The fennel plant is a flowering plant in the carrot family. Its scientific name is Foeniculum vulgare.
It is native to southern Europe but is now naturalized in many parts of the world. They produce a flavored crunchy bulb and aromatic seeds.
Fennel seeds have a recognizable long, thin shape and are pale green, brown in color. They are known to give a sweet.
They contain estragole, fenchone, and anethole that contribute to the plant’s antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties.
What You Will Learn In This Post:
How Are They Grown?
Fennel is mainly cultivated for its seeds which have a pleasing fragrance and aromatic taste. They are used in various dishes for flavoring soups, pastries, bread rolls among many others.
They also act as stimulants and are carminative and treats various health disorders.
You can find a Detailed Care and Harvesting Guide for Fennel Seeds Here.
Fennel Seeds Production
The seeds production may be obtained by three methods;
- Seed to seed gathering with the intact plant.
- Seed to seed gathering the head at maturity and leaving the top root.
- Root to seed.
The seeds should be harvested immediately after they turn from green to brown on the stalk which mainly occurs in the summer.
It is important to always keep an eye on them to ensure you harvest them as soon they are ready. This helps avoid them be scattered on the field by the wind.
They are ready to be harvested after approximately 90 days. The bulb that produces the seeds is ready to be harvested once it reaches the size of a tennis ball.
How to Dry the Fennel Seeds
After harvesting the seeds, it is important to dry them.
Here are few steps that you can follow during the drying process.
- Once the seeds turn from green to brown snip off the fennel fronds.
- Wash away bugs as you dry the seeds on a kitchen towel.
- Strip seeds from the stalk as you scatter them on a tray.
- Place in an oven at low temperature until completely dry (for approximately 30minutes).
- Store in a sealed jar whether whole or crushed into powder.