How to Harvest Thyme: tips for picking thyme & preserving your harvest (2024)
Thyme is a very easy to grow perennial herb to grow with incredibly versatile flavor for cooking and baking. You can have it in a pot on your porch or let it grow to full size out in your garden.
It’s hard to go wrong with harvesting thyme. You can collect small amounts for cooking any time you need to, or you can do a few large harvests and dry your herbs for later.
Here’s what you need to know about when and how to harvest thyme, how to dry it, and how to store it properly.
Table of Contents
When to harvest thyme
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You can start harvesting from your thyme plants once they reach a height of about 6-8”. At first, you’ll only want to trim them lightly or use a few stems for cooking.
For a larger harvest, the best time to cut thyme is right before the plants start to flower. The leaves will be at their best and most intense flavor at this point and may start to lose flavor after flowering.
If you can, harvest in the morning, right after the dew has evaporated from the leaves. The flavorful essential oils are at their peak at this time.
If you can’t harvest in the morning, the second best time to pick thyme is whenever you have the chance!
How to harvest thyme
There aren’t many rules when it comes to how to harvest thyme, since it’s a very easy-going herb.
If you just want a stem or two to cook with, simply clip off a whole stem back to the ground or back to a woody section. Using small, sharp clippers is a must. Large garden shears are too big for thyme and the stems can be difficult to break free with just your fingers.
Do you remember how I wrote in this post on herbs to grow together that thyme is so ridiculously easy to grow that mine lives in a coffee can? I wasn’t kidding – you can see the coffee container in the photo below showing you where to snip off your time sprigs!
Wearing a pair of cut-resistant gardening gloves can be helpful, too, so you don’t snip yourself with your garden scissors. (Don’t have a pair of gloves you love? Check out this guide to the best cut resistant gloves for gardening.)
Rinse off the whole stem once you get inside then run your fingers (or an herb stripper) down the stem to pull the leaves off.
To harvest thyme for drying, go through your plants with a pair of sharp scissors or garden clippers. Cut off the top 5-8” of growth, leaving tough and woody parts behind.
You can cut stems any length as long as you leave at least 4-5” of growth behind so that your plants can bounce back. As long as you do this, you’ll be able to get 2-3 harvests off of the same plants before winter.
Trimming is actually good for the plants, so don’t be afraid to give your thyme a good haircut. You’ll soon see new growth coming out of where you harvested.
How to dry and preserve thyme
Fresh thyme leaves (still attached to the stem) can be refrigerated for a week or two, but drying thyme is the best way to store it long-term.
Fortunately, thyme is one of the easiest herbs to dry. It’s one of the very few herbs that actually air dries for me in a humid 8a climate.
How to air dry thyme:
Gently rinse off the stems in cool water or swish them around in a bowl or sink filled with water.
Pat them dry with a kitchen towel and lay them out to dry for an hour or two on another towel.
Gather the stems into small bundles and tie them together at their cut ends. Use more string or twine to tie them up in a warm, dark, and well-ventilated area. If it’s really humid, spread thyme out on a paper towel placed on top of a wire rack. Set this rack on a cookie tray and stash it somewhere well ventilated but out of direct sunlight.
(Optional) Place brown paper bags with slits cut in them around each bundle of herbs. This helps protect your herbs as they dry and catches any leaves that fall off.
Most herbs take 2-3 weeks to dry fully, but the exact timing depends on humidity levels and other conditions. Thyme leaves are small and dry quickly, so start checking on them after a week. When the leaves are crispy and crumbly, you can take your bundles down.
You can also use a food dehydrator, if you have one, to dry thyme more quickly. Just lay out the stems in a single layer on the dehydrator trays and use a low setting suitable for herbs.
How to store and use thyme
After drying thyme, you can strip the leaves off the stems, but try to keep them whole. The leaves will start to lose flavor once they get crushed or broken.
