What do fennel leaves look like?
The leaves of the fennel plant are finely divided having a number of thread-like segments. These thread-like segments grow to form a sheath that surrounds the stalk lying at the base of the stem. The leaf segments are extremely delicate. They are blue-green in color with a licorice-like pungent odor.
How to grow fennel from bulb?
1 Choose a fennel variety. The type of fennel you choose to grow will depend on what part of the fennel plant you wish to use -- the bulb, the ... 2 Plant the fennel outdoors. The process for planting both varieties of fennel is the same. ... 3 Plant the fennel indoors. ... 4 Care for the fennel. ...
What plants are related to fennel?
Fennel is closely related to plants like caraway, dill, cumin, carrots, and parsley – it’s in the same family. Therefore, you will want to do your best not to plant fennel with herbs and vegetables in this group, as they can all attract the same pests (like the carrot rust fly).
What is the difference between fennel and vegetable?
The appearance of vegetable fennel is bulb-like, with a thick rosette of petioles at the base of the plant. The plant is shorter in height as compared to the herb fennel. Vegetable fennel is used in numerous recipes. The bulb is harvested before the blooming of the plant.
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What does fennel look like growing?
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a perennial herb grown both for culinary purposes and for its ornamental value. Its feathery, branching, aromatic, yellow-green foliage and tall stature can be attractive as border plantings, in cottage gardens, and more.
Are fennel sprouts good for you?
Fennel Sprouts are very rich in Potassium and other minerals, Fennel sprouts have digestive stimulants and diuretic properties.
How long does it take for fennel seeds to sprout?
10-14 daysFennel dislikes root disturbance. Transplant (or direct sow rows) 4 weeks after last frost in succession to mid-summer. Ideal temperature for germination: 15-21°C (60-70°F). Seeds should sprout in 10-14 days.
What do fennel sprouts taste like?
TASTE • EDIBLE PARTS You will propably love Fennel sprouts as they taste like a mixture of salad and sweet liquorice as you may know from fennel tea. As sprout you can eat the whole plant including the thin roots and long slender leaves.
Who should not consume fennel?
Children: Fennel is possibly safe when used at appropriate doses for up to one week in young infants with colic. Allergy to celery, carrot or mugwort: Fennel might cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to these plants. Bleeding disorders: Fennel might slow blood clotting.
Can you eat sprouted fennel?
Fennel sprouts and microgreens have a mild anise flavour and make a great garnish for savory or sweet dishes.
Why doesn't my fennel have a bulb?
If you've planted fennel but it's not producing bulbs, chances are you've planted it too late. If you plant as the summer days are getting longer and temperatures are rising, the plant will probably bolt. If you have flowers and no bulb and the temperatures are warm, this could be the culprit.
Does fennel grow back every year?
Fennel dies down naturally in autumn, then re-sprouts from the base in spring. If you leave the seeds to scatter, fennel will usually self-seed readily. So remove the seedheads or faded flowers if you don't want more plants.
What does the fennel look like when ready to pick?
Fennel seeds can be harvested when the flower heads turn brown. Don't leave the flowers for too long after they've turned brown because the seeds may fall onto the ground. Cut the flower stems and place the flowers on a tray in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight to dry out.
Do you eat the green bits of fennel?
Every part of it is edible, from the bulb to the flowers, and it can be eaten raw or cooked. Though the stalks and leaves are edible, fennel recipes most often call for the bulb. When raw, it has a crisp texture similar to celery and a fresh licorice flavor.
What part of the fennel do you eat?
Technically speaking, all parts of the plant are edible, but most people will find the stalks too tough and fibrous to eat. The leaves can be chopped and used to flavor salads, dressings, marinades and sauces. They tend to have a slightly more citrusy flavor than the base. The base (or bulb) is delicious raw or cooked.
What is eating fennel good for?
Adding them to your diet may improve heart health, reduce inflammation, suppress appetite, and even provide anticancer effects. To reap the benefits of fennel and its seeds, try incorporating raw fennel bulb into your salads or using the seeds to flavor soups, broths, baked goods, and fish dishes.
