Fresh Fennel Seeds
Harvesting fresh fennel…
Fennel is one of my all time favourite herbs, it looks so graceful swaying in the breeze and the flowering heads look stunning regardless of the time of year. In the past I have grown both green and bronze fennel but now I grow only green because their flowering heads provide me with one of the best culinary ingredients there is.
The stems and delicate leaf can be used throughout the year, they are wonderful when scattered over a whole fish or alongside a joint of pork or lamb and pair up incredibly well with fresh lemons, garlic and shallots. Baking fish with fennel twigs is a method used in the Mediterranean for hundreds of years and there is no wonder when you see the fields surrounding their coastal waters full of fennel growing in the wild.
Fresh or dried fennel can be used in so many ways that I am never without some. I use them in risotto, pasta, curry, potatoes, soup, compound butter, stocks, stuffings, the list goes on. But for me the very best time for fennel is when the heads have produced plump pods ready for picking. I have picked bags of them this week and the smell has been intoxicating in the best way imaginable. Washed and left to dry for an hour I then pull the seeds away from the stem and dry them on a tray. Now here’s the thing, take some shop bought fennel seeds and crush them and look at the colour before smelling and tasting them. Now try it with the freshly dried pods and see the difference. It’s like stepping out of monochrome and into full colour.
The colour is stunning, there is no comparison but the taste and aroma is so utterly better than any shop bought seeds. It is so strong you rarely need more than a pinch and a small jar should last you a long time. So if you have a patch somewhere in the back of your garden then grow a fennel plant and see for yourself.
Miles,
You have convinced me. I shall be growing some next year.
I love fennel tea and used to put it into a dinkey feeder for the babies when their tummies were upset.
However, I did not realise the enormous potential for its use as you describe above. Thank you.
Elsie
September 12, 2008 @ 11:30 am
Miles,
That image should be on a bag or a spice jar, it’s beautiful.
Years ago I used to grow fennel but don’t have any now. Like Elsie, I’ll be getting a plant for next year.
Cid
September 12, 2008 @ 11:57 am
Ladies,
Go for it! You won’t regret it, unless it self seeds all over the place
Miles
September 12, 2008 @ 2:43 pm
Miles,
I’ve been cooking with bronze fennel seeds (and leaves) lately, but only because that’s what I already have in the garden. Is the flavor of green fennel better?
September 20, 2008 @ 12:24 pm
Entangled,
Welcome back, it’s nice to hear from you again. I used a lot of bronze fennel last year but mostly in salads and for roasting fish. The heads of the green are better for cooking and drying and I would urge you to try some next year. They do look beautiful but I am sure they would have some competition in your garden
Kind regards
Miles
September 20, 2008 @ 1:41 pm
Miles,
Do you just use the fennel seeds that you buy from the market to plant, or do you need to go to a nursery and buy a different type?
Jon
February 27, 2009 @ 2:58 am
Jon,
Welcome to the blog, I buy green fennel seeds from a garden centre or an already established young plant.
They are best planted in a part sheltered area, water them and watch them grow!
Thanks for commenting, I hope you return.
Miles
February 27, 2009 @ 7:26 am
Could you please confirm that green fennel is grown for seeds and bronze for the bulb, I have green and was looking forward to bulbs to roast! Also when do I know when the bulbs are ready to harvest, as I don’t want to dig them up if they are not ready.
Also how do I ensure I get another crop next year from the same plant??
June 28, 2009 @ 10:08 pm
Andrea,
If you wish to grow fennel for a vegetable then you should look out for ‘florence fennel’ which is the bulb variety. You have the herb which is different.
You can leave the fennel herb in place and it should grow back taller and stronger the following year but watch out because it does grow very quickly.
Miles
June 29, 2009 @ 5:09 pm
comment and 2 questions I have lots of fennel growing up in spots where the seeds from previous fennel scattered I guess. That’s my comment, they are easy to grow, but how do I know if I have the “florence fennel” which is the bulb variety. I love the taste of the leaves in fish etc, but I never seem to get big bulbs. 2nd question, every “companion planting” book or web site says to keep fennel away from everything else-that nothing in the garden likes fennel. Have you found that to be true for every veggie? If not, please advise where to plant fennel if it can be around other veggies.
Thanks! Victoria
August 25, 2009 @ 7:03 pm
Victoria,
Wecome to the site and thank you for commenting. I’m glad to hear you have managed to grow fennel herb, it is incredibly useful but must be kept under control. Tall willowy fennel plants will only produce the stick and resulting herb. I have previously bought bulb fennel seeds which I have indeed kept seperate. I actually grew them in deep individual buckets in a corner of the garden which they thrived in.
I couldn’t say for certain if they would grow well alongside a particular vegetable which is why I kept them seperate.
Good luck with your endeavours!
Miles
August 25, 2009 @ 10:37 pm
When should I pick fennel seed? It is so helpful to learn that it is actually a fruit rather than a seed. This helps explain why there is so much moisture in it. Should I harvest it when it is still green, or wait for it to dry on the stalk? Thanks.
September 5, 2010 @ 3:30 pm
Chris,
Welcome to the site. I leave mine to dry on the stalk and then remove the flowering heads. Be careful though because they will self seed all over the place!
Once you’ve crushed your own fennel seeds you’ll never buy any from a shop again, guaranteed.
Miles
September 5, 2010 @ 5:38 pm
I have several bushes of fennel and am anxious to try the various culinary uses for them. Does your picture at the top depict the pods at the time they should best be picked?
Much of my fennel is now in flower, a glorious yellow. The flowers are attracting quite a lot of bees at the moment and that’s good because they (bees) have had a few lean years lately. I’m not quite sure about the picking however. You say leave them to dry, and then remove the flowering heads. Are the seeds separate, or within the pods or within the flowers? Sorry if this is a dumb question, but when it comes to gardening I epitomise dumb.
Thanks
David
January 20, 2011 @ 6:18 am
David,
Welcome to the blog, Right now I would leave them for the bees to enjoy, check the seeds as they ‘plump’. Wait until the season comes to an end and the weather begins to cool then remove the flowering heads, it’s better to leave it late then pick whilst still ‘green’. What you see in the picture is what you use David, you just need to pull them away from the head/stem. The pod and seed are one and the same.
Good luck
Miles
January 20, 2011 @ 8:00 am
I just picked a lot of green fennel seeds and plan to wash them, then dry and leave them for a day or so before putting in a jar. I am also planning to get the seeds that are already sort of light brown to dark. Should I wash those as well? I use my seeds in my bread machine which adds amazing flavor to breads. Should I keep the green and borwn separated? ………and if so, what differences might I notice?
August 28, 2011 @ 9:21 pm
Carmela,
Welcome to the site. I would keep them seperate to be honest, if the pods still have a nice green then they will make a wonderful powder when crushed to order. If you add the two together you will lose some of the vibrancy both in appearence and taste.
Miles
August 29, 2011 @ 11:03 am