On 5/23/2012 9:15 AM, Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> In >,
> The > wrote:
>
>> I now have 16 American Harvest trays of oregano drying. I am drying
>> it on the stems. Much easier than trying to get it off the stem
>> before drying. This is just ordinary oregano.
>>
>> I have another plant which is supposed to be Greek oregano. Will do
>> it as soon as this stuff finished. Actually almost all of my
>> perennial herbs need to be cut and preserved somehow. My thyme plant
>> is huge going over the side of the raised bed. Nice to see something
>> really producing.
>
> How much will get out of 16 jars, Susan? And what in sam hill will you
> do with all of it? Gifts? Do you dry parsley? I've only ever thought
> dried parsley was good for garnishing potato salad. :-\
I also dry parsley, add it to soups and stews in the winter when there
is no fresh. Dried herbs have a stronger flavor than fresh and you can
also use less at a time.

Boo hoo, most of our oregano quit growing when we had the two-year
drought, finally had to actually buy some for the first time in twenty
odd years. Now that we're getting normal rain both my Greek and Spanish
oregano are coming back.

In article > ,
George Shirley > wrote:

> On 5/23/2012 9:15 AM, Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> > How much will get out of 16 jars, Susan? And what in sam hill will you
> > do with all of it? Gifts? Do you dry parsley? I've only ever thought
> > dried parsley was good for garnishing potato salad. :-\

> I also dry parsley, add it to soups and stews in the winter when there
> is no fresh. Dried herbs have a stronger flavor than fresh and you can
> also use less at a time.

Sorry, Jorge, I'm standing by my opinion that dried parsley is good only
for garnishing potato salad. You're wrong. I'm right. '-) If you
can't find fresh parsley in your local supermarket in the winter,
Sulphur is in bad shape! <grin> I can find it up here in south Canada
year round -- for less than a buck for a bunch that will last a month,
properly cared for.
>
> Boo hoo, most of our oregano quit growing when we had the two-year
> drought, finally had to actually buy some for the first time in twenty
> odd years. Now that we're getting normal rain both my Greek and Spanish
> oregano are coming back.

Heh!! Dormant, eh? Good on ya!
--
Barb,
http://web.me.com/barbschaller September 5, 2011

On 5/24/2012 7:25 PM, Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> In ws.com>,
> George > wrote:
>
>> On 5/23/2012 9:15 AM, Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>>> How much will get out of 16 jars, Susan? And what in sam hill will you
>>> do with all of it? Gifts? Do you dry parsley? I've only ever thought
>>> dried parsley was good for garnishing potato salad. :-\
>
>> I also dry parsley, add it to soups and stews in the winter when there
>> is no fresh. Dried herbs have a stronger flavor than fresh and you can
>> also use less at a time.
>
> Sorry, Jorge, I'm standing by my opinion that dried parsley is good only
> for garnishing potato salad. You're wrong. I'm right. '-) If you
> can't find fresh parsley in your local supermarket in the winter,
> Sulphur is in bad shape!<grin> I can find it up here in south Canada
> year round -- for less than a buck for a bunch that will last a month,
> properly cared for.
>>
>> Boo hoo, most of our oregano quit growing when we had the two-year
>> drought, finally had to actually buy some for the first time in twenty
>> odd years. Now that we're getting normal rain both my Greek and Spanish
>> oregano are coming back.
>
> Heh!! Dormant, eh? Good on ya!
We took an Aegean Sea cruise in 1985, lots of little islands that the
cruise ship got close to that we could see the wild oregano growing on
them. Only fresh water the stuff got was the odd rain shower. Herbs have
to be tough to survive.

Always wondered what the first human thought as he or, more likely, she
took a bite of a new herb. And who learned to combine which herb with
certain meats and other dishes?

You gotta wonder.

On 5/24/2012 8:07 PM, George Shirley wrote:

> Always wondered what the first human thought as he or, more likely, she
> took a bite of a new herb. And who learned to combine which herb with
> certain meats and other dishes?
>
> You gotta wonder.



Don't you think people were attracted by the aromas of the herbs?
And when you're cooking, can't you imagine how a certain herb would
taste in the dish?

Scent has a LOT of influence in cooking.

gloria p

George Shirley wrote:

> Always wondered what the first human thought as he or,
> more likely, she took a bite of a new herb.

> You gotta wonder.

So anyway, a friend of mine was collecting ramps,
which I introduced him to,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_tricoccum

in his woods a few weeks ago,
and while he was gathering some with his son,
he noticed another plant.
I think he was very taken with the concept
of tramping through the woods
and feasting on the available flora,
so he ate a leaf from the other plant.
It had no disgreeable taste and the leaf was tender
and he felt fine for about forty five minutes.
His son tasted it and spit it out.

We later identified the plant as false hellebore.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veratrum_viride

It turns out that the false hellebore
is one of the most (if not *the* most) poisonous
green plants that grow in those woods,
and that was the time of the year when they are at their
peak toxicity and he almost died.

Every once in a while I pull up some weed
like wild parsnip
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsnip
which we cook,
or a young wild carrot
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_carrot
and start munching.

I think a gave him the false impression
that grabbing plants to eat,
while taking a walk outdoors,
is a simpler matter than it really is.

--
pete

pete wrote:
>
> So anyway, a friend of mine was collecting ramps,
> which I introduced him to,
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_tricoccum
>
> in his woods a few weeks ago,
> and while he was gathering some with his son,
> he noticed another plant.
> I think he was very taken with the concept
> of tramping through the woods
> and feasting on the available flora,
> so he ate a leaf from the other plant.
> It had no disgreeable taste and the leaf was tender
> and he felt fine for about forty five minutes.
> His son tasted it and spit it out.
>
> We later identified the plant as false hellebore.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veratrum_viride
>
> It turns out that the false hellebore
> is one of the most (if not *the* most) poisonous
> green plants that grow in those woods,
> and that was the time of the year when they are at their
> peak toxicity and he almost died.

