The image, above, shows the full apline dock plant (Thymusserpyllum), left, with maturing seeds. The top, centre,
image shows the flower heads and the top, right, image shows the
maturing seed heads. Bottom right, the edible leaves and leaf
petioles (stems) are shown..
| Common Name: Wild Thyme |
| Scientific Name: Thymus serpyllum |
| Other Names: Creeping Thyme |
| Family: Lamiaceae |
| Range: Europe, including Britain, from Sweden south and east to France, Hungary and Roumania. |
Physical Characteristics
Thymus serpyllum is a evergreen shrub, growing to 10cm (4 in) by 30cm (1 ft) in size. It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. The plant flowers from July to August and its seeds ripen from August to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by bees, flies and lepidoptera. It is notable as a wildlife attractant.Family: Lamiaceae. |
 Edibility Rating: 4 
|
 Known Hazards: None Known.
|
Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Wild Thyme along with all the Wild Thyme containing recipes presented on this site, with 1 recipes in total.
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Wild Thyme as a major wild food ingredient.
Wild thyme Thymus serpyllum (also known as Creeping Thyme) is a member of the Lamiaceae (mint) family tends to grow in limestone uplands. This European native and looks very much like a dwarf variety of the cultivated common thyme Thymus vulgaris and grows as a prostrate subshrub growing to 2 cm tall with creeping stems up to 10 cm long, with oval evergreen leaves 3–8 mm long. The flowers are very strongly scented, especially if trodden upon and they are also wonderful bee attractors.
In terms of flavour there is little difference between wild and cultivated thyme. Indeed, garden thyme can be substituted for any recipe that calls for wild thyme. You can also make a tea infusion by placing the flowers and stems in boiling water and infusing for ten minutes. This is said to be an effective anti-expectorant.
The leaves are edible both raw and cooked. They can be added, sparingly, to flavour a salad or can be used as a flavouring to all manner of cooked foods. Unusually for an herb, thyme retains its flavour even on prolonged slow cooking. The leaves also dry well. If you are going to dry your own thyme leaves, the plant should be picked in early or late summer, just before the flowers open and the leaves should be dried quickly.
As well as the leaves, the flowers are also edible and can be added as garnishes to salads or as a flavouring to soups and stews. the leaves and flowers can be infused in water to make an aromatic tea.
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Wild Thyme as a major wild food ingredient.
Wild thyme Thymus serpyllum (also known as Creeping Thyme) is a member of the Lamiaceae (mint) family tends to grow in limestone uplands. This European native and looks very much like a dwarf variety of the cultivated common thyme Thymus vulgaris and grows as a prostrate subshrub growing to 2 cm tall with creeping stems up to 10 cm long, with oval evergreen leaves 3–8 mm long. The flowers are very strongly scented, especially if trodden upon and they are also wonderful bee attractors.
In terms of flavour there is little difference between wild and cultivated thyme. Indeed, garden thyme can be substituted for any recipe that calls for wild thyme. You can also make a tea infusion by placing the flowers and stems in boiling water and infusing for ten minutes. This is said to be an effective anti-expectorant.
The leaves are edible both raw and cooked. They can be added, sparingly, to flavour a salad or can be used as a flavouring to all manner of cooked foods. Unusually for an herb, thyme retains its flavour even on prolonged slow cooking. The leaves also dry well. If you are going to dry your own thyme leaves, the plant should be picked in early or late summer, just before the flowers open and the leaves should be dried quickly.
As well as the leaves, the flowers are also edible and can be added as garnishes to salads or as a flavouring to soups and stews. the leaves and flowers can be infused in water to make an aromatic tea.
References:
[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
The alphabetical list of all Wild Thyme recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 1 recipes in total:
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| Iron Age Pork and Beans Origin: Ancient |
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