Caraway ( Carum carvi ) is not one of those plants that abound in orchards (Spanish at least).

It is not widely used in our gastronomy but it is never too late to try and incorporate it if we like it. A plant that has taken advantage of all its parts.

Leaves, stems, roots, flower buds, seeds … There is not a single cell of this plant that cannot do something with it.

CARAWAY TESTS YOUR IDENTIFICATION SKILLS

It’s been a long time since I saw a caraway in a vegetable garden and the first thing I said was: That’s a carrot!

Error. the aerial part of the plant is very similar to that of carrots but not. It is the first confusion you can make when you see the plant.

Then you see the seeds and you say: cumin!

Error. The seed may resemble that of cumin but it is somewhat larger and curved but the first sensation is the first sensation and it always reminds of cumin.

In fact, its natural habitat is in the high mountain meadows of central and northern Europe and is known as meadowsweet .

The time has come to try and discover its aroma and then you say: Anise! … Wrong. It has an aroma reminiscent of anise but not. It is the caraway although it is also known as Anís de los Vosgos .

Then you taste the root (which is also eaten) and say: carrot or celery!

Error.

Its roots remember that they have a certain aromatic flavor to the two vegetables but not. It’s the caraway.

After this comparative rambling on aromas and appearance, we are going to what interests us, which is the possibility of being able to grow it in our garden or orchard.

WHAT SOIL AND CLIMATE CONDITIONS DOES CARAWAY REQUIRE?

We have already mentioned that it is known as meadow cumin. The high mountain meadows are the best places to find caraway in the wild.

In Spain we can find it in the northern mountain ranges as

The Picos de Europa or The Pyrenees. As you can imagine, its resistance to frost is more than evident. Tolerates exposures to full sun (considering mountain climate) and semi-shade.

We do not have the orchard in the high mountains but there is no problem, it will endure it if the climate is not excessively hot and it has the necessary water supply.

In the isolated soil it admits a large number of them although it has preferences for fresh, well drained and slightly limestone soils (7 – 7.5) and rich in nutrients.

It is not a plant of poor and vacant soils.

HOW IS CARAWAY GROWN?

Sowing can be done both in autumn and early spring (this being the best time). It needs a certain depth and spaces between seeds (25 cm).

It is preferable that the soil is adequately fertilized some time before sowing.

The irrigation is important in periods of drought .

If the rainy seasons really are, we should not worry about excessive watering, although we already warned that it is not rosemary. You have to be a little more attentive.

COLLECTION AND CONSERVATION OF CARAWAY SEEDS

If you want to test all the parts of the plant, there are two fundamental harvest times depending on which part you want:

SEED PRESERVATION

The flowering caraway occurs during the following spring and the planting of the seeds we pick the following year.

We have to see how they mature.

CONSERVATION OF LEAVES, STEMS, SHOOTS

All the plants that you are not going to leave for seed can be collecting their parts during the first year because the plant structure is more tender.

For the conservation of seeds, the most convenient is, once mature, cut the caraway from the ground, make a bouquet, hang it upside down and wait for the seeds to fall and dry.

CULINARY USES OF CARAWAY

In Spain we do not have specific recipes, but caraway is widely used in other parts of Euoropa to flavor (whole or ground seed), meat, fish, stews, poultry, etc.

A well-known use is its application in Dutch cheeses or in bakery and confectionery from several European countries.

The young and tender leaf can be added to salads.