Grow Your Own Spice Rack!

Herbs and spices transform basic ingredients into mouth watering delicious meals, but they are often overlooked when planning what to grow. In this video we describe why we think it's important to grow them and how we plan our growing.
We grow our own food on our smallholding and endeavour to be self-sufficient. Subscribe to see more of our life, including self-sufficiency videos, recipes, garden tips, and chicken keeping.
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Opening Music credits: Artist = Earth Tree Healing
Composer = Claudine West
Website = claudinewestmu...

[@brandondobson761]

A brilliant watch especially now the long cold nights are drawing in

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@brandondobson761 Thanks Brandon - we are upping our chilli use at the moment 😉

[@DaveKnowlesFilmmaker]

Great information Hugh. I last year bought a Marmande tomato from Waitrose and because I love them so much I decided to try and grow some myself. I sliced the tomato into about four slices and put them in a tray of soil on the window sill. After a week or so I had so many plants you would not believe and after giving away around 30 plants from thw 20 or so we kept they yielded around 10 kilos of tomatoes and they sell in Waitrose for £6.50 a kilo. Oddly though the ones planted outside did the best.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@DaveKnowlesFilmmaker Something that does well outside is a double result Dave!

[@livingladolcevita7318]

Some great ideas there guys. I've recently installed a greenhouse and hopefully next year will be more productive.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@livingladolcevita7318 A greenhouse is a complete game changer!

[@angusg220]

Hugh - love the joke on your need to maintain physique. Seems you are a decent cabbage mechanic, too.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

🤣

[@kneedownbrown]

It hadn’t occurred to me to grow my own lemon grass. Only the other day my wife was phoning me up asking me to look through the freezer for some (and there was none)! Thanks for the video. My one take away from this is growing lemon grass 😃

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@kneedownbrown Definitely worth it for the smell alone!

[@a.b.9707]

Is it grown in a greenhouse or have you aclimatised it to the English weather?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@a.b.9707 It needs to start under heat (windowsill is fine) but it's fine outside if it's not frosty. We leave ours in an unheated greenhouse as it grows a bit faster!

[@btd3375]

Tomatoes are easy to save. I do it 3 ways. Chop them up and run them through a food mill to remove skins and seeds. Spread the tomato liquid/pulp out to dry (dehydrator or sun). When dry, powder the bits in a spice grinder. Powdered tomato is a great way to add full tomato flavor to any dish. Or, soak whole tomatoes in hot water for a couple of minutes and remove the skins. Chop the tomatoes into small nuggets and dehydrate. Lastly, skin tomatoes and chop them up into medium sized chunks. Freeze individually on a cookie sheet. After frozen, place tomato chunks into freezer bags. Use in soups or sauces as needed.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@btd3375 No canning? Try water bath kzbin.info/www/bejne/jICoq3iro9mLmNk You might enjoy our "4 ways video" kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHeZkKVjga6hsJY Or this one 😉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5CoqaGJnZdjfNE

[@jimmyh8090]

Thanks for another great film , i love chillies and making soups , could you do a show showing how to nake your Laxa soup pls as it looked delicious. Thanks jim

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@jimmyh8090 I will add it to the list Jim. Showing how we cook what we grow could be fun!

[@jimmyh8090]

I would love to see a cooking playlist pls and I'm sure I'm not alone. 👍

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@jimmyh8090 We do have one Jimmy but not done much recently kzbin.info/aero/PLDluIIoNPsldwJVQvwVwTPy_NPFWv5bCa&si=dJqGa8dAhztz10Gh

[@jimmyh8090]

👍 thanks.

[@btd3375]

We grow a rosemary plant each year. They are an annual plant here. I grow it indoors or in the greenhouse until that gets too hot. I use the leaves fresh cut or dried. I dry rosemary by removing stems and then removing the leaves. I put the leaves in a paper bag loosely closed in my greenhouse for a few days. The leaves dry fast - usually on about 3 days). And the difference between my dried rosemary and store-bought is incredible. Mine retains a pretty green color and the aroma is more intense. The only problem I have is finding seeds. Rosemary seeds have a low germination rate so you need to really watch your plantings.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@btd3375 Why are they annuals there?

[@leonardodtc4847]

Hello Hugh, I was watching some older videos and I wanted to know if you think a stand mixer would be a worth it investment for a homestead.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@leonardodtc4847 Hi! Something like a Kenwood Chef with attachments (mixer, blender, mincer) can be incredibly useful

[@chrishamilton-wearing3232]

Hello you feathery foodies. Yes, it's me again. I was doing a bit of unrelated web searching and I came across some details about Asian stores and remembering that you said there were no Chinese stores near you I did a quick search for Asian stores in Lincolnshire, which you have no doubt done already so I don't know why I'm telling you this. Of course I don't know which bit of Lincs you are in but there are several stores in Lincoln, as well as ones in Grimsby, Sleaford and Boston. And of course there are on line suppliers as well. Have you thought about doing a vid to showcase your far eastern cooking skills.? I would really like to see your method of doing fried rice. Bon apres midi.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@chrishamilton-wearing3232 Hi Chris, we are reasonably well served for Indian sub continent spices & interestingly for Eastern European cuisine. Less do for Thai, Malaysian etc. I'd be happy to film a fried rice dish but there are many videos already. Do you think it's worth it?

