Fresh Tarragon

Tarragon is a leafy green herb that is highly aromatic with a subtle licorice flavor. It adds a fresh, spring taste and a bit of elegance to a variety of recipes, including salad dressings, sauces, and fish and chicken dishes, and is commonly used in French cooking.

French tarragon has a pungent, licorice-like taste due to the presence of estragole, an organic compound that gives fennel, anise and tarragon their distinct flavors. Tarragon is a mainstay in French cooking and an essential ingredient in both Béarnaise sauce and the combination of herbs known as fines herbes.

Store tarragon in the fridge, either loosely rolled in a damp paper towel and then placed in a plastic bag or in a jar of water loosely covered in plastic. Tarragon is not well-suited for drying, as it loses a lot of its flavor. If you want to save some for later, steep branches in vinegar or make a compound butter and freeze it.

This perennial herb grows well in Utah in areas of full sun.