Tarragon
Artemisia dracunculus
Description
Tarragon is a perennial herb that forms a bush more than half a metre tall. It adapts well to growing in pots.
Stem
The stems are erect, green-brown in colour, very fragile at the base.
Leaves
Tarragon leaves are elongated, narrow and a fine bright green. On their underside they are dotted with oil glands containing a pleasant aroma, warm, pepato.
Flowers
Tarragon flowers are small, spherical, greenish white and rather insignificant from an aesthetic point of view, but they too are used to flavour salads and preserves.
Exposure
Tarragon, too, prefers a sunny, sheltered position. It tolerates temperatures a few degrees above zero, but where winters are very harsh the roots and clumps, after light pruning in autumn, must be protected with a thick layer of straw or leaves.
Propagation
Tarragon can be sown in spring, but it is also very easy to propagate by dividing the clumps, also in spring, or by taking cuttings, in summer.
Growth
Growing this herbaceous plant presents no particular difficulties: about forty centimetres must be left between one clump and the next and, as the only cultivation precaution, when the leaves are picked, no more than two thirds of the branches should be removed, otherwise growth is halted.
Harvesting
The leaves can be picked whenever desired, but the best period is summer.
Storage
It is difficult to make the leaves keep their aroma; they, once dried, easily take on a smell of hay; one can nonetheless try to preserve it by freezing.
Properties
IN THE KITCHEN: This herb is of considerable importance in French cooking, where it is widely used as a flavouring. It is used in sauces, in salads, in fish and poultry dishes, in omelettes.
Health
An infusion of tarragon stimulates the appetite and has a tonic and digestive action.
Curiosity
The Latin name means “little dragon”, and one wonders whether this derives from its pungent flavour or from its roots, which are shaped like snakes. The French name by which it is widely known is “estragon”.