Growing Your Own Spices (Not Herbs) at Home

Most beginning gardens go all in for the heavyweight contenders. A tomato plant can provide pounds of food, as can cucumber vines and squash plants. A few pepper plants will put out dozens of peppers. A trellis of climbing green bean vines will stock a freezer full. It makes sense to start with getting as much food as possible.

But, growing herbs and spices— for those of us who like to use them— provides serious value. A typical tiny jar of herbs or spices at the supermarket can easily run between 5-10 dollars. By a few of them and it adds up. Why not grow them at home?

Herbs are a common gardening pursuit. Many growers get into basil, parsley, cilantro, and rosemary. Sage, dill, chives, thyme, oregano, tarragon, mint, lemon balm—all of these can be grown just about anywhere.

Spices, on the other hand, somehow feel a bit too exotic for most gardeners to attempt. But, it turns out they are not. Here are spices— not herbs— you could be growing at home right now.

Caraway

Caraway seeds are useful in soups and stews, but for many, they shine in bread and sauerkraut. Caraway (Carum carvi) is a biennial plant, i.e. it requires two seasons to mature. In its first year, the plant reaches about eight inches tall and forms a taproot. In the second year, it’s triple the size and will produce umbels of tiny white flowers. The flowers leave behind caraway seeds.

Coriander

As an herbaceous leaf, we know coriander as cilantro, but the seed is the spice coriander. To get the seed, just let those bolting cilantro plants produce flowers and then seeds. Collect the seeds and enjoy the flavor of cilantro year-round in the form of coriander.

Source: Not a Real Farm/YouTube

Cumin

The magic spice for chili and other Tex-Mex dishes, cumin comes from the seed of the cumin plant (Cuminum cyminum). This spice shows up in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine as well. It’s earthy and wonderful. The plant grows up to a couple of feet tall and takes about four months to produce seeds.

Dill Seed

Dill, the herb, has got to be in the garden because it pairs so wonderfully with cucumbers and pickled items. However, like cilantro, it has the habit of bolting when it gets warm. Let the plant remain, flower, and collect its seeds. They taste like dill, the herb!

Mustard

Mustard greens are marvelous, and they should be in the garden anyhow. They are delicious raw in salads or cooked like collards or kale. But, for goodness sake, let the plant grow until it produces seeds and collect them as mustard seeds. It’s fantastic for tons of Asian cuisines.

Cayenne/Chili Pepper

Cayenne peppers work particularly well for making the spice cayenne because they are thin-skinned peppers that dry easily. But, any pepper can be treated similarly. It’s possible to produce powdered habanero, jalepeño, or whatever other spicy pepper floats your boat.

Garlic

Garlic is a fantastic companion plant, effective at repelling lots of pests and some say good for improving the flavor of certain crops such as strawberries. It’s very easy to grow. One clove of garlic planted in the fall or early spring produces one head of garlic in late summer. Plan accordingly.

Fennel Seed

Fennel seed is one of those spices that sneaks into stuff, such as sausage. It’s easy to grow, and it’s possible to grab a bit of fennel the vegetable from time to time. The big thing to know about growing fennel is that it isn’t friendly with other plants. It needs its own little private space.

Source: suburban homestead/YouTube

Paprika

See Cayenne/Chili Pepper. Paprika is just a type of mild pepper that is dried and ground into a spice. Kick it up a notch by smoking it to dry it. It absorbs the smoke flavor very well and makes you seem like a magician in the kitchen.

Saffron

Saffron is relatively easy to grow in the US. It’s a type of crocus, a fairly common ornamental flower. However, it is labor-intensive to harvest in huge amounts. For a dish or two a year, though, why not give it a go?

Ginger

Ginger needs a warm environment and cannot survive winter outside in the US. It takes about six months to a year to get a decent harvest out of it. Solution: It grows well as a potted plant. Even better, it thrives in shady spaces. Try it in a bathroom with a window. It’ll enjoy the steam from the shower.

Turmeric

Turmeric is in the same family as ginger. It, too, can be grown in pots. However, turmeric likes plenty of sunshine. Keep it outside in the summer and in a sunny window in the winter.

We aren’t even done! There are still more spices that can be reasonably grown at home in the US.

• Juniper berries are great for flavor beverages and are famed for being the taste of gin.
• Sumac is another berry that has a unique flavor as well as a rich red color that funks up some homemade hummus or grilled eggplant.
• Star anise is possible.
• Pink peppercorns can be harvested from Baiers rose plants (Euonymus phellomanus).

In other words, once the spice cabinet grows, the flavor starts to take over the garden. Plus, it’s a lot of fun.

Related Content:

• Guide to Matching Herbs and Spices With the Right Veggies
• How to Enhance The Flavors of Savory Dishes with Sweet Spices
• 10 Herbs And Spices With Powerful Health Benefits
• Stay Balanced This Season With These 10 Warming Fall Spices
• Seven Healing Herbs and Spices to Boost the Immune System

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