What are the disadvantages of eating fennel?
Side effects of Fennel include:difficulty breathing.tightness of chest/throat.chest pain.nausea.vomiting.hives.rash.itchy or swollen skin.More items...
What part of fennel is safe to eat?
The entire fennel plant is not only edible but delicious. Each part of the fennel plant has a different texture and use: the bulb, the long stalks that make up the length of the plant and the fringe of fronds at the top all have their place in the kitchen.
What does fennel do to your body?
Fennel contains beta-carotene (which is converted to vitamin A in the body) and vitamin C, which is important for collagen production and tissue repair. Both these nutrients play an important role in maintaining the health of the skin, as well as the mucous membranes that protect organs like the respiratory tract.
Which sprouting seeds are the healthiest?
Which sprouts are healthiest? Here's 5 to start with!Broccoli sprouts. Daily intake of broccoli sprouts have been shown to improve bowel habits and enhance antioxidant enzyme activity. ... Lentil Sprouts. ... Red Cabbage Sprouts. ... Radish Sprouts. ... Mung bean sprouts.
What Is Fennel?
Fennel is a layered, bulbous vegetable that originated in the Mediterranean and has been used for centuries. In Italian fennel is finocchio, which sounds like Pinocchio and makes us smile. Fennel is used as an ingredient in recipes and on its own as a side dish to complement a rich entrée.
What Does Fennel Taste Like?
Fennel has a very mild anise or licorice flavor that can be enhanced or sweetened depending on how it is cooked (or not cooked). When diced and sauteed with onions as one of the first steps when making a soup or stew, fennel becomes very sweet.
Is Fennel a Type of Onion?
Surprisingly, fennel is not even closely related to onions, as the layers are the only resemblance. In fact, fennel bulbs’ closest relatives are carrots. Their wispy fronds look very similar to fresh dill, but fennel isn’t related to dill either.
Which Parts of Fennel Do You Eat?
We can, and do, eat all of the parts of the fennel plant. Let’s start at the bottom:
How to Cut Fennel
The bulb is the part of fennel you will use most frequently. When you look for it at the market, look for the whitest, firmest bulbs you can find, with at least three inches of stalk: the stalk keeps the bulb layers from drying out quickly. Look at where the outer leaves attach to the bulb: this area should not look spongy.
How to Use Fennel
The list of what you can do with fennel is as long as the list of what you can do with celery or carrots or onions. It’s longer than what you can do with any of the broccoli-cauliflower family vegetables because fennel is sweet and gentle and never offends anyone, if you know what we mean.
What's a Good Substitute for Fennel?
Celery is often mentioned as a good substitute for fennel, and that is true if you’re using it in a salad. But celery has a fairly assertive, nothing-like-fennel flavor when cooked, and if you don’t care for it, too much celery can overpower everything else, and you’ll be supremely disappointed.
Tips
Consider an exclusive patch for your fennel as it is known to impede the growth of other plants.
About This Article
This article was co-authored by Andrew Carberry, MPH. Andrew Carberry has been working in food systems since 2008. He has a Masters in Public Health Nutrition and Public Health Planning and Administration from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. This article has been viewed 204,672 times.
Wild Fennel Almost All Year
Depending on where you live, wild fennel has something to offer almost all year long. It starts in late winter here in California, spring everywhere else.
Wild Fennel Pollen
High summer is a busy time if you are into wild fennel because the plant is both setting seeds and is in full flower. The flowers can be eaten as a garnish, but their real treasure is fennel pollen.
Green Fennel Seeds
These are the hidden treasure of wild fennel. Walking around a patch in July or August, you will see the seedheads ripening. But the seeds themselves remain green for some time. If you eat one, it will be a revelation: Juicy, crunchy, sweet, and very strongly flavored. I love them.
Fennel Varieties
You can find two different types of fennel seeds available for purchase. There are herb-type varieties, which produce leafy tops and are planted mainly for their fronds and seeds. Many herb-type fennels are ornamental. Bulb-type fennels are grown for their – you guessed it – delicious bulbs, though you can use their leafy tops.
