Thyme

Thyme is a perennial dwarf shrub with woody stems, tiny oval leaves and heads of small two-lipped flowers, pink, mauve or white. It is best harvested just before flowering, but the bushes benefit from frequent small prunes when you collect a few springs for the pot, this stops them becoming leggy and extends their lifespan.

There are many species and cultivars of thyme which hybridise freely – lemon thyme (Thymus x citriodorus), orange-scented thyme (Thyme ‘Fragrantissimus’), creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) and common thyme (Thymus vulgaris). Our native wild Thyme is Thymus praecox, which creeps across coastal grasslands. All of them may be used to bring their individual flavours and scents into cooking, but medicinally we use common thyme as it has the strongest action.

Medicinal value

Thyme is excellent for treating coughs and respiratory infections – it helps break down mucus and aids its expectoration, soothes coughing jags and is strongly antiseptic (particularly against bacteria and fungi). It also warms and soothes the digestion and repels worms and intestinal parasites. A strong tea of thyme can be gargled for tonsillitis and laryngitis – it treats the infection and reduces the pain. One drop Thyme essential oil in steam inhalation is useful for sinusitis and colds. Best taken as a tea (1 teaspoon herb per cup, 3 cups per day for an adult) or as a cough syrup.

Cough syrup

Infuse 50g thyme in 400ml freshly boiled water, cover and steep for 15mins. Strain and stir in 100g honey until dissolved. Keep refrigerated, lasts 4-6 weeks. Dosage 1 teaspoon 3-4 times a day

Oregano (Origanum vulgare), Sweet Marjoram (Origanum marjorana/Marjorana hortensis), Pot Marjoram (Origanum onites)

These herbs can be difficult to separate on sight and have similar activity. Sweet marjoram is not hardy and should be treated as an annual in Ireland, but Oregano is a native perennial herb. All benefit from a warm, sunny situation with free-draining soil. Both are used widely in cooking, especially Italian, and pair well with eggs, tomato, basil and thyme.

Medicinal uses

Oregano has a range of medicinal uses. A strong antiseptic against bacteria, fungi and viruses, it is useful for respiratory and stomach infections, reducing diarrhoea, gastric flu, griping and colic, coughs, whooping cough and wheezing. It is also a useful anti-viral for warts and molluscum contagiosum. It makes an excellent infused oil to rub into sore and stiff muscles and is equally helpful in a hot bath (pour a pot of strong oregano tea into your bathwater). The essential oil is strongly irritant to skin and mucus membranes, it should only be used diluted and never internally, but is useful in steam inhalations.

Infused oil

Place 100g dried oregano (good quality will have a strong scent of oregano) into a wide-mouthed jar and cover with 500ml cold-pressed olive oil. Close the jar and label with name and date. Allow to infuse at room temperature for 4 weeks, shaking daily. Once the colour of the herbs has passed into the oil, strain through a muslin cloth into a sterile bottle and label. Will keep for 1 year and can be used to flavour food as well as medicinally as a rub for sore muscles or a chest rub.

Winter Savoury (Satureja montana)

Another Mediterranean herb that benefits from well-drained soils and a sunny aspect, this is a semi-evergreen hardy perennial (unlike Summer Savoury (Satureja hortensis) which is a half-hardy annual in our climate). It has long been used as a food flavouring, in salami, bean and vegetable stews and with meat. These are also good for flavouring oils (see above) and vinegars to enhance cooking.

Medicinally the savouries stimulate digestion, help fight gut infections and ease indigestion and flatulence. They have also been used to relieve tired eyes, as a general stimulant and aphrodisiac.