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Oregano seems determined to conquer every corner of the smallholding. It is dotted in thick clumps in the cottage garden. It dominates the herb patch. It has snuck into the corners of some of the raised vegetable beds. And it occasionally makes a guest appearance in the orchard too. Luckily it is very welcome here. The more the merrier.
We use oregano year-round in the kitchen. Fresh while its growing in abundance. Dried when the perennial plants are hunkered down for winter (or on the occasions when we’re rushing to get a meal on the table). Oregano’s flavour intensifies once dry, so it’s well worth harvesting for the larder in plentiful amounts.
The perfect time to pick oregano is when it is on the cusp of flowering. This is when the essential oils are at their most potent. We choose a warm, blue-skied morning. Late enough that any dew has evaporated from the downy leaves and stems, but before the peak of the day’s sunshine appears.
Scissors and basket in hand we work our way around the various oregano patches and cut just over half the stems in each clump back to a couple of inches above the ground. The soil-dusted lower leaves are left behind to put on an enthusiastic growth spurt. Another harvest for midsummer. As each sprig is snipped, we give it a quick check over before placing it in the basket. Any brown or damaged greenery is removed. And the occasional leaf that is wet with foamy cuckoo spit on the underside is pinched out and discarded (we aren’t keen on dried spittlebug nymphs being sprinkled into our dinner).