Tarragon ~ - Page 4

Tomstrees · November 3, 2006

Grub -

Any progress on your herbs ?
Its getting cold here, so I just have
a pot of flat leaf parsley in the kitch window ..

Tom

**Mischka** · May 31, 2007

Ok, my French Tarragon came back up this year and I'm wondering who else is growing it in '07?

My four plants never reached over a foot last season and I'm wondering how tall it grows for other folks. The flavor was great, but I didn't cut too much off of the plants. I wasn't sure if it would stunt the plants and cause them not to come back this season.

This is one herb that's well worth growing, IMHO. There's no comparison between the dried stuff you buy at the store versus a few sprigs of fresh.

Tomstrees · May 31, 2007

Funny you should mention this as I planted my tarragon from seed last season (not sure if its french or the russian one), anyway it came back this year as well.

It looks like tarragon, its in the same spot as the tarragon from last season, but when you pull a piece off and smell it? It smells like grass -

Does it take some time to mature to get that good flavor we know ?

~ Tom

Worth1 · May 31, 2007

I don't know if anyone mentioned this or not but tarragon goes great in chicken and dumplings.

An herb garden is in the works for next year as soon as I take out the fence in the back yard.
Then dig holes and fill in with good soil so the stuff can grow.

Worth

Spatzbear · May 31, 2007

My French Tarragon grows about 1m high or so. It dies back in winter and comes back with a vengeance in spring.

As far as I know, French Tarragon is not propagated by seeds, only by root cuttings. Russian Tarragon is propagated by seeds.

French Tarragon is absolutely fabulous with chicken, I totally agree.

**Mischka** · June 1, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spatzbear

My French Tarragon grows about 1m high or so. It dies back in winter and comes back with a vengeance in spring.

As far as I know, French Tarragon is not propagated by seeds, only by root cuttings. Russian Tarragon is propagated by seeds.

French Tarragon is absolutely fabulous with chicken, I totally agree.

Thanks for the height information. Do you fertilize it, and if so, with what?

Spatzbear · June 1, 2007

It thrives on neglect. No fertilizing, no watering. Just the occasional weeding. It's in with my globe artichokes which receive exactly the same treatment.

Hope it does well for you.

David52 · June 18, 2007

It's very easy to propagate the French tarragon from cuttings, as well as dividing the roots. The plant is day-length sensitive, I tried growing it in containers in a greenhouse and it would still die off and start coming back in early March. Here, it is one of the earliest plants up in the spring, and I look forward to chewing on the stalks and leaves in April. When it gets hot, above 90ºF, it will get woody, and if it is cut back, will grow again when its cooler later in the year.

For use, aside from all the excellent suggestions above, I would add that it also makes great pickles. We do fillet green beans as well as cucumbers, the beans are very popular. I've yet to add too much tarragon in a jar, and white wine vinegar is the way to go.

Also, any thing that takes a hot pepper heat is complemented by tarragon. Some time try adding leaves to a salsa, or on a burrito, anything with green chili.

organichris · June 19, 2007

I'm assuming the dried store bought tarragon is French? That's the only kind I've ever eaten, and its grrreat!

Granny · June 19, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by organichris

I'm assuming the dried store bought tarragon is French? That's the only kind I've ever eaten, and its grrreat!

I would suspect it is the Russian variety unless it is labeled as "French" simply because of the cost/ease of production issues in mass producing tarragon.

There are several wonderful spice companies online that do specifically carry French tarragon.

Me - I hate & despise tarragon no matter where it comes from. Just tastes nasty to me.

organichris · June 21, 2007

Thanks, Granny. Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks I guess.

David52 · June 22, 2007

I did a dozen starts using Clonex, using bottom heat from one of those standard heating mats. But I used some clippings from an established plant, and the whole process from clipping to setting on the mat took all of 5 min.

Once you have it established in the garden, its fairly hardy stuff.

Here, we say that Clonex would put roots on a nail. I wonder what it would do for baldness??

bizzarbazzar · June 27, 2007

I started a small plant from a cutting that received (french tarragon) and it made it through the cold Montana winter wonderfully. It is larger than I planned for being in montana and is growing into the mint plants. Oh well I think it looks pretty there. Ill post pics in a bit too

Granny · June 27, 2007

Lovely! The reason that French tarragon is started from cuttings has little to do with its' hardiness. It rarely sets seed. Miserable to raise from seed.

The kiddo came running in yesterday to tell me she thought we had an herb growing in the front lawn. Lo & behold, Miss Sharp Eyes was right on the $$ - oregano, dead center of the grass. Guess I'll have to put a little fence around it. Still wondering how it managed to get there.

Care · December 29, 2007

Hi Everyone,
Last spring, thanks to this forum I think, we learned about the difference between French and Russian Tarragon, and it was mentioned that Mexican Tarragon is a very acceptable substitute for French. It was suggested that the only way to really know if a tarragon in a greenhouse was real was to taste it; the Russian would be tasteless and the others would numb the tongue and mouth a bit. We proceeded to do that, and at the third greenhouse found a winner. I ended up drying it, and it was so strongly licorice-smelling that I could not imagine eating it. Then I put it on fish I was cooking in olive oil and a little butter, and I became a huge fan! It smelled so different, so aromatic, and it tasted wonderful. I dont know if our one plant will survive the winter here, but even if it does, I plan to put in more plants in the spring. I was going to do the taste test again at greenhouses, but I love that idea of rooting it from sprigs bought at a grocery store that I read in this thread. I think that I would sneak a little taste test of the grocery store tarragon before buying it, though, just to be sure. ~C

