Thyme
![how to grow thyme indoors](https://www.thechefsgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/thyme.jpg)
Thyme is a very enjoyable and ideal herb to grow indoors.
The advantage of growing your own is that fresh thyme is much more flavourful than dried thyme, but has a storage life of not much more than a week.
- French Thyme – Ideal for stews, soups, meat and fish dishes.
- Lemon Thyme – Ideal for chicken and fish dishes.
- Orange Thyme – Ideal for duck, dessert & carrot recipes.
Follow the links below for details, or read on for growing and cooking advice:
The Different Thyme Varieties
Lots of different varieties of thyme
If you want to know how to grow the plant indoors a key element will be which type you want to grow – as different types taste differently and you might want to grow at least 2 or 3 diferent types.
There are over 100 different varieties – some are great for decoration or attracting bees or caterpillars. But the most popular ones to grow are:
- French or common – the one used most often in cooking.
- Lemon
- Caraway
- Oregano-scented
- Orange
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How to grow thyme indoors
![how to grow thyme indoors](https://www.thechefsgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/thyme-in-a-pot.jpg)
It tends to be best suited to well drained soil and full sun.
Which is why it’s ideal for growing either using soil or hydroponics on a balacony (if it’s sunny) or using a kitchen hydroponic or aquaponic kit with back up lighting.
If using soil
- Sow the seeds thinly into moist warm soil
- Cover slighly – will germinate 7 to 21 days
- Thin to 30 cm between plants
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Using Hydronics or Aquaponics
- It is ideal for hydroponics or aquaponics
- Will take about 5 to 7 weeks before harvesting
- You can speed this up by planting cuttings
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To get a thyme cutting
Cut at the point where the leaves attach. Then remove the lower leaves and then push the cut end into a container of moist soil mix. Keep the pot in a warm, shaded area and keep slightly damp. The video provides full details
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How to use different types
Taking them in turn.
![](https://www.thechefsgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/pork-roast-261x300.jpg)
French or Common
This is the one you are probably used to. The leaves have a strong aroma and are useful in stews, soups and with meat and fish dishes. Because it’s such a powerful herb is it great when combined with other herbs like garlic, oregano, rosemary, etc.
Typical Recipes are
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Lemon Thyme
This type will have yellow-green leaves that are lemon-scented, making it perfect for chicken and fish dishes.
Typical recipes
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Caraway Thyme
If you are not familiar with caraway – the flavour is a bit like mild aniseed with a subtle liquorice hint. It is sometimes used as a substitute for caraway in recipes, but named after it’s use when seasoning beef. (It’s latin name is Thymus herba-barona)
Typical recipes:
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![](https://www.thechefsgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/christmas-duck-248x300.jpg)
Orange thyme
The orange one combines both the original flavour with a citrus orange peel taste and is a great companion to the Lemon variety.
Typical recipes:
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How to prepare thyme
Thyme is very simple to prepare
- Wash the thyme before usings
- Then either use the whole sprig or simply remove leaves and bin the stalk.
- If you want to strip the leaves, hold a stalk at the top and run your thumb and forefinger along the stalk from top to botto.
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Or the video shows ‘step by step’ instructions.
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How to start
Hopefully our guide showing how to grow thym eindoors has helped.