As mentioned earlier, thyme has antiseptic, disinfectant, and bacterial properties. It came to North America with the first colonists as a food preservative and a medicine. Meats, cheeses, and fats were preserved with thyme adding its distinct flavor. Thyme's culinary uses also go back to before recorded civilization. It is said that if you wash your eyes with the dew from the leaves of thyme before the sun rises on May 1st, you can see the fairies just at the moment of first light. ![]() Fairies were the night workers of the garden, washing leaves, herding insects, painting flowers, and cleaning up and tidying plants for the next day. Thyme has been noted as one of the "manger herbs," sometimes referred to as "Our Lady's Bed Straw." In the folklore of the British Isles, knotted, matted, and twisted branches of thyme in the garden or on hillsides were where the fairies lived. In the days of chivalry, thyme was brought forward as an expression of praise and admiration. It was often placed in the coffin or planted on a grave to give rest to a departed soul. Ancient Greeks derived its name from one of its many uses: "to fumigate." Thyme was used as an incense in religious ceremonies and as a funeral herb. Historically, thyme has been used by mankind since pre-recorded times. As a pharmaceutical, the oils thymol and carvacrol are used in mouthwashes, toothpastes, soaps, creams, salves, lotions, liniments, throat lozenges, and cold remedies. As a culinary herb, thyme is used to stimulate the appetite, clean the palate, and aid digestion. It retains its flavor well in slowly cooked dishes. It is used to flavor soups, stuffings, casseroles, and baked or sauteed vegetables. Thyme-based vinegar and oils are often used in marinades. Additionally, thyme can be containerized for use in herb jars or other containers.Īs a culinary herb, thyme is used as a substitute for salt as well as blending with other herbs. Flowers may be white, pink, red, or purple and are borne in the axils of the leaves. It is also used in rock walls and rock gardens for its interesting foliage texture. In the garden, thyme can be utilized as a low-growing border in the perennial bed or a nice break between stepping stones. There are over 400 species of thyme, though not all are hardy in our area. Thyme is widely grown both for its use in the kitchen as well as its ornamental use in the landscape. During this week, many businesses will sponsor educational programs, special events, and other types of promotional activities dealing with herbs of all kinds. ![]() They have designated May 5 throas National Herb Week. Organized in 1982 the goals of the association are to inform the public about herbs and how they affect our lives. The International Herb Association has selected thyme as the 1997 Herb of the Year.
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