Store dried leaves or whole stems in airtight containers. Keep the containers away from light and heat as much as possible to keep the flavor of your herbs intact. Stored this way, your thyme can last for up to 2 years!
The best way to store dry thyme is in a wide mouth mason jar. Place the stems in the jar then close it. For even better flavor, use the jar sealer attachment on your FoodSaver to vacuum seal the thyme. Make sure to keep your jar of thyme in a dark cabinet or pantry for tastiest results.
Stretch your dollar: Meat preserved with the foodsaver system in the freezer can last upto 3 years and still taste fresh, flavorful, and freezer-burn...
Built-in roll storage & cutter: Create custom-sized bags without using scissors; Led light indicators then guide you through the vacuum sealing...
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When you’re ready to use it, take out as many leaves as you need and crush them before adding to your recipe.
How to freeze thyme
If you don’t want to dry your harvest, thyme can also be frozen for long-term storage.
One way to do this is to fill ice cube trays with washed thyme leaves. Put as much thyme into each cube as you would use for a recipe. Then, fill up the trays the rest of the way with water.
Once frozen, the ice cubes can be taken out of the trays and stored in freezer bags or containers. Whenever you need thyme for a soup, stew, or sauce, just pull out one of your ice cubes and throw it into your recipe.
Another option is to simply freeze whole leaves or stems on a tray. Once frozen, you can pack the thyme into bags and keep in your freezer until needed.
I like to use reusable silicone storage bags in the freezer. They’re dishwasher safe and the thick sides help protect your thyme from being accidentally broken and smashed when you rummage in the freezer.
Once you realize just how easy it is to grow and harvest thyme, you’ll be looking for more ways to use it in the kitchen!
Thyme works especially well with lemon and can be added to all kinds of casseroles, meat dishes, stews, soups, sauces, and more. For something more outside the box, try using it to make thyme-infused shortbread cookies.
Besides tasting good, thyme is a great companion plant for vegetable gardens, so enjoy growing it wherever you can. You can also plant it with other herbs that have similar soil and water requirements. Learn more in this guide to planting herbs together!
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Natasha
Natasha Garcia-Lopez is an avoid home-gardener and proud owner of 88 acres of land in rural West Virginia. She was a member of the Association for Living History Farms and Agricultural Museums for many years and is currently enrolled in the Oregon State University Master Gardner Short Course program so she can better assist you with your gardening questions.She holds a certificate in natural skincare from the School of Natural Skincare.
Fresh thyme can be added to a recipe whole with the stem, or the leaves can be removed from the stem and then sprinkled into a dish. If a recipe calls for a "sprig" of thyme, the leaves and stem should be kept intact.
Fresh thyme can be added to a recipe whole with the stem, or the leaves can be removed from the stem and then sprinkled into a dish. If a recipe calls for a "sprig" of thyme, the leaves and stem should be kept intact.
Here's how: Wash the herbs (still on their branches), dry them thoroughly, strip the leaves from the branches, and put them in labeled plastic zipper-type freezer bags. With herbs such as rosemary and thyme, you don't even need to strip the leaves from the branches. Press out all the air, seal and freeze.
You can choose to dry the entire stem or remove the tiny leaves. The leaves will dry more quickly off the stem but they will remove more easily from an already dried piece of the herb. To remove the leaves, pinch the end of the stem with your thumb and forefinger and pull up the stalk. The leaves will fall off.
The rule of thumb is that if you are cooking a dish on the stovetop for more than a few minutes, it's best to use dried herbs. While you can use fresh herbs, after cooking them for 10 minutes or longer, the natural oils that make the herbs taste fresh are released.
Thyme's tiny flowers are pretty and white. Though you can pinch the flowers off to allow the plant to produce more leaves, the flavor of thyme really isn't compromised by letting the plant bloom.
Trim thyme back after it's finished flowering to promote new growth. This will give you more leaves to harvest through autumn. If you don't tidy them up, plants become woody and will need replacing after three years.
