Tarragon is a delicate perennial herb, with the French variety, Artemisia dracunculus, being the most prized. Its distinct flavor comes from the compound estragole, which imparts a subtle, sweet anise-like taste with hints of pepper and vanilla. Proper harvesting maximizes this flavor and encourages the plant to produce a continuous supply of tender, new shoots throughout the growing season.
Optimal Timing for Peak Flavor
The most flavorful tarragon is harvested when its essential oil content is at its peak concentration. This peak generally occurs in late spring and early summer, specifically before the plant begins to form flower buds (bolting). Once the plant diverts energy toward flower production, the leaves often become less potent and can sometimes develop a slightly bitter taste.
A major harvest should be timed when the stems are firm and the plant has reached a height of at least 10 to 12 inches. The ideal time of day to harvest is early morning, right after the dew has evaporated but before the heat of the sun becomes intense. Harvesting during this cool window ensures the volatile essential oils are locked within the leaves.
Regularly snipping the top growth serves as a form of pruning that helps prevent the plant from becoming tall and leggy. This encourages the tarragon to branch out and become bushier, which ultimately provides a larger yield of tender leaves. By focusing on this time frame, you ensure the leaves are at their most flavorful and aromatic state for culinary use.
Step-by-Step Harvesting Technique
Use clean, sharp tools, such as herb snips or a small, sterilized knife, to ensure a clean cut that promotes rapid regrowth. Dull blades can crush the delicate stems, damaging the vascular tissue and making the plant susceptible to disease. Focus on harvesting the tender, new green growth, as the woody base produces less flavorful leaves.
Locating the proper point for the cut is crucial to stimulating new growth. Trace the stem down until you find a leaf node, the joint where a pair of leaves attaches to the stem. Make your cut just a quarter-inch above this node, leaving the node intact. This technique forces the plant to activate the dormant buds, causing two new stems to sprout and effectively doubling your future harvest.
When performing a significant harvest, follow the “one-third rule” to maintain the plant’s health. Never remove more than one-third of the total foliage, as this leaves enough leaves for efficient photosynthesis. Removing too much foliage can shock the plant. For continuous fresh use, a small, regular harvest of a few sprigs a week is preferable to an infrequent, heavy cutting.
Storing and Preserving Tarragon
After harvesting, tarragon leaves require proper handling to maintain their fresh, vibrant flavor. For short-term use, wrap the stems loosely in a slightly damp paper towel and place them inside a perforated plastic bag or airtight container. Storing the wrapped bundle in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer will keep the tarragon fresh for up to one week.
For long-term storage, freezing is the preferred method over drying, as tarragon tends to lose a significant portion of its anise flavor when dehydrated. To freeze, strip the leaves from the stems, finely chop them, and pack them into ice cube trays. Cover the chopped herb with a neutral oil, like olive oil, or water, before freezing them into convenient, pre-portioned cubes.
Although drying results in a flavor reduction, it remains a viable option for creating shelf-stable storage. The stems can be bundled and hung upside down in a dark, warm, and well-ventilated space for air drying. Once the leaves are brittle, they should be crumbled and stored immediately in an opaque, airtight container away from light and heat.