Hyssop, Hyssopus officinalis, is an aromatic perennial herb with a mentholated and slightly camphorated flavour. It belongs to the large Lamiaceae family, just like mint, thyme and rosemary, to name but a few of the most famous ones. Its magnificent blue flowering occurs in summer, between June and August. It is a highly melliferous plant appreciated by insects.

In cooking, it is generally used in blends like Herbes de Provence, with thyme and rosemary for example, because used alone, hyssop has a rather strong taste. Its use is mainly found around the Mediterranean where it originates. Like other aromatic herbs, it has been renowned since antiquity for its many medicinal virtues.

Discover our tips for harvesting, drying, storing and using hyssop.

When to harvest hyssop?

The parts used, whether in cooking or to relieve minor ailments, are the leaves and flowering tops – that is, the flowering part of the plant with a few leaves.

If you wish to use fresh leaves, pick them as needed. A very small amount is enough to flavour dishes.

For harvesting with a view to drying and storing, always choose a dry day and preferably pick in the morning after the dew has evaporated so that the leaves contain a maximum of active ingredients and a low moisture content, which will promote good drying and prevent the development of mould. Using secateurs, take the top 2/3 of the stems you wish to harvest.

  • The leaves should preferably be picked before flowering, as this is when they contain the most active ingredients.
  • The flowering tops are harvested in summer, throughout the flowering period. Be careful not to take too many leafy stems so that your hyssop plant does not suffer.

harvesting hyssop leaves and flowers

How to dry hyssop?

Air drying

Once the harvest is done, you need to dry the hyssop in the shade in a dry and ventilated place. At this stage, you can leave the stems whole, which makes handling easier.

Place the leaves and flowers in a single layer without touching each other on newspaper or kraft paper, like the paper bags from vegetable sellers for example. Avoid paper towels as the plant may stick to them when drying. Ideally, drying should take a few days, but it may take more than a week depending on the humidity of the air.

Make sure the hyssop parts being dried are in semi-darkness. The flowers should retain their beautiful blue colour after drying. If the leaves have turned black or mouldy, you should discard your harvest and start again.

The drying is considered complete when the leaves crumble between your fingers.

Oven drying

For the impatient or when weather conditions are not suitable for natural drying (when, for example, the rain keeps falling and the humidity level soars), it is possible to dry the harvest in the oven.

To do this, you need an oven with precise temperature control. The goal is not to cook your plant.

  • Set the oven to 45°C.
  • Bake for 2 to 3 hours, keeping the door open so that the moisture can escape.
  • Check if the drying is complete by crumbling a leaf between your fingers. If you can't, put it back in the oven and check the state of desiccation regularly until it is completely dry.

Using a dehydrator

For those who have a dehydrator, this option is also possible. Refer to your appliance's manual to determine the drying time required.

drying hyssop

How to store hyssop?

For storage, detach the leaves and flowering tops from the stems, if not already done. This will save space.

The leaves can be kept whole. But the crumbled form has two advantages:

  • dosage for herbal teas is easier, as it is often expressed in spoonfuls of dried herb,
  • coarsely ground plant allows better extraction of active ingredients thanks to the larger surface area of the plant in contact with water.

For storage, the simplest and most practical solution is to place the dried hyssop in a paper bag or a small jar away from light, as light could alter the properties of the plant.

How to use hyssop?

In cooking

Hyssop is used as a condiment in cooking. Fresh or dried, it is used to flavour salads, among other things. It can also be used to flavour soups and sauces.

Use it sparingly, as its flavour is quite strong. This is why it is most often used in blends, with other Herbes de Provence.

Note that it is also found in the composition of liqueurs.

using hyssop in a cooking recipe

Labneh, a popular Middle Eastern appetiser made with goat's cheese, olive oil, dried hyssop and pita bread

In herbal medicine

Hyssop is used as an infusion. Be sure to follow the prescribed dosages as it may have side effects in people with nervous disorders. For example, the sale of hyssop essential oil is highly regulated and its free sale is prohibited due to its neurotoxicity which can cause convulsions.

The benefits of hyssop

Very present in medieval herb gardens, hyssop was used in herbal teas and renowