French tarragon, with its exclusive, tart taste and spicy fragrance, is one of the most desirable cooking herbs. Leaves are narrow and long and grow on either side of thin, wiry stalks which, together with the main stems, twist and fall in a tangled way, forming a thick, bushy plant 3 feet (90 cm) high. Small, tight, yellowish buds appear in late summer, which rarely open into full bloom, therefore they do not set seed. There is another variety which is grown from seed called Russian tarragon, a native of Siberia. At first glance it resembles French tarragon, but on closer inspection you can see that the foliage is bigger, with pronounced indentations here and there on the leaves. This species has very little flavor, although when French tarragon is hard to find, Russian tarragon, in greater quantities, can be used as a substitute in a recipe. Recently, we have come across another form of tarragon, which our relatives and friends in England insist on calling French tarragon. It is also known as “winter tarragon” and it has been given the botanical name of Tagetes lucida. It is a sturdier, neater looking plant than French tarragon, with firm, dark green leaves, and best of all, a strong, spicy aroma and flavor which is typical of true French tarragon. It has bright yellow flowers which set seed. If you cannot find French tarragon, winter tarragon is a substitute worth growing.
History and mythology
French tarragon is native to the Mediterranean countries, and has long been popular in Continental cookery. The name tarragon is adapted from the French word estragon, meaning “little dragon.” There is a strange old legend about the origin of tarragon (unsubstantiated but quaint) that says the seed of flax put into a radish root, or a sea onion, and set in the ground, brought forth this herb! It was also recorded that it cured the bites and stings of reptiles, venomous insects, and mad dogs.
Cultivation
To obtain a large quantity of new French tarragon plants, propagating by cuttings is advised. Take 6 inch (15 cm) tip cuttings in late spring when the new, soft leaves have become fairly firm. Insert the cuttings, which have had the lower leaves carefully removed, in a pot of coarse river sand, leaving approximately 2 inches (5 cm) of the cuttings above the sand. By mid-summer the roots should have become established enough for planting out. Allow 12 inches (30 cm) between plants. Propagating from root division will not yield as many plants, but is satisfactory for a limited number. The plant dies away to ground level in winter, (except in very warm climates), new shoots appearing early in the spring from a creeping root system. At this time, sever pieces of the main root 2 inches (5 cm) long, together with a new shoot, and plant 12 inches (30 cm) apart. Within about two months these root cuttings are roughly 1½ feet (45 cm) high. Although this herb needs well-drained soil and a sunny position, it also needs to be kept watered, especially in dry weather. In severely cold climates, keep the roots covered in winter with grass clippings or straw.
Harvesting and processing
As tarragon withers away in winter and there are no fresh leaves to pick then, it is important to preserve them when they are in abundance. For drying, harvesting may be started in summer just as the flower buds appear, and continued from time to time until late autumn (fall) before the leaves begin to turn yellow. Hang the leafy stalks in bunches, or spread them out on wire racks for quicker drying, in a cool, airy place. When dry, strip the leaves from the stalks and store them in airtight containers away from the light. For freezing, strip the fresh leaves from their stalks, chop finely, mix with a little water, and put them into ice cube trays in the freezer. Sprays of tarragon may be wrapped in foil and frozen for some weeks. Finely chopped tarragon blended into softened butter, allowed to harden, then cut into squares and sealed in polythene bags or foil, may be frozen too.
Various uses
Culinary
French tarragon is one of the four essential ingredients in the “fines herbes” mixture (the others being chives, chervil, and parsley; each of these herbs having its own delicate and individual flavor and texture, which when put together in equal quantities make a delicious and subtle combination). It is interesting to note that of all the Artemisia group, tarragon is the only one which has culinary uses. The others, such as wormwood and southernwood, are much too bitter to eat, although they have their place among the medicinal herbs. The warming, aromatic fragrance of tarragon complements fish and shellfish, the fresh leaves being especially useful for decorating and flavoring fish molds. It is an excellent herb to use with chicken, turkey, game, veal, liver, kidneys, egg dishes, and in chicken or fish soups. Tarragon can be added to a sour cream dressing, mayonnaise, a melted butter sauce, French dressing, tartare sauce, Bearnaise sauce, and to a green salad. Tarragon steeped in white vinegar gives it a particularly savory flavor.
Medicinal
This herb has long been respected as a source of “warmth forces.” Culpeper says the leaves are “heating and drying” and John Evelyn says that it is “highly cordial and friend of the head, heart and liver.” The leaves contain an exceptionally high quantity of warm, volatile oils, which is why it was advised to mix them with other herbs and with lettuce, that they may “temper the coldness” of a salad.
Cosmetic
Tarragon is one of the few herbs that appear to have no contribution to make in the cosmetic field, although many herbal soaps today contain extracts and oils from nearly all the herbs, both culinary and scented. Oil of tarragon would be a fragrant addition to a beauty soap.
Companion planting
Tarragon is one of the aromatic herbs that are generally helpful to the other plants in the garden, and does not appear to hinder the formation of seed, or the growth, of any herbs or vegetables.