[@chrishamilton-wearing3232]

@@EnglishCountryLife Absolutely worth it. I've seen a lot of the fried rice vids and my version takes cues from a variety of them. It's always good to see videos made closer to home, and in your case, by someone who knows how to put a decent video together with enough details so that even numptys like me can follow. The best one I've seen is on a channel called Ziangs food workshop. It's a mother and son team, she is from Hong Kong and he is a 3rd generation restaurateur. They are good to watch and sometimes extremely funny. May I ask who you watch on KZbin? I find it interesting to see that people I watch are also watching other people that I watch.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Foodwise I like @mrnigelng (Uncle Roger) who is hilarious but knows food. I genuinely learn while laughing. I like @oliviatieds because who doesn't love a badass chef? @joshuaweissman does great food & @susi_vidal is just happy & fun.

[@chrishamilton-wearing3232]

@@EnglishCountryLife I've not come across any of those channels - up to now ! What about non food channels ? I like Happy Days Veg, the chap (Shaun) who makes the vids could be a bit of an acquired taste, it took me several episodes to decide. And it turns out that he and I grew up about half a mile apart although we have never met. Tony O'Neil on simplify gardening, Home Grown Veg, Allotment Diary, Country View Acres, Maximus Ironthumper to name a few.

[@shaneonpole]

Great video...do you have any Citrus Lime and Lemon trees? I have them in large pots and they perfom very well year on year (i'm in Oxfordshire). I use fresh Lime juice in a lot of my cooking and also a few slices with Gin 😀

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@shaneonpole I've tried them Shane but never successfully over Wintered them. How do you do that?

[@shaneonpole]

I over-winter them in my house in a cool room - not near any radiators and a south facing window. Reduce watering, let soil dry out between waterings and clean plants of scale bug pests before bringing indoors. Will bring indoors in mid or end Oct. ​@@EnglishCountryLife

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@shaneonpole Good to know. Our cottage is too small for that.

[@shaneonpole]

You could keep them in a greenhouse from Nov to April and use solar power to run a greenhouse heater - as long as the greenhouse stays above Zero degrees the citrus trees will survive Winter. Ripe Limes are actually yellow in colour and about twice the size of the immature green limes in the supermarket.

[@shaneonpole]

​@@EnglishCountryLife You could keep them in a greenhouse from Nov to April and use solar power to run a greenhouse heater - as long as the greenhouse stays above Zero degrees the citrus trees will survive Winter. Ripe Limes are actually yellow in colour and about twice the size of the immature green limes in the supermarket.

[@beaky29]

Thanks for this. I do grow herbs and lots of chillies. But why can’t I manage to keep thyme alive? What is it that means it hates me? Any advice?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@beaky29 Honestly I abuse it! Don't over water it, like rosemary it likes a dry, sharp mix. Bung some sand in the compost to help it drain.

[@beaky29]

@@EnglishCountryLife maybe that’s why rosemary is looking a bit floppy 😂

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@beaky29 Oh you don't want a floppy one 😁

[@Andrew.Croft.]

Thanks for the vid, if only people would grow their own it would keep a check on the overindulgant shop prices plus it tastes so much better, have you found a supplier for san marzaono seeds? will give em a try next year as this years tomato harvest has been miserable to say the least.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@Andrew.Croft. Hi Andrew, it has been a poor tomato year - too cool & humid. Try these guys for San Marzano www.simplyseed.co.uk/tomato-seeds/san-marzano.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqUBgcuB6bbbjYPIY0lLrKpxH5ZMGkXIZQfEAGKrVnjqGVkSZiQ

[@Andrew.Croft.]

@@EnglishCountryLife Thanks the will give em a try next year.

[@katiegriffin3545]

could you please tell me the name of the chilli used for paprika, and the chocolate flavoured chilli. I tried writing them down when you said their names, but I have misspelled them and can' t find the variety. Thank you. Regards Katie.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@katiegriffin3545 Of course Katie. The Paprika one is Zitava (although other varieties can be used). www.realseeds.co.uk/sweetpeppers.html The brown one is Chilahuacle Negro www.realseeds.co.uk/hotpeppers.html Both from Realseeds so open pollinated

[@katiegriffin3545]

@@EnglishCountryLife Thank you.

[@foodandstuff2724]

Hi there, i have just got 3 chickens and had them a few weeks but i have a question about food storage if someone can help. I have heygates growers pellet that you recommended and i have jondo mixed grit and shavings for bedding and flint grit until there laying eggs. Im in the uk but would like to no if i can store these in a sealed bin in the garden or would these get damp and mouldy and be wasted or do i have to keep these in the house. The reason im asking is because i dont have much in the way of house storage and i dont have a shed ? THANKS FOR READING

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Hi, we keep open sacks in lidded dustbins & it works just fine

[@foodandstuff2724]

@@EnglishCountryLife OK thanks

[@hattiedraper1061]

I’m in the Uk - and I keep my chicken food and stuff in metal dustbins at the side of the house. All tidy and also rat proof. Also, don’t buy huge bulk bags of pellets - that way they don’t hang around for ages and are easier to store.

