Turning to natural remedies isn’t just about treating an ailment when one arrives to pester. It’s as much about prevention as it is about cure or treatment for a particular condition. And, it’s the preventive side of the coin which brings us to today’s plant/herb- the French Thyme.  If you’re thinking tiny slender leaves and stalks with that noticeable pungent “thymey” scent- you’re thinking “regular thyme”.

Our thyme is also known as broad leaf thyme and thicky thyme.  I even heard it being called Cuban oregano. It has broad heart-shaped leaves with jagged edges, nice fat stalks and you can smell its “thymeyness” from miles away.  I’ve heard tales of a tea being made from it for one or two purposes, but, I’m more familiar with this herb as the chief ingredient in a type of Caribbean green seasoning. And it’s the Caribbean green seasoning which is our point of focus for today.

Last Friday, I happened to tag along with a relative to a local health clinic and overheard a nurse admonishing a roomful of hypertensive patients to steer clear of store-bought food and meat seasonings. She frowned upon the salt content and suggested they turned to natural seasonings- the onion, garlic and etc.  While the nurse admonished, an elderly lady began muttering something about the merits of green seasoning and French thyme.  That just brought back tons and tons of memories.

Caribbean people love their seasoning. I grew up knowing people who seasoned almost everything in sight- meats, rice, flour, salads…everything!  And they’d let anyone who cared to know that food isn’t food, or at least not food meant for humans, if not properly seasoned. Properly seasoned meant that you didn’t just toss some seasoning on say some poor meat, let it stand for 10 minutes or so and then began cooking.

No, meat (with cuts in it to ensure the seasoning “soaks in”) and seasoning were made to know each other for, at the very least, one night.  In the morning, the happy couple would be checked upon and the state of their marriage assessed before any thoughts of cooking were entertained. And, those from the old school who wanted a happy marriage believed that nothing but fresh green seasoning would do.

So, forget commercial seasonings- even the ones that claimed they were made in the Caribbean and 100% natural. (Confession: I've regularly used the commercial stuff in the name of "convenience".) The old schoolers didn’t trust the salt content and they didn’t trust the chemical content. Besides, they loved their “pressure” and general health too much to risk abandoning their fresh green seasoning which came with onions or chives, garlic, peppers and all the other things which are sooo good for you.

Now, just a few notes before I share a green seasoning recipe I’m familiar with and two others I’ve stumbled upon. 

Fresh green seasoning does not have the same shelf life as your commercial green seasoning- hence this whole idea of “fresh”, I suppose.  No long-time green seasoning maker I know will give you exact measurements- but will tell you that they just know how much is enough.  French thyme is overpowering and potent stuff, use only a little if you don’t wish to murder the flavour of any other ingredients you decide to use. Or you can always just go with regular old thyme.

My recipe:

Ingredients:

4 or 6 French thyme leaves

1 mid-size onion bulb

 3 garlic cloves

2 or 3 tablespoons lime juice or white vinegar (to preserve your seasoning)

4 or 5 seasoning peppers

1. Remove the seeds from the seasoning peppers.
2. Chop your ingredients into coarse pieces.
3. Put all of your ingredients into a blender or food processor and puree.  You can add a tiny-tiny bit of water if you think that’s needed.
4. You can use your mixture right away and store any left-over mixture in a clean airtight container.  Your mixture should have at least one week fridge-life.

Other recipes:

1)CaribbeanPot

2)Caribbean Green Seasoning

Don’t be afraid to experiment with various recipes.  You might find that some, in comparison to others, go great with certain kinds of meats. Just experiment away, adding and subtracting ingredients and the amount you use until you find the recipe that suits you and your taste buds best!

Disclaimer:

The contents of this page are meant for educational and entertainment purposes only. Statements published here ought not to be taken as expert medical advice designed to treat/cure any diseases or health related conditions. Please talk to your doctor or any qualified healthcare professional if you need medical advice (Believe me, WE at RE:BELLE WOULD!)