hydro-herb

Grow your own herbs with a Hydro Herb Kit! Made from recycled Wine bottles you can grow an array of herbs at home whilst also helping save the planet.

In The Kit

Every kit contains all you need to your chosen herb. Using a recycled wine bottle to construct the body of the system, all edges are ground by hand so there’s no need to worry about sharp corners left over from cutting the bottle. Watering the kits could not be simpler just keep an eye on the water line (clearly visible) and top up when needed, every couple of weeks. Each kit contains enough organic hydroponic fluid for you to be able to grow your herbs for approximately two years. The kits also come with spare parts so that if your horticultural skills require a little honing there’s a second chance waiting.

About Basil

Basil has a very distinctive flavour profile that is unmissable, however unfortunately it doesn't keep well once cut and so if you enjoy the flavour of this indoor only herb you really need to grow it yourself.

Using a Hydro herb kit you will quickly find that your windowsill becomes a viable option for cultivation of this tastiest of herbs. Usually added in the latter stages of cooking to preserve its strong yet delicate flavour profile, basil's distinctive taste is always a welcome addition to many Mediterranean dishes.

About Coriander

Coriander or cilantro as some people know it, is a very popular herb. Coriander is a versatile herb with its seeds being used as a spice and the plant itself being used as a herb.

Sticking with its use as a herb, coriander is described as having a mellow even subtle taste profile, slightly tart tasting with lemony/lime edge. Really quite different in taste to the seeds. Much like basil heating the leaves diminishes their flavour rapidly, so it is best added just before serving the meal coriander loses it’s flavour rapidly with time after being picked or stored in any way, making having a Hydro-herb kit in your kitchen ready to go all year round a very attractive option.

About Mint

Actually belonging to the same family of plants as basil, mint has a very different taste all of its own with a punchy flavour profile more resilient to heat than basil's. Ever popular, especially with boiled potatoes mint finds its way into a great many recipes and is a herb that all kitchens should have a ready supply of.

Hydro-herb Kit helps to ensure that you will always have a supply of fresh mint for all of your culinary means.  Growing hydroponically means there's no mess and as the growth fluid is clearly visible in the lower part of the bottle it's very hard to run out without you noticing. There is enough fluid in the pack for at least a years growth and you can always buy some more to keep your garden growing once you've got the hydro' bug

About Thyme

Another member of the Lamiaceae family along with both mint and basil, thyme has long been connected with medicinal as well as culinary practices around the world, sometimes being burnt as an incense. 

While thyme may be bought dry it is always more flavourfull when freshly picked, which is where we can help with our thyme Hydro-herb kit. 

Growing hydroponically means there's no mess and as the growth fluid is clearly visible in the lower part of the bottle it's very hard to run out without you noticing. There is enough fluid in the pack for at least a years growth and you can always buy some more to keep your garden growing once you've got the hydro' bug.

About Flat Parsley

Proving to be possibly our most asked for addition to the family, despite the presence of its Curly leaved brethren is Flat Parsley, clearly a fresh herb that is enjoyed by a very large number of people.  Parsley is in the wild seen to show a two year growth cycle with it growing leafy in the first year ( roughly 30cm max height) and in the second showing a flowering stem (easy to identify due to it looking quite different and outgrowing its surrounding stems) , indoors it will grow all year round and if you nip out the flowering stem as it appears in the second year strong vegetative growth should follow.

Commonly used as a garnish on meals just like curly parsley, flat parsley is also often seen as part of a bouquet garni used in the preparation of stocks, sauces and soups.  Unlike other herbs cooking with parsley does not reduce its flavour profile, in fact it is enhanced by this process allowing its slightly bitter peppery tones to shine through.

About Tarragon

Before we go any further there are a couple of points that we would like to clarify regarding this offering. As you may know ‘French’ tarragon may only be cultivated using cuttings from the mother plant, this is in the main due to the way that their roots are formed. There is a commonly known second type of tarragon (these are found in most gardening shops) ‘Russian’ tarragon, unfortunately ‘Russian’ tarragon tastes of very little more than grass. To be clear my good people ‘THIS IS NOT RUSSIAN TARRAGON!’, we use a variety of tarragon commonly known as ‘Mexican’ or less commonly ‘Spanish’ tarragon. The flavour profile of this type of tarragon is very nearly as strong as ‘French’ tarragon, so we would suggest you use just a little more than you would normally use in your cooking to obtain the same desired taste.

Mexican tarragon can reach heights of 40cm or so and will happily grow all year round indoors, with its characteristic yellow/golden flowers. When eaten it has an anise like flavour which lends a gorgeous aromatic tone to dishes especially soups and sauces. Interestingly it is also said to have insect repellent properties with the dried plant being burnt as a form of incense for exactly this purpose.