What Does Thyme Taste Like?

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Thyme is a delicious herb and is part of many poultry recipes.

In this article, we will discuss several aspects of Thyme, such as what does Thyme taste like? How is Thyme cooked? The health benefits of Thyme? Etc.

We will also address some queries related to Thyme in the last section of this article.

Table of Contents

What Is Thyme?

Thyme is a herb belonging to the Lamiaceae family’s Thymus genus.

This is a family of perennial evergreen herbs, and Thyme is also related to Origanum, the genus of Oregano.

Both Oregano and Thyme are usually native indigenous to the Mediterranean region.

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What Does Thyme Taste Like?

Thyme has a minty and earthy flavor.

Thyme is citrus and minty-laced, savory and sweet, flowery and a little woody.

The herb also has traces of toned-down rosemary or lavender.

How Is Thyme Made?

Thyme is a delicious herb and goes well with chicken, fish, beef, pork and vegetable dishes.

The dried version of Thyme is also useful, and people usually store it in a jar and keep it in the cabinet.

Here is how you can prepare Thyme for consumption:

Removing The Thyme Leaves

For some recipes, people use entire Thyme stems; however, assuming that you are just interested in Thyme leaves, you will need to follow some cleaning steps.

It is tough to rid the woody stems of the leaves because the leaves are small, and the stem is extremely delicate.

To remove the leaves from the delicate stem, you will need to decide the direction in which the leaves are growing.

Most leaves tend to grow upwards towards the sun.

To remove the leaves, you will need to hold your forefinger and thumb gently.

With your forefinger/thumb, gently hold the stem, and just below where you are holding the stem, slide your fingers downwards.

This light pressure of your thumb/forefinger will not damage or break the stem and will be enough to peel the leaves as you move downwards.

This way, you will be able to rid the stem of the leaves with one hand.

Usually, since the leaves are so small, people don’t even bother cutting them.

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How Do You Cook Thyme?

Here is how you can cook Thyme:

Fresh Thyme

You can add fresh Thyme to any dish with the whole stem or remove the leaves from the stem and add them to the recipe.

If a recipe states that you need to add a ‘Sprig’ of Thyme, then the stem and leaves should be kept intact.

When adding a whole Thyme sprig to soups, stews and other dishes, the leaves will typically fall off during the cooking process, and you can remove the stem before serving the dish.

If a recipe states that you need to add fresh Thyme, you will need to rid the stem of the leaves.

To remove the leaves from a Thyme sprig, you will need to hold the sprig with one hand from the top, pinch the sprig, run the fingers down the stem and pull off all the leaves.

The leaves will detach the stem easily, and since Fresh Thyme leaves are so small, they don’t need to be chopped or sliced.

The exception to removing the leaves from the stem is when the stem is flexible and young, and removing the leaves will be too difficult.

In this case, it is normal to chop the whole sprig and add it to the dish.

Unlike other varieties of fresh herbs, you can add fresh Thyme leaves early in a recipe.

The herb benefits from lengthy cooking periods and will slowly infuse the flavor into the recipe.

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Dried Thyme

Dried Thyme can retain a large portion of the fresh Thyme flavor and is a suitable alternative for fresh Thyme.

However, using dried Thyme alternatives such as Fresh Thyme, nearly 1/3^rd of the fresh Thyme volume is called for in a recipe as the flavor of dried Thyme is stronger than the fresh Thyme.

As with other dried herbs, you should always add the dried Thyme at the start of the cooking process.

What Do You Eat Thyme With?

Here is one way you can eat Thyme:

Lemon Thyme Cupcakes

Ingredients

Unbleached Flour: ½ Cups
Baking Powder: ½ tsp.
Salt: ¼ tsp.
Lemon Thyme (Finely Minced): 2 tbsps.
Milk: ¾ Cup
Lemon Zest (Finely Grated): 1 tsp.
Sugar: 3 tbsps.
Eggs (Large): 2
Vanilla Extract: ½ tsp.
Lemon Juice: 3 tbsps.

Instructions

Place the cupcakes on a baking sheet or a baking pan.

Please butter the pan or sheet lightly.

Preheat the oven to a temperature of 350 Degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small-sized bowl, combine salt, baking powder and flour.

Take a measuring cup, and add 3 tbsps. Of Thyme to the milk, along with the lemon zest, and combine the mixture well.

Add the butter to the bowl, put the electric mixer on medium speed and beat for 3 minutes.

Scrape the sides of the bowl, add a cup of sugar, and beat for 2 additional minutes.

Then, add the large eggs, one at a time, and blend them with the mixture.

Beat the batter until it has a fluffy and light texture.

Add vanilla to the mixture and beat the mixture for one more minute.

Lower the speed of the electric mixer, add ½ of the dry ingredients and the milk mixture and combine well.

Then, add the other half of the dried ingredients to the mix.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and ensure the batter is properly combined.

Add the batter evenly to the baking pan cups.

Bake the batter for approximately 25 minutes, or until it develops a golden brown color.

Combine the remaining 3 tbsps of sugar with the remaining Thyme and lemon juice and stir until the sugar dissolves.

When the cupcakes are baked, remove the baking pan from the oven and brush a glaze of lemon over them.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then place them on the cooling rack.

Is Thyme Good For You?

Here are some health benefits of Thyme:

Has Pain-Relieving Properties

Thyme has anti-inflammatory properties that can offer pain relief.

Studies indicate that Thyme-based supplements offer relief from menstrual cramps.

People with rheumatoid arthritis use Thyme topically or herbal teas to alleviate the symptoms.

However, more research is required before Thyme can be declared a treatment.

Has Antimicrobial Properties

Thyme can also be a disinfectant because it has antimicrobial properties.

Studies show you can use Thyme as a disinfectant at home.

Thyme Can Help With Skin Diseases Such As Acne And Eczema

Thyme’s anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties enable it to treat several skin conditions.

Thyme can also eliminate bacterial infection and can reduce inflammation in the body.

Thyme can eliminate the inflammation and irritation associated with acne and eczema.

Thyme Is A Insect Repellant

Thyme oil has insect repellant properties.

Thymol, the oil in Thyme, is an ingredient in most insect repellants.

You can also make insect repellant by combining water or olive oil with Thyme.

Conclusion

Thyme is a flavorful and delicious herb, and in this article, we have thoroughly discussed Thyme.

When you are done reading this article, you will be aware of how to cook Thyme, its health benefits and much more.

Sources:

Recommended Reading:

What Does Thyme Taste Like?

What Is Thyme?

What Does Thyme Taste Like?