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Author Bio Biographical statement from the author of Growing and Selling Fresh Cut Herbs.

Speaker
Sandie is a speaker
that will bring a wealth
of information to any
event.

Consultant
Learn how to grow
herbs efficiently

Growing and Selling
Fresh-Cut Herbs
Looking for a great gift for that favorite gardener? Here you'll find out where to buy this book or how to
order it online.

Herb of the
Month
Check here each
month for a new herb, featuring: growing,
care and uses.

Questions and Answers
Send your questions to the author by e-mail. They will be answered personally and may be included on this page for others to read.

Links
Here you can order Growing and Selling Fresh-Cut Herbs, see media and book reviewers' comments, check out herb organizations, and visit sites that sell herb seeds, plants, packaging, etc.

Reviews
Read here to find out what readers have to say about Growing and Selling Fresh-Cut Herbs

Herb of the Month
Horehound

Over the next year, the herb of the month feature will focus on those unusual herbs that a professional grower may occasionally be asked to supply.  These profiles are supplied by Herbalpedia

Marrubium vulgare

Family: Labiatae

Description: Small, rounded shrub with a height of 1 ½ feet.  The flowers are small,  whitish, in dense whorls that circle around the stems, getting smaller near the top.  The leaves are pale green, wrinkled, and very woolly, giving the appearance of being white, somewhat oval-shaped, to 2 inches.  Hooklike appendates on the seeds fasten them to animals, spreading the seeds extensively, accounting for the plant’s weediness.  Blooms from June to September.

Cultivation: Horehound is a perennial hardy to Zone 4.  It can grow in the absolutely worst conditions with poor soil and extended drought but it requires good drainage and full sun.  Propagate by seed, cuttings and divisions.  Seed germinates in 10-15 days and is ready for transplanting in 12 weeks.  Cuttings root slowly and at a low percentage. Divisions are done in early spring and are somewhat easy.  Seedlings are transplanted by hand or transplanter, spring through fall.  Cuttings are not recommended unless you just want a couple of plants.  Divisions should be planted immediate after they are done.  Plant at 12 inch spacing in the rows with row spacing at 24-30 inches.  Horehound might benefit from irrigation every 2-3 weeks in the west.  Drip irrigation would be best as it reduces weeds and won’t splash dirt on the plant. No problem with pests or disease.  Horehound is deer proof.  Harvest the above ground herb when it starts to flower which doesn’t happen until the second year.  Harvest with pruning shears.  It should continue to produce through years 4 or 5 before it should be tilled in and replaced.  Yields of dry herb should be about 2,000 pounds per acre.  Do not water before harvesting. 

Culinary Use: Horehound has been used as a bitter condiment and as a candy, but is too bitter for most tastes.  In Europe, the plant has been used to flavor salads, soup, fish and chicken.  It’s been recommended as a seasoning for meat, stews, sauces, cakes, and cookies and suggested that it would also be suitable for stronger-tasting vegetables.  Extracts are used to flavor liqueurs, non-alcoholic beverages, ice cream, candy, and baked goods.  A substitute for hops in beer, it is still sold as Horehound Ale in Europe.

Hominy and Beef
1 Tbsp bacon fat or margarine
1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced
½ cups celery, thinly sliced
1 lb ground beef
1 15-oz can hominy
1 4-oz can mushroom pieces and stems
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp dried horehound or 1 leaf fresh horehound finely cut
            Melt fat in skillet; add onion and celery; stir and cook 2-3 minutes.  Add beef; stir until well mixed.  Cook, stirring constantly, until meat is no longer red.  Add hominy, mushrooms, and seasonings.  Cover and cook over low heat, just barely boiling, for 10 minutes.  Stir frequently and add water if needed to prevent sticking and burning.  (Minnie Muenscher’s Herb Cookbook)

Old-Time Horehound Candy Cough Drops
2 cups fresh horehound, including leaves, stems and flowers (or 1 cup dried)
2 ½ quarts water
3 cups brown sugar
½ cup corn syrup
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp butter
1 tsp lemon juice
            In a large saucepan, cover the horehound with the water.  Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes. Strain through cheesecloth and allow the tea to settle.  Ladle 2 cups of the horehound tea into a large kettle.  Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and cream of tartar.  Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 240F.  Add the butter.  Continue to boil until the candy reaches 30F (hard crack).  Remove from the heat, and add the lemon juice.  Pour at once into a buttered, 8-inch square pan. As the candy cools, score it into squares.  Remove from the pan as soon as candy is cool.  Store in aluminum foil or ziplock plastic bags.  (Herbal Treasures)

     Click here to see a preview of the Table of Contents for Growing and Selling Fresh-Cut Herbs. Click here to see archived Herb of the Month pages.

The comprehensive revised edition of Growing and Selling Fresh-Cut Herbs is available from author, most internet booksellers, bookstores, and in libraries.  It can be ordered from the distributor, Independent Publishers Group. 

E-mail your questions, tips or suggestions.
I look forward to hearing from you.

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