Caraway plants grow to 60 cm (2 feet) high, their foliage is delicate, finely-cut and frond-like and their white, umbrella-like flowers bloom in summer. These flowers are followed by seeds, or fruit, which are brown and crescent-shaped and are marked with distinctive ridges. The roots are thick and tapering and are similar in appearance to a small parsnip.
History and mythology
Caraway is indigenous to all parts of Europe and is also claimed to be native to parts of Asia, India, and North Africa. Its qualities were recognized by the ancient Egyptians and the early Greeks and Romans. The herb was widely known in the middle ages and was popular in Shakespeare’s day. Tike Aniseed, the fruit has been used for centuries in breads and cakes and with baked fruit, especially roast apples. Caraway-seed cake is as traditional in England as apple pie or gingerbread. The oil expressed from the seeds goes into the liqueur Kummel. Because caraway was said to prevent lovers from straying, it was once an essential ingredient in love potions. The seed, baked in dough, is given to pet pigeons to keep them, it is said, from wandering away.
Cultivation
Caraway seeds can be sown in spring and, where the climate is mild, in autumn (fall) as well. Choose a sunny, sheltered position in the garden and sow the seed in shallow drills, 8 inches (20 cm) apart. When the plants are about 3 inches (8 cm) high, thin them out to a distance of 6 inches (15 cm). As the seedlings do not transplant well, it is not advisable to start them in seed boxes.
Harvesting and processing
To harvest, when the seeds are about to drop cut off all the heads and, like anise seed-heads, dry them on sheets of paper in a shady place, exposing them to the sun when possible to completely dry out any moisture. They are ready to store when the fruit falls away easily from the shriveled flowerheads if given a light shake. Sieve out any pieces of stalk and pack the seeds into airtight containers. If using the roots for culinary purposes, they should be pulled when young. If this is a favorite way to use your caraway, it is a good idea to make two sowings, one for the root crop and the other for the seeds.
Various uses
Culinary
Seeds go with baked or boiled onions throughout cooking and into potato dishes. Sprinkling them into the pot when steaming turnips, carrot, parsnips, beetroot, cabbage and cauliflower. Mix them into cream cheese. Mix them into home-made breads, biscuits, and cakes. Shake a few seeds over apples, quinces, and pears when baking or stewing them. The roots, when boiled, are eaten like parsnips with a little melted butter or with white sauce. The young leaves go into spring soups and they give a spicy tang to green salads. They give added flavor to certain green vegetables such as spinach and zucchini.
Medicinal
Caraway’s therapeutic and useful qualities as a medicine and in food were known as far back as Biblical times. The ancient Arabs called the seeds Karawya. The digestive properties of the fruit are identical to those of aniseed. However, the flavor is stronger and reminiscent of the zesty bite of orange or lemon peel. Caraway seeds, and the leaves and root also, are especially good for assisting the activity of the glands and increasing the action of the kidneys.
Cosmetic
As caraway is so good for the digestion, it is probably the reason that Dioscorides, the great Greek physician who lived in the first century A.D., prescribed it for “girls of pale face.” Dr. Nicholas Culpeper, another famous herbalist, also mentions its digestive and cleansing properties, which are conducive to a clear complexion.
Companion planting
Caraway and fennel dislike each other, and one hinders the growth of the other. It has been found that caraway grown in heavy soil loosens it and puts the ground in good condition. Caraway is helpful as a feed supplement for increased milk in cows.