[@chrishamilton-wearing3232]

If, or I should say when, you need herbs and spices that you can't grow yourself then forget the usual supermarkets, get yourselves to a proper Asian supermarket . You will find a massive variety of products, some of which you will never see in Tecos or Sainsburys. You can buy great big bags for less than a jar of Schwartz, it's fresher and tastier. You don't have to buy big bags, you can buy small bags for literally pennies. Try getting fresh fenugreek leaves from Tesco or ajwain seeds. I can't get fresh lemongrass here for love nor money, not even from the 2 Asian stores in Limoges, an hours drive each way. I do make a pretty damn good Thai salad dressing even if I say so myself. I want to know more about your chilli growing, all the ones we have tried have no heat and no redeeming flavour either. Love the sound of the paprika chilli. I don't want super duper hot chillies that burn your bum, I want flavour above heat. How about some cooking videos ? I would love to see your fried rice method . Lastly, a question for Fabulous Fiona, I posted a question regarding introducing new chickens to a flock a little while ago and unusually haven't had a reply as yet so I was wondering if you had seen it ? Cordialement.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@chrishamilton-wearing3232 Sadly few if any Chinese supermarkets here. Didn't see the question Chris, sorry. What was it?

[@chrishamilton-wearing3232]

@@EnglishCountryLife Hi again. Only me. This time a question for aunty Fabulous. Possibly at the end of September we will be getting 3 more chickens and I am going to build some mesh panels to make a run for them before mixing them with the existing birds. All of the 'internet wisdom ' advocates keeping them separate for about a week, and to get them used to each other to feed treats either side of the mesh barrier so they associate being together with getting some goodies. The beloved has asked me if they need to be kept further apart for bio security, something that had not crossed my mind and I had not seen this refeŕed to out there in interweb land. What would you advise ?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@chrishamilton-wearing3232 Keep them separate for two weeks Chris, inspect eyes & nostrils for mucus. Check vent area for chicken lice & Northern Fowl mite. Check skin & coop for red mite. Keep a general eye for disease symptoms. After 2 weeks of quarantine it should be okay to integrate.

[@chrishamilton-wearing3232]

@@EnglishCountryLifeThanks Fiona, how much distance should there be between the 2 sets of birds ? Is a mesh panel sufficient ? And when the time comes for integration how does one go about that ? For instance, do you put the new birds into the existing coop at dusk and let them sort things out ?

[@snowgoose8918]

What's the name of the tomatoes please. I can't pick it up audibly?

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@snowgoose8918 San Marzano 🙂

[@snowgoose8918]

@@EnglishCountryLife Thank you

[@JJR-373]

I lost all my San Marzano tomatoes to blight. Worst year ever for tomatoes for us. I use spring onion tops instead of chives. They dehydrate well and taste better than chives. They also freeze brilliantly.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@JJR-373 I confess to using the tops of regular young onions - very nice. We are getting blight now. Really annoying 😡

[@JJR-373]

@@EnglishCountryLife I do that too. My friend can't eat the white of onions so I gave her a huge bag of onion greens chopped ready for the freezer earlier in the year.

[@chrishamilton-wearing3232]

I tried growing a spice rack once. I planted some wood, screws and a small pot of glue. Nothing happened.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@chrishamilton-wearing3232 There's always one 😉😁

[@chrishamilton-wearing3232]

@@EnglishCountryLife I see it as a service that I am happy to provide. When people laugh and smile their bodies release endorphins which as we all know are used to aid the healing process. So basically I'm providing you with free healthcare. You're welcome. 😁👍

[@muhammadnoorulislam.3998]

dear respected brother❤ you had taught me shoe polish many times ago. i am grateful to you.really you give output by your knowledge and experience.you are veryvery useful to univerce bro!!! May allah live long with good health aameen. i am matriculate from Pakistan❤❤❤

[@kb2vca]

Such an important video, but reality can be very different. I recently planted some rosemary in our yard and every last plant was scoffed by the rabbits that invade our yard. They don't seem to touch our basil or oregano or chives ... So the idea of planting your own herb garden is one thing but protecting it from squirrels, groundhogs (n the US) and rabbits is something we all need to be mindful of. Just sayin'.

[@EnglishCountryLife]

@@kb2vca Ahh yes rabbits can be an issue (but also a food source). Less of an issue here because of myxomatosis but we do get deer etc. If it becomes problematic we fence them out.

[@guylamullins3602]

Rabbits dont like coffee grounds and habaneros.

[@kb2vca]

@@guylamullins3602 but coffee grounds are a herbicide ... most vegetables and herbs don't like 'em either.