Welcome to the Celtnet Herb Guide. As this site has grown and many more recipes have been added it's become evident that a guide to the various herbs available to the cook is necessary. With spices becoming more commonly available herbs have become the 'Cinderella' flavourings in the culinary world and more and more herbs are falling out of common usage. These pages are an attempt at bringing all the various culinary herbs together into one place so that you can see what's available and perhaps find something new to use in your own cooking. To use this Herb Guide simply click on the first letter of the herb name above or below. Alternativey why not just browse through the guide. All the herbs given here whether common or rare can be obtained via a specialist herb nursery.

This is the description page for Winter Savory (Satureja montana) and includes a description as well as an image, if available and a selection of recipes from this site that relates to the herb: Winter Savory.

Winter savory (Satureja montana) is a perennial semi-evergreen semi-woody subshrub of the Lamiaceae (mint) family. A native of Southern Europe it grows to about 50 cm tall and bears opposite leaves on the growing parts of the stalks. It is easy to grow, but requires a well-drained soil and direct sunlight for at least six hours a day.

The fresh leaves have a strong spicy flavour (but is less intense than the closely-related summer savory) and make an excellent accompaniment with bean stews and with meats. Generally though it is used as a flavouring for lighter meats, especially fowl such as chicken or turkey. The strong flavour of the leaves becoome much milder under prolongued cooking so to keep the flavour add the herb near the end of cooking. Chopped winter savory makes an excellent addition to yorkshire pudding batters lifting the flavour of the dish. As a result it works wonderfully in toad-in-the-hole.

In common with Summer Savory, leaves of good specimens of winter savoury contain up to 2% essential oil, the main component of which is carvacrol, a position isomer of thymol. p-cymene, α-pinene, dipentene, borneol, 1-linalool, terpineol and 1-carvone are also present. However, winter savory is much less pungent in flavour that summer savory.

The English name savory is derived from the Latin satureia (which is also the genus name of the plant). Though the hame has also been influenced by the adjective savoury (meaning 'spicy') via Middle English savery and Old French sarree (both of which derive from Classical Latin sapor (flavour). Winter savory is so named because this plant is evergreen and fresh leaves can be harvested even in the depth of winter.

In modern times this herb is little used; but for centuries it used to be a staple of many herb gardens. The truth is that it is so easy to grow and has a wonderful distinct flavour so there is no reason for you not to introduce it into your own garden.

Game Terrine
Elizabethan Pease Pottage
Elizabethan Stewed Beef
Mushroom and Courgette Flower Soup
Beans à la Macedoine
Clear Mock-turtle Soup
Clear Giblet Soup
Thick Mock-turtle Soup
Herb Powder for Flavouring
Aromatic Herbaceous Seasoning
Herbed Potato Pastry
Kavarma
Savoury Potato Cakes