Planting Fennel
Fennel grows in zones 5-10. While it’s perennial in zones above 6, most gardeners grow it as an annual because it doesn’t last long in the garden. It will, however, self-sow if you let it go to seed.
Problems with Growing Fennel
Fennel is a plant with minimal problems. It’s a low maintenance garden herb that requires little attention aside from regular waterings. Diseases rarely plague this Mediterranean gem, and few pests are attracted to it.
Storing and Harvesting Fennel
You can eat pretty much any part of the fennel plant from its seed to its bulb. Harvesting happens after about 2 months. You can harvest the fronds once the plant is established, clip off the top portion to encourage growth. Pick off seeds once flowers have withered and gone brown. Harvest the bulb once the plant has matured.
Cooking with Fennel
One of the toughest parts of gardening doesn’t seem like a problem at face value: when it’s time to harvest, it’s a challenge to figure out how to use everything without letting it go to waste. Not sure how to use the fennel you’ve grown? Here are a few tips:
Description
Fennel has a thick taproot that is spindle-shaped. Its stem is smooth or finely fluted and round. The stem may grow to be as tall as 6 feet (1.8m). The leaves of the fennel plant are finely divided having a number of thread-like segments. These thread-like segments grow to form a sheath that surrounds the stalk lying at the base of the stem.
History and Origin of Fennel
In ancient times, fennel was accessible throughout the Mediterranean Basin. Roman warriors believed that fennel could help them become stronger. Its Greek name is marathon which means ‘grow thin’. It is believed that fennel can help suppress appetite, which is reflected in the Greek name.
Culture
Both, herb fennel and vegetable fennel are grown from seeds. They grow best in locations that receive A full sun. They require a soil that is rich in organic matter. The soil conditions are relatively more important for vegetable fennel (Florence fennel) as they require uniformly moist soil for adequate growth of their bulbs.
Harvesting
Harvesting conditions for different types of fennel are different. Herb fennel can be harvested as per the need by simply cutting away the foliage. Foliage can be dried and stored for later use. If you need the seeds, you should wait for the plant to flower. When the flowers become brown in color, the plant can be cut.
Constituents of Fennel
Fennel is rich in essential nutrients, including various vitamins and minerals. Fennel is considered as one of the world’s healthiest foods. Below are the nutritional constituents that are found in fennel:
Benefits of Fennel
Fennel is associated with numerous health benefits. Some major benefits of fennel on human health are listed below:
Side Effects of Fennel
Fennel is considered safe. It is not associated with any major, known side effects. However, if you observe redness on the skin, rashes, itching, or swelling, stop using fennel immediately. It is always better to consult the doctor to make sure there is nothing serious.
Why You Should Grow Fennel
The fennel herb, also known as Foeniculum vulgare, has quite a long and colorful history of its use. Both the Chinese and Egyptians used this plant for its medicinal purposes, and during the Middle Ages, people believed that fennel possessed magical qualities. They would use it to drive away evil spirits!
Varieties of Fennel
There are essentially two types of fennel you can grow in your garden – common fennel and Florence fennel. Common fennel produces large branches that can reach up to five feet in height. The Plant produces large, flat clusters of yellow flowers that bloom in the summer and attract butterflies.
Planting Fennel from Seed
There are essentially two main ways you can grow fennel – you can start it from seed or you can grow it as a division.
Transplanting Fennel
You can also start fennel seeds inside, and then transplant them outdoors. You’ll follow the same sowing procedures mentioned above, except you should do this by sowing thinly in seed starting trays. You can thin to one plant per cell when they get large enough.
Caring for Fennel Plants
The best way to care for your fennel plants is to keep the soil adequately moist by watering regularly. You will need to water more often during hot, dry periods.
Pests and Diseases
Fennel is closely related to plants like caraway, dill, cumin, carrots, and parsley – it’s in the same family. Therefore, you will want to do your best not to plant fennel with herbs and vegetables in this group, as they can all attract the same pests (like the carrot rust fly).
Fennel Companion Plants
Fennel is often grown as a companion plant for other species. It attracts all kinds of beneficial insects, including many pollinators.
