Oregano
As you can see from the picture above oregano is quickly taking over my backyard herb garden. That is okay since my family and I are big fans of the warm, aromatic, and slightly bitter taste of oregano. We use it in a bunch of recipes but it is a staple in our homemade sauce and pizza just wouldn’t be the same around here without it.
Growing Oregano
I’m a solid Zone 6 when it comes to growing so it was surprising that I have found oregano growing as a perennial here. We had a brutally cold winter here and I grow my herbs in a raised bed, which I find tends to be more susceptible to cold, but the oregano hung on like a Pit Bull. It has started to crowd out my other herbs and we are actually having a problem using it as fast as it is growing (more on that later).
Oregano grows well in a fairly wide range on the pH scale. It can be found in mildly acidic soil (6.0) all the way to strongly alkaline soil (9.0). It likes full Sun and does well in a dry soil.
Drying Oregano
I’m a big enough person to admit that a skill I am sorely lacking in is drying my herbs. I grow plenty of different kinds but until now I was limited to using them fresh. So I turned to my blogging friends for advice on drying herbs and they came through for me in a big way. Check out some of the following links for advice from some of the top Homesteading and Preparedness Bloggers on how to dry and store your herb garden’s bounty.
Drying Herbs in a Dehydrator: Parsley, Oregano, Basil – Food Storage and Survival
“Putting Up” Herbs – Are We Crazy, Or What?
The Easiest Way to Preserve Herbs – Whole New Mom
How to Dry Herbs without a Dehydrator – Mom with a Prep
Cooking With Oregano
Oregano gives a nice kick to a lot of dishes. Since we are swamped with it I have been making a Chimichuri Sauce for Skirt Steaks with our other fresh garden herbs. Plenty of great oregano recipes can be found at:
Fresh Oregano Recipes | Epicurious.com
Oregano Recipes | Vegetarian Times
Wrapping It Up
We hope you are enjoying growing, drying, and cooking with this great herb. Check out some of the awesome resources here and you won’t be disappointed!
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I love the smell + taste of oregano, too. Good think you’ve put it in a herb garden, or I’m guessing it would spread pretty much anywhere it could! 🙂
My oregano plant gets huge, but has not started overwhelming any of the other perennial herbs in the area. I love it fresh in salads, but I freeze a lot and dry a lot. Drying is easy for me. I just clean it, pat dry with a towel, and lay flat on cookie sheet. and leave it. it takes about 1 week in cool dry place.
Mine is in a Square Foot Garden and is absolutely crushing it’s neighbors!