Fennel Seeds.

[elaine]

All yesterday, I have been harvesting my fennel seeds, from my favourite garden plant. Not only do I use the ferny leaves in salads, I love the yellow flowers, and you can use the seeds too.

I collect the seeds now, and make sure there are no bugs in the dried heads. I used to make fennel tea for my teething babies by using a few seeds in warm water. Calmed them, and I swore by it.

I have also found the seeds great to chew on, when you are tempted to pig out, or snack, or have just eaten a pungent curry.

They are good I have found, to drop a few in the cats bed, and it makes it calm if having a scatty moment, and needs to be calm.

I love them toasted in pasta, and the aniseed tase goes well with stewed fruit too.

I have added them to Gin after crushing them, and friends liked it, I put them in a muslin bag and let it sit in the Gin.

Here are a few more ideas to use the seeds for....Enjoy.

www.helpwithcooking.com/herb-guide/fennel-seeds.html

[penny]

Elaine, ! I already have some fennel seeds & now I know what to do w/ them.
First I'm going to try the tea & then chewing them for appetite control. I'll let you know how they work for me.

[elaine]

Stopped me eating a whole bag of cheese corn chips, I was pleased I didn't eat the whole bag, as I'd have felt awful afterwards with all the salt.

[whisker]

Didn't know fennel had so many uses, elaine! I associate it mostly with fish. Up to this year I always had some growing in my garden - but this year, for some reason it died out. Maybe it was the hard winter.

[elaine]

I had lost some too, some I cut back and some I didn't, the ones I left and did nothing with, grew the following year. The ones in the shade did better too.

[whisker]

Here's a special recipe for you, elaine that uses cumin and fennel seeds. it's from one of my favourite chefs, Neven Maguuire.

Marinated olives with fennel seed, cumin seed and more

uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/630658

Enjoy!

[elaine]

How did you know I love olives? now that recipe sounds lovely. I will certainly save that one, and make it this weekend, as a nice nibble with a salad or a glass of tonic water, or red full bodied wine.

[whisker]

That's the idea! ;D

[elaine]

I have also found out, that Fennel is great for joint pain, either after running, or with Arthritis. Just stick the loose tea, or a few tea bags in a foot bath, or a bowl, and place tootsies in it, and hey presto, it works!

I have no idea why, or how it works , but was desperate to try any thing to stop my foot hurting, and it made it not ache after walking.

[joebert]

This is all very interesting to me. I'll have to do some checking and see if I can find the seeds.

[whisker]

Fennel gives a very unique flavour to cooking. Sometimes I like and sometimes I don't.

[elaine]

The seeds are good to chew on after a heavy meal, as they shift excess wind., and stop bloating too. I am always chewing on the seeds, they do have a unique taste as Whisker mentions, it is Aniseed taste.