We were late to a local plant sale and were disappointed to find that they'd sold out of regular thyme. That is, until an apologetic salesperson suggested a lemon thyme plant instead. We remembered this plant from a round-up of lemon-scented herbs a few weeks ago, and immediately scooped it up. Sometimes being late is a good thing!
This plant looks just like regular thyme - until you crush a few of its leaves and breath in its sweet, lemony aroma. It smells so good that I've taken to keeping a few sprigs in a small glass vase next to my computer where I work. It's a great afternoon pick-me-up!
In cooking, I've started to realize that it's the best of both worlds. It delivers a soft herbal thyme flavor along with a subtle essence of lemon, all without any of the bitterness we sometimes get from regular thyme. Lemon thyme is really terrific in any dish that calls for both of those ingredients - which is to say, just about everything!
If you find yourself in position of a few sprigs or a whole plant of lemon-thyme, try it in one of these dishes:
• Pork Meatballs with Lemon and Thyme
• Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken
• Lemon Yogurt Cake with Ginger-Thyme Syrup
• Peach and Thyme Polenta Tart
How do you use your lemon thyme?
Related: Pucker Up, Sweet Cheeks: 20 Lemon Dessert Recipes
(Image: Emma Christensen)
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I just picked some up for my ktichen countertop herb planter at the farmer's market. So excited to cook with it!
I prefer lemon thyme to regular. If you can plant it outside, it will come back the following year, too. Unless your husband doesn't know that & turns it under when cleaning up the veggie bed :(
Lemon thyme is the best! My mom planted me a little window box herb garden for my birthday and, just like Emma, got to the nursery too late for regular thyme. She planted lemon thyme instead and it is INCREDIBLE! I find that most recipes I use that call for thyme call for lemon as well - the flavors are so lovely together!
I have both in my garden, but use the lemon thyme a lot more.
I love this stuff. If they made a perfume of lemon thyme and rosemary I would wear it.
I have always had lemon thyme in my garden in NY. I'm going to get some for my apartment in Boston and see if I can make it grow in a pot.
@EmilyfromSpringpad - you should have great success! I have a small container garden on my back patio (3 largish pots) and one contains 2 rosemary plants and 1 lemon thyme...the lemon thyme is doing very, very well!
Don't forget about Lime Thyme... just imagine the possibilities there! I also love my lemon verbena (smells like lemon candy).
I've had my lemon thyme in a little 6" pot for about three years now, and it's doing very well. It seems to be a pretty hardy plant, and it's survived multiple five-plus week long trips away from home with no watering! (my rosemary has survived those, too) I love the nice open branching structure, too.
If any of you are UK based, I can highly recommend the National Herb Centre, just north of Banbury, North Oxfordshire - http://www.herbcentre.co.uk/index.html
They have the most amazing array of herbs and culinary plants I've ever seen...so inspiring. And the view over the surrounding fields is amazing.
It's really good on mashed potatoes.