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Tarragon :: Herb of the Month + Recipes + Giveaway
August 11, 2009
Artemisia dracunculus
This month we spotlight Tarragon as our Herb of the Month. Just the thought of this wonderful herb transports me back to our backyard in Budapest. Tarragon was one of the wonderful edibles that grew beautifully and abundantly in our yard, and I picked the fresh leaves often and enjoyed them mostly in tossed salads.
Now that I think of it I haven’t used this wonderful herb since the beginning of this year, and that strikes me as a little odd since I absolutely adore this herb. I used this wonderful herb in these two recipes:
Well, I can safely say my unintentional tarragon hiatus is officially over since I have a small basket of fresh French tarragon leaves waiting to be used.
French, Russian, and Spanish Tarragon
French and Russian tarragon are two varieties of tarragon used in recipes and surprisingly both originate from Eastern Europe, Siberia to be more specific. In comparison, the French variety has a much stronger, yet smooth and sweeter, licorice flavor over its counterpart. Russian tarragon has a milder and lighter flavor and also tends to have a slight bitter undertone.
Distinguishing the identity of the two leaves is easy, French tarragon has narrow, pointed, dark green leaves, and Russian tarragon has broader, tougher leaves.
Fresh vs. Dried
Fresh Tarragon has a stronger more pronounced flavor than dried. Some say it is best to use tarragon in moderation, in small quantities. I say use your discretion. It depends on what you pair it with and how you use it; only a little may be needed to flavor a certain dish. On that note, if you are looking for a subtle less intense flavoring, using a good quality dried tarragon would be a good option.
Storing It
Store springs of fresh tarragon in a shallow glass of water. It should last in the fridge for up to a week. For a longer term, fresh tarragon can be frozen in baggiest and thawed as needed.
Dried tarragon can keep its flavor and last up to a year when stored in air tight containers in a cool, dry area, out of direct sunlight.
Culinary Tarragon Around The World
French tarragon above the rest is highly sought after in the culinary world. It makes its appearance in soups, salads, salad dressings, marinades, herbed oils, sauces, vegetables, and desserts in world cuisine.
Tarragon blends well with herbs like chervil, chives, and parsley, pairs well with many vegetables including asparagus, artichokes, cauliflower, squash, tomatoes, and fruits including lemons, peaches, and pears.
France
These days tarragon is primarily cultivated and produced in France and it is an herb oh-so-evocative of French cuisine. The French call it “esdragon” or “Herbe au Dragonand” they use a great deal of it in many recipes. Tarragon and other aromatic herbs are combined to create the famous “Herbs de Provence.
Italy
The Italians call it “dragoncello“. It is a popular herb in Siena but it is not as commonly used elsewhere in Italy.
Notes, Facts, and Substitutions
Heat intensifies the flavour of both fresh and dried tarragon. If you plan to use it in a recipe that calls for heating through dehydrating, you might consider using a bit less tarragon than called for in the recipe.
Ran out of tarragon? Chervil, fennel seed or anise seed are good substitutes in a pinch, but keep in mind that the end result, the flavor of the recipe will not be exactly the same.
Another good substitute is Spanish or Mexican tarragon Tagetes lucida - it is part of the “abnormal marigold family of plants that offers a similar but less pungent licorice-like flavor with a sweeter note than French tarragon.
Plan on planting tarragon? Russian, as well as Spanish tarragon, are very easy to grow perennial herbs that can grow from seed as opposed to French tarragon which is more difficult to grow and must be cultivated from clippings. French and Russian tarragon are both part of the sunflower family. Spanish tarragon is part of the marigold family.
For those of you who are watching your salt intake, tarragon makes a great and flavorful salt substitute.
Chef’s Note: due to the volatile oils, tarragon tends to oxidize quickly if chopped excessively.
Health Benefits and Medicinal Uses
Tarragon is said to be an excellent source of calcium, iron, and manganese, a good source of potassium, magnesium, Vitamins A and C, and on the mineral front contains trace amounts of copper, phosphorous, and zinc.
Like most herbs, tarragon can be made into tea, but what I discovered about drinking the brew was a pleasant surprise. This herb contains antioxidants and healing properties that support the liver and the stomach. Tarragon tea can be used to help - stomach cramps, digestive problems, fatigue, stimulate the appetite, it has a calming effect and best of all it an excellent anti-bacterial agent and helps promote detoxification!. Anyone care for some tarragon tea?
