it, or substitute it anywhere you’d use Thyme.
Care & Harvest
✂️ Pruning: Remove leaves with brown spots if they appear. Check the roots monthly and trim any that are brown or extending past the yPod.
⭕ Support: Savory grows quickly and can become top-heavy, so it may require support, such as a Plant Belt, as it matures.
🌿 Harvest: Harvesting frequently helps prolong the plant's life. Pinch off individual leaves, or use clean shears to cut stems above growth nodes. You can begin harvesting Savory once it reaches 6 inches. However, the best flavor is when flower buds have formed but not yet bloomed. Just before the flowers bloom, cut the leafy tops at the base of the stem.
Harvest To Plate Recipe
Summer Savory and Garlic Green Beans
Ingredients
- Ice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds trimmed green beans
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh savory, removed from the stem
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling salt liberally and add in green beans. Cook 3-4 minutes or just until bright green.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer beans to ice bath to stop the cooking process. Once cool, remove and pat dry.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add beans, cook 3-5 minutes, or until beans are tender but crisp.
- Add in garlic and savory. Cook just until garlic becomes fragrant, about a minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.