A Dash of Design With Homegrown Herbs

These plants are the secret ingredient to impressing guests—or simply yourself!

There’s something magical about cooking with fresh herbs. A touch of rosemary here, a hint of oregano there—suddenly bland dishes are transformed into aromatic, gourmet treats. Herbs even make it easier to put on a show for guests. Trim a sprig off the potted mint plant accenting your bar cart, and toss it in their cocktail. Poof! You’re an upscale mixologist.

There are so many ways that potted herbs in your kitchen can add life to your dishes and interior design. By learning how to harvest and prepare your homegrown herbs, you’ll always have a way to kick things up a notch in the kitchen. Let’s cover some of the herbs that grow great indoors and how to harvest them for use.

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Herb Harvest Tools:

Before you can use your herbs, you have to have the right tools to harvest them. Quality tools will prevent you from damaging your plants and wasting time with plucking leaves. Here’s what you’ll need:

Pruning Shears

Sharp Pruning Shears are essential. These ensure that stems are sliced, rather than torn, as will happen with dull shears. A clean slice will promote new growth on the stem so your plant will continue to produce.

Harvest Dish

While some recipes call for a sprig of herbs, others call for a dash of herb leaves. Small leaves on herbs like oregano can make harvesting difficult. Our Pull and Pinch Herb Harvesting Dish is designed with holes of varying sizes to accommodate various herbs. Run the stem through whichever hole is the best fit. The hole will strip the leaves from the stem and allow them to collect in the bowl.

Growing Rosemary

If you’re looking for a hardy plant that can be used in a range of dishes and cocktails, rosemary is the perfect fit. This herb has a potent, pine-like aroma that adds peppery flavor when cooked. Rosemary does best in spaces with lots of light, but it won’t require much water. Given the right environment, rosemary will produce a fragrant bush of stems with needle-like foliage.

How to Harvest:

Harvesting rosemary is simple. Select a section of stem, and use sharp pruning shears to cut it off. Older stems on the plant will have a brown, woody stem and new growth will have softer green stems. While both can be used to enhance recipes, the newer growth has a more power scent and flavor. Remove the rosemary leaves by stringing the stem through a harvest bowl.

How to Dry:

Gather several sprigs of rosemary into a bunch and use twine to tie them together at one end. Hang them up on a dry rack away from light for about 7 to 10 days. Dried rosemary can be added to soups, roasts, teas, or even burned like incense.

Freeze or Store Fresh:

If you want to use your rosemary sprigs in the future, you can preserve them in the freezer. Set them on a baking sheet in the freezer for two hours. Once they’re frozen, store them in an airtight bag in the freezer until ready for use. To use in the next week or two, store the sprigs in the fridge inside an airtight bag lined with a damp paper towel.

Uses for Rosemary:

  • Infused oils and vinegars
  • Compound butters
  • Meats and hearty fish dishes
  • Potatoes and roasted vegetables
  • Braises and roasts
  • Stews
  • Breads and savory baked goods
  • Teas, cocktails, and simple syrups
  • Bath salts and aromatherapy
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Design tip: The pine needle-like leaves and long, woody stems of rosemary make it a great addition to centerpiece bouquets. You can even place the entire potted plant in your tablescape for added height dimension.

Growing Mint

Another prolific grower that requires little effort, mint is a great option for plants in the kitchen or bar area. This plant’s scent is found in all kinds of products because of its fresh zest. That’s what makes mint a signature feature in cocktails like the mint julep and mojito. It’s even a fun twist in summer salads and savory dishes. Simply set your mint plant in a space where it can get plenty of light, water sparingly, and you’ll always have fragrant leaves to embellish your recipes with.

Tip: Learn how to grow mint in our Mint Plant Care blog.

How to Harvest:

Harvesting mint is easy, which is good because you’ll likely be doing it a lot at the rate this plant grows. Just use a pair of sharp pruning shears to clip off a section of stem. The larger leaves of mint make it easier to pluck them off, but you can also use a harvest bowl to collect leaves if you’re harvesting several sprigs.

How to Dry:

Bunch a group of stems together and tie them at one end with a piece of twine. Hang them up to dry for 7 to 10 days. You can use whole dried mint leaves or crumble them into smaller pieces as you would for teas.

Freeze or Store Fresh:

If you want to use your mint sprigs in the future, you can preserve them in the freezer. Set them on a baking sheet in the freezer for two hours. Once they’re frozen, store them in an airtight bag in the freezer until ready for use. To use in the next week, place the mint between two pieces of damp paper towels and store them in the freezer in an airtight bag.

Uses for Mint:

  • Cocktails and simple syrups
  • Flavored ice cubes
  • Salads
  • Teas
  • Bath salts, potpourri, and aromatherapy

Check out the drool-worthy recipes in our blog on mint to craft mint cocktails, simple syrup, and more!

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Design tip: If there’s enough light in your bar area, set your potted mint plant in your cocktail station to add a fun and functional element.

Growing Oregano

Booming with earthy flavor, oregano adds depth to sauces, meat dishes, pastas, and vinaigrettes. While its flavor may be complex, this herb doesn’t require complex care. Simply give your oregano plant lots of light and the occasional watering, and you’ll have an easy way to compliment savory recipes.

How to Harvest:

With the right tools, harvesting oregano is easy. Use sharp pruning shears to collect a sprig of vine. The vine will have lots of small, round leaves. Some like to sauté with the entire sprig of oregano. If you only want the leaves, feed the oregano vine through the hole of your harvest bowl to strip them off.

How To Dry:

Bundle up a few sprigs and tie them together with twine. Hang the bundle upside down on a drying rack away from sunlight. It should take about 7 to 10 days to dry. Once dried, the leaves can be removed and placed into a spice jar for use or gifting. Remember, when substituting fresh oregano for dried oregano, the dried will have a more potent flavor, so you can use less of it.

Freeze or Store Fresh:

If you want to use your oregano sprigs in the future, you can preserve them in the freeze. Set them on a baking sheet in the freezer for two hours. Once they’re frozen, store them in an airtight bag in the freezer until ready for use. To use in the next few days, store the sprigs in the fridge inside an airtight bag lined with a damp paper towel.

Uses for Oregano:

  • Infused oils and vinegars
  • Meats and hearty fish dishes
  • Potatoes and roasted vegetables
  • Braises and roasts
  • Stews
  • Breads and savory baked goods
  • Sauces
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Design tip: While oregano doesn’t like to be overwatered, it does appreciate the occasional misting. Setting your oregano near the kitchen sink will provide it some mist while bringing fresh fragrance and lively greenery to your space.

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