Summer and Winter Savory – Kynteli
Satureja hortensis

Summer savory is a low growing relatively small annual bushy plant with narrow leaves and dainty lilac or white flowers. Winter savory is a hardy perennial that is grown as an annual in Finland where the winter is too cold for it to survive, it is slightly more substantial in growth with darker thicker leaves. Both are known for their ´peppery` thyme like flavour that is valuable to culinary herbal mixes, the best known of these being ´herbes de Provence,

Growing savory is not difficult if you can find good quality seeds. These should be sown into pots indoors in early April and the plants transplanted outdoors 6-8 weeks later when the frost risk is over. As the plants become established and grow, the shoot tips can be removed to encourage the development of a productive bushy plant by mid-August. As with other herbs these tips and the young shoot are used as fresh culinary herbs, at the end of the season the whole upper plant is cut, and the healthy leaves dried for preservation and mixing.

As well as being used in herbal mixes, savory is cooked with most dishes that include beans or lentils and blends well with parsley and chives. Fresh leaves are used to garnish soups and salads.