An herbalist friend likes to tromp through the woods indentifying plant
species. Sometimes she collects them and plants them at home. She has
a vast variety of herbs in her garden at this point. When I visit next
month I'll take home one we've already discussed and make hops free
herbal ale. Second year, second different herb in the ale. Last year
it was woodruff (the spice used in German May wine). Very popular.
This year it will be meadow sweet.

One time she came back with from the woods with no herbs and her hands
away from her body. She said she needed to take a shower. Came back
later with fresh clothes. Whatever she'd been in was so toxic that
just from touching it she was in danger. Something in the nighshade
family she said.

I'll let the herbalists do that wild collection stuff. I'm adventurous
cooking herbs into my food but I do it with the ones that are safe
enough to make it to a shop.

On 5/25/2012 12:58 PM, pete wrote:
> George Shirley wrote:
>
>> Always wondered what the first human thought as he or,
>> more likely, she took a bite of a new herb.
>
>> You gotta wonder.
>
> So anyway, a friend of mine was collecting ramps,
> which I introduced him to,
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_tricoccum
>
> in his woods a few weeks ago,
> and while he was gathering some with his son,
> he noticed another plant.
> I think he was very taken with the concept
> of tramping through the woods
> and feasting on the available flora,
> so he ate a leaf from the other plant.
> It had no disgreeable taste and the leaf was tender
> and he felt fine for about forty five minutes.
> His son tasted it and spit it out.
>
> We later identified the plant as false hellebore.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veratrum_viride
>
> It turns out that the false hellebore
> is one of the most (if not *the* most) poisonous
> green plants that grow in those woods,
> and that was the time of the year when they are at their
> peak toxicity and he almost died.
>
> Every once in a while I pull up some weed
> like wild parsnip
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsnip
> which we cook,
> or a young wild carrot
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_carrot
> and start munching.
>
> I think a gave him the false impression
> that grabbing plants to eat,
> while taking a walk outdoors,
> is a simpler matter than it really is.
>
Unless you know exactly which plant is which "grazing" can either kill
you or seriously disable you. Your friend was lucky he survived.

In article > , George
Shirley > wrote:

> Unless you know exactly which plant is which "grazing" can either kill
> you or seriously disable you. Your friend was lucky he survived.

A visit here may be in order...

<http://www.alnwickgarden.com/explore/whats-here/the-poison-garden>

--
Woodworking and more at <http://www.woodenwabbits.com>

George Shirley wrote:
>
> On 5/25/2012 12:58 PM, pete wrote:
> > George Shirley wrote:
> >
> >> Always wondered what the first human thought as he or,
> >> more likely, she took a bite of a new herb.
> >
> >> You gotta wonder.
> >
> > So anyway,

> Unless you know exactly which plant is which "grazing" can either kill
> you or seriously disable you.

I agree.

> Your friend was lucky he survived.

I agree.

So anyway,
getting back to your musing about
the first human to take a bite of a new herb:

I think that the first human to take a bite of a new herb,
might have employed a safety philosophy
which was more complicated than
knowing "exactly which plant is which",
especially if they intended to continue to be
the first human to take bites of new herbs.

--
pete

pete wrote:
>
> I think that the first human to take a bite of a new herb,
> might have employed a safety philosophy
> which was more complicated than
> knowing "exactly which plant is which",
> especially if they intended to continue to be
> the first human to take bites of new herbs.
>

Bryson touches on it in his latest book about homes, the unknown process
where relatively benign plants, but useless as food crops, such as
members of the grass family, became maize (what people in the US call
corn) and wheat.

What's not only unkown, but amazing is the process where poisons plants such
as the ancestors of tomatos, eggplant and potatoes became not only safe
to eat, but food crops.

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, N3OWJ/4X1GM/KBUH7245/KBUW5379
To put it in terms everyone understands, the US debt is over 150 Facebooks.

On 5/25/2012 11:58 AM, pete wrote:

>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veratrum_viride
>
> It turns out that the false hellebore
> is one of the most (if not *the* most) poisonous
> green plants that grow in those woods,
> and that was the time of the year when they are at their
> peak toxicity and he almost died.
>



Poison hemlock grows in the wild here (CO) and doesn't look at all like
eastern evergreen hemlock. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conium

Good advice is "If you don't know what it is, don't pick it."

gloria p

On 5/25/2012 5:13 PM, gloria p wrote:
> On 5/25/2012 11:58 AM, pete wrote:
>
>>
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veratrum_viride
>>
>> It turns out that the false hellebore
>> is one of the most (if not *the* most) poisonous
>> green plants that grow in those woods,
>> and that was the time of the year when they are at their
>> peak toxicity and he almost died.
>>
>
>
>
> Poison hemlock grows in the wild here (CO) and doesn't look at all like
> eastern evergreen hemlock. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conium
>
> Good advice is "If you don't know what it is, don't pick it."
>
> gloria p
Even better advice, "Damned sure don't eat it if you are absolutely
positive what it is."

I can identify chickweed and we sometimes add it to salads, along with
nasturtiums and violet blossoms.

Tomorrow I will be drying fernleaf dill, oregano, and some basil.

gloria p wrote:

> Poison hemlock grows in the wild here (CO)
> and doesn't look at all like
> eastern evergreen hemlock. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conium

But it *has* been mistaken for parsnip.

http://www.google.com/search?q=%22po...O-8859-1&gbv=1

Results 1 - 10 of about 65,300 for "poison hemlock" parsnip.

> Good advice is "If you don't know what it is, don't pick it."

I agree.

--
pete