Facts about herbs

Herbs have long been used in food or medicine, as incense or tea. A herb is a plant without a tree trunk. Herbs that can be used as spices in cooking is appreciated in kitchens around the world. In addition to tasting good, they smell wonderful and are beautiful to look at.

How herbs are harvested

Herbs are harvested in different ways depending on the type of plant it is and where in the world they are growing. In Chile and Peru oregano is harvested by hand with a special knife, which is done in the morning. The cut oregano stack will remain and dry on the plant until the afternoon. Then the stack is turned so that the flower stems are down and prevents the leaves to become moist. The next morning the harvested oregano is spread out in the sun and in the afternoon it is dried and shipped to clean.

Oregano growing on the slope of the Andes is transported down to the lower levels and spread on plastic sheets to dry. In Turkey, oregano is harvested by machine and may take some days to dry. Parsley and dill in Germany are grown on large fields and harvested with a combine harvester. Thyme is taken directly after harvest and dried indoors using hot air in Provence and in Egypt basil is put out to dry in the sun.