Harvest thyme just before the plant flowers by cutting off the top five to six inches of growth. Leave the tough, woody parts. It's best to harvest thyme in the morning after the dew has dried.
Freezing dried thyme is possible… But there's no need to. Dried thyme (and most dried herbs) will last for a good 2 to 3 years in an airtight container. There would be no benefit to freezing them.
Gather the thyme together into a bundle.Cut a length of kitchen twine and tie a knot around one end of the thyme.Tie a loop around the other end and hang in a cool, dry place. It will take between 3 days and 2 weeks for the thyme to fully dry.
Store tender herbs by snipping off the bases of the stems and removing any discolored or wilted leaves. Transfer them to a large Mason jar with an inch of water in the bottom. Seal the jar with the lid (if it fits), or cover the top of the jar with an overturned plastic bag sealed with a rubber band.
It's important to get rid of ALL the excess moisture before drying the thyme so it can be a good idea to let it air-dry for an extra 30-60 minutes, pat dry once more, and then move on to the next step.
Thyme (fresh and dried) pairs well with meats of all kinds, chicken, stews, soups, eggs, pastas, vegetables and beans. Fresh thyme is nice with fish and seafood. Think of thyme when you are making lasagna, sautéing or roasting vegetables, roasting chicken, pork, lamb, or beef, and making any sort of potato dish.
Why are dried herbs more potent than fresh herbs? Dried herbs have been dried and often crushed, which concentrates their flavor, making them more potent than fresh herbs. Fresh herbs have a higher water content, so they're not as strong. If you're making a swap, use less dried herbs than you would fresh.
Dried thyme will last a while, but its taste will begin to lose intensity as time goes on. It will retain its flavor for around 6-8 months in most cases.
Using dried herbs instead of fresh like oregano, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, bay, and sage will most likely provide a deeper and more seasoned flavor. The reason why dried herbs are stronger than fresh is that their flavor compounds are non-volatile and therefore don't evaporate when drying or exposed to heat.
Perennial herbs like sage, thyme, lavender, chives and mint do not need to be replanted each year. But annuals like basil and cilantro will not survive an Iowa winter – so they must be replanted each spring. To make matters more confusing, dill, fennel, and a few other annual herbs reseed each year.
Thyme (thymus vulgaris) is an herb that can be consumed fresh or dried. Like other herbs and spices, it's packed with disease-fighting nutrients and antioxidants. This herb has a long history of use in natural medicine and a proven track record as a natural medicine that can fight off bacteria.
Recent studies have revealed that thyme tea has more health benefits than previously known. Studies have shown that it can help reduce inflammation, improve digestion, boost immunity, aid in weight loss, lower cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels, and even reduce cancer risk.
Plant Care. Once settled in, thyme needs very little maintenance – just trim it back once a year after flowering to keep it compact, and water plants in containers in warm weather. As thyme quickly becomes woody, it's best to replace plants every three years or so, once they start to look straggly.
You can harvest fresh thyme periodically throughout the growing season, spring and summer. For the most flavor from your herbs, trim cuttings right before or as the plant flowers. The best time of the day to harvest thyme is on a sunny morning after the leaves are dry from any dew or moisture.
Whisk the herbs into the olive oil and drizzle more oil in to give the herbs a chance to separate and become coated with oil. Pour the mixture into a small jar, then top with another thin layer of olive oil. Place the lid on top and store in the fridge for up to three months.
If you're using fresh leaves, add several sprigs of thyme to a cup of boiling water and let steep for 5 to 8 minutes. If any leaves fall off the sprigs and into your water, you can strain them before drinking.
Thyme can be used fresh or dried, and works well in soups, roasted vegetables, pasta, sauces, pizzas and more! We love garnishing a recipe with a few sprigs of thyme: it looks lovely and adds a fresh herbaceous flavor.