November 3, 2006	#46
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Grub - Any progress on your herbs ? Its getting cold here, so I just have a pot of flat leaf parsley in the kitch window .. Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

May 31, 2007	#47
Mischka Tomatoville® Administrator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Bay State Posts: 3,207	Ok, my French Tarragon came back up this year and I'm wondering who else is growing it in '07? My four plants never reached over a foot last season and I'm wondering how tall it grows for other folks. The flavor was great, but I didn't cut too much off of the plants. I wasn't sure if it would stunt the plants and cause them not to come back this season. This is one herb that's well worth growing, IMHO. There's no comparison between the dried stuff you buy at the store versus a few sprigs of fresh. __________________ Mischka One last word of farewell, Dear Master and Mistress. Whenever you visit my grave, say to yourselves with regret but also with happiness in your hearts at the remembrance of my long happy life with you: "Here lies one who loved us and whom we loved." No matter how deep my sleep I shall hear you, and not all the power of death can keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail.

May 31, 2007	#48
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	Funny you should mention this as I planted my tarragon from seed last season (not sure if its french or the russian one), anyway it came back this year as well. It looks like tarragon, its in the same spot as the tarragon from last season, but when you pull a piece off and smell it? It smells like grass - Does it take some time to mature to get that good flavor we know ? ~ Tom __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

June 18, 2007	#53
David52 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: SW Colorado Posts: 74	It's very easy to propagate the French tarragon from cuttings, as well as dividing the roots. The plant is day-length sensitive, I tried growing it in containers in a greenhouse and it would still die off and start coming back in early March. Here, it is one of the earliest plants up in the spring, and I look forward to chewing on the stalks and leaves in April. When it gets hot, above 90ºF, it will get woody, and if it is cut back, will grow again when its cooler later in the year. For use, aside from all the excellent suggestions above, I would add that it also makes great pickles. We do fillet green beans as well as cucumbers, the beans are very popular. I've yet to add too much tarragon in a jar, and white wine vinegar is the way to go. Also, any thing that takes a hot pepper heat is complemented by tarragon. Some time try adding leaves to a salsa, or on a burrito, anything with green chili. __________________ That last tomato, dear? What last tomato? That stain on my shirt collar? Um, er, lipstick.

June 22, 2007	#57
David52 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: SW Colorado Posts: 74	I did a dozen starts using Clonex, using bottom heat from one of those standard heating mats. But I used some clippings from an established plant, and the whole process from clipping to setting on the mat took all of 5 min. Once you have it established in the garden, its fairly hardy stuff. Here, we say that Clonex would put roots on a nail. I wonder what it would do for baldness?? __________________ That last tomato, dear? What last tomato? That stain on my shirt collar? Um, er, lipstick.

May 31, 2007	#49
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I don't know if anyone mentioned this or not but tarragon goes great in chicken and dumplings. An herb garden is in the works for next year as soon as I take out the fence in the back yard. Then dig holes and fill in with good soil so the stuff can grow. Worth

May 31, 2007	#50
Spatzbear Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Adelaide Hills, Australia Posts: 349	My French Tarragon grows about 1m high or so. It dies back in winter and comes back with a vengeance in spring. As far as I know, French Tarragon is not propagated by seeds, only by root cuttings. Russian Tarragon is propagated by seeds. French Tarragon is absolutely fabulous with chicken, I totally agree.

June 1, 2007	#52
Spatzbear Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Adelaide Hills, Australia Posts: 349	It thrives on neglect. No fertilizing, no watering. Just the occasional weeding. It's in with my globe artichokes which receive exactly the same treatment. Hope it does well for you.

June 19, 2007	#54
organichris Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 630	I'm assuming the dried store bought tarragon is French? That's the only kind I've ever eaten, and its grrreat!

June 21, 2007	#56
organichris Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 630	Thanks, Granny. Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks I guess.

June 27, 2007	#58
bizzarbazzar Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Butte, MT Posts: 811	I started a small plant from a cutting that received (french tarragon) and it made it through the cold Montana winter wonderfully. It is larger than I planned for being in montana and is growing into the mint plants. Oh well I think it looks pretty there. Ill post pics in a bit too

June 27, 2007	#59
Granny Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 507	Lovely! The reason that French tarragon is started from cuttings has little to do with its' hardiness. It rarely sets seed. Miserable to raise from seed. The kiddo came running in yesterday to tell me she thought we had an herb growing in the front lawn. Lo & behold, Miss Sharp Eyes was right on the $$ - oregano, dead center of the grass. Guess I'll have to put a little fence around it. Still wondering how it managed to get there.

December 29, 2007	#60
Care Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 2	Taste Testing Tarragon Hi Everyone, Last spring, thanks to this forum I think, we learned about the difference between French and Russian Tarragon, and it was mentioned that Mexican Tarragon is a very acceptable substitute for French. It was suggested that the only way to really know if a tarragon in a greenhouse was real was to taste it; the Russian would be tasteless and the others would numb the tongue and mouth a bit. We proceeded to do that, and at the third greenhouse found a winner. I ended up drying it, and it was so strongly licorice-smelling that I could not imagine eating it. Then I put it on fish I was cooking in olive oil and a little butter, and I became a huge fan! It smelled so different, so aromatic, and it tasted wonderful. I dont know if our one plant will survive the winter here, but even if it does, I plan to put in more plants in the spring. I was going to do the taste test again at greenhouses, but I love that idea of rooting it from sprigs bought at a grocery store that I read in this thread. I think that I would sneak a little taste test of the grocery store tarragon before buying it, though, just to be sure. ~C