Herb of the Month Giveaway
Each month we feature an herb, highlight its benefits, showcase it in a raw vegan recipe, and offer a giveaway of an assortment of products featuring the herb of the month courtesy of our wonderful sponsor Mountain Rose Herbs.
At the end of this month August, a name will be drawn from the comment section of this post, and Mountain Rose Herbs will send an awesome assortment of products featuring Tarragon to the winning participant.
Thank you in advance for your participation and good luck!
Related posts:
- Dill :: Herb of the Month
- Lemongrass :: Herb of the Month
- Hibiscus :: Herb of the Month + Sun Brewed Hibiscus Tisane
- Nettle :: Herb of the Month
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Just yesterday I decided to try putting tarragon in my crust less chicken pot pies! The recipe turned out great! Thanks!
I never use Tarragon! Thanks for all the info!
Taragon is one of my favorite spices :)
I love that you are spotlighting herbs! I stir fresh tarragon into my cornbread batter, and then bake. It’s soooooo good.
Wow! I never knew Tarragon was all that.
Thanks for sharing this information!
Try adding dried tarragon to scrambled eggs..I do this and it imparts a fabulous flavor.Mix 2-5 eggs with a dash of milk or soymilk, a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Its terrific. tarragon is one of my favorite herbs-I use it daily with all veggies.
I would love to try tarragon tea
Tarragon is a very nice herb.
(By the way the pics look good.) :)
Cool write-up on tarragon! I think there’s at least one recipe in Alive in 5 that uses it too (her mom’s salad dressing, if I remember right). An herb I should play with more…
Tazo has a mint-tarragon tea that is one of my favorites. Otherwise, I never would have thought of it as a tea herb, having only used it for cooking - with great enjoyment, I might add. There is a marked difference between dried and fresh tarragon flavor. Thanks for listing its “medicinal” properties. Good report on a lovely herb!
Candy
Incredible! I never really used or considered Tarragon before, but I can see that I’ll have to try some now. :)
Thanks!
I love tarragon…and the Herb of the Month feature is great!
I will have to re-visit this old friend.
I don’t even think I know what tarragon tastes like! (but I want to..)
Thanks for all the info! I make a yummy tarragon dressing. I’ll have to take that recipe out and have it again!
That carrot salad looks electric! Yum!
I have Tarragon growing in my herb garden and have never use it! Thanks for the Information, I believe I could give it try in some recipes.
I’m not a huge fan of tarragon but I love the smell. And now I know a lot more about it thanks to you - I’ll have to experiment with it in different recipes.
Ok, the tarragon tea and the benefits you are describing sound tempting and yummy. I dont think I have ever had tarragon tea; right now I have a horrible cold/sore throat and maybe what I am needing is some tarragon tea. I am not sure how to make it or if they sell it in tea bags…..
Thank you for a lovely blog entry. The soup, btw, looks divine. Perfect use for my abundant summer tomatoes :) andra
I love Tarragon. I really enjoy your herb of the month section. Keep up the awesome work!
Recently found this website. I love the herb of the month feature! I went back and read them all! I grow a lot of different herbs and will add this one to the list.
I recently came across this website. I love the herb of the month feature and went back to read them all! I am making the soup for dinner tonight!
Just found this website and am always interested in info on herbs. Nice article on tarragon; may borrow some info for my herb club. Thanks!
I adore the depth that tarragon lends to a dish!
Tarragon is great with green beans and rice.
I have a profound interest in herb, and I work with them a lot. I also grow Tarragon myself, so I love to see that you’ve chosen it as herb of the month. I live in Norway, but it grows very well here, even if we’re at 300 meters altitude.
I have several herbs in the garden but I’ve not tried growing tarragon before. Now it’s on my list of new things to try! Thanks for sharing all the wonderful info!
Congratulations to Kim of Indiana! Soon you will receive a goodie package from Mountain Rose Herbs of products featuring tarragon. I hope you enjoy your gift.
Thank you Kim and to everyone who participated. :-)
Our next featured herb is Bay Leaf.