Thyme tea is best known for relieving ailments such as colds, flu and tonsillitis, which love to spoil our winters. Rich in phenol, a powerful antiseptic, thyme tea can also help soothe sore throats. Granny's remedies have stood the test of time: thyme tea, honey and lemon, and you'll be right as rain.
Drying is the easiest method of preserving herbs. Simply expose the leaves, flowers or seeds to warm, dry air. Leave the herbs in a well ventilated area until the moisture evaporates. Sun drying is not recommended because the herbs can lose flavor and color.
Here's a key that can help you convert measurements to use in your recipes: One sprig of fresh thyme is equal to 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme. One teaspoon of dried thyme is equal to one tablespoon of fresh thyme.
Thyme is a member of the mint family and is a hardy perennial that can survive a deep freeze. It will even stay green through the winter. Give your thyme a sunny location and well-draining soil and it will continue to grow all year long.
Oregano, rosemary, lemon verbena, thyme, and sage can all overwinter outdoors and will benefit from a good prune in the fall. Trim away the uppermost leaves and any dead flower heads, and prune back all dead wood on the plant.
Some cold hardy herbs (mint, thyme, oregano, sage, and chives) are very well adapted. In areas with frost, they grow as perennials, going dormant in the winter and coming back with new growth in the spring.
An excellent container for growing thyme is a clay planter. Other types of pots will suffice, but a clay pot will allow the thyme herb to dry out between watering and prevent overly wet roots as thyme isn't tolerant of soggy root conditions. The container should have at least one large drainage hole.
Most herbs can be grown in containers indoors and many of the non-woody, tender varieties such as cilantro, parsley, basil and marjoram can thrive in smaller pots, even in mason jars. Making a garden out of canning jars is perfect for a windowsill, is tidy and looks great.
Ground spices (including cinnamon and ground pepper) stay flavorful for one to three years. Hold onto dried green herbs (such as basil and oregano) for six months to three years, watching for fading color and flavor to guide you.
Thyme is a low shrub native to the Mediterranean and a member of the mint family. It grows in long, thin sprigs with tiny spear-shaped green leaves. We primarily use these leaves in cooking, though the stems can be used for seasoning a soup or braise if removed before serving.
You can use the leaves fresh or dried in many dishes, and they're a key ingredient in traditional bouquet garni and herbes de Provence. The flowers are also edible.
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is an herb with a distinct smell. The flowers, leaves, and oil are commonly used to flavor foods and are also used as medicine.
When a recipe calls for a sprig of thyme, you might think you should put an entire stem into the mix. However, several sprigs grow on one stem, so be sure to remove an individual sprig from the bunch and leave the woody stem to the side.
Fresh and dried thyme is generally safe to eat or drink as a refreshing tea. But essential oils are different. They're highly concentrated and can be toxic in their undiluted form. Ingesting too much thyme in essential oil could cause a risky drop in your blood pressure.
Wrapped in a damp paper towel in a zipper-lock bag proved the most effective method for hardy herbs, like rosemary, thyme, and sage. Surprisingly, it was also the best method for tender chives. Stored upright with water, like flowers, was by far the best for tender herbs like cilantro and parsley.
Thyme is taken by mouth for bronchitis, whooping cough, sore throat, colic, arthritis, upset stomach, stomach pain (gastritis), diarrhea, bedwetting, a movement disorder in children (dyspraxia), intestinal gas (flatulence), parasitic worm infections, and skin disorders.
4 The best way to use thyme as a cough and sore throat remedy is to brew it into a tea. Steep fresh or dried thyme leaves in boiling water for a few minutes–add peppermint leaves if you don't like the taste of thyme on its own–and sip to soothe a scratchy throat or nagging cough.
Thyme stems are not poisonous. They're perfectly fine to eat and add to your soups, desserts, smoothies, and teas. However, they tend to get woody if left on the plant for too long. Woody thyme stems have fewer benefits than young ones.
Introduction: My name is Aron Pacocha, I am a happy, tasty, innocent, proud, talented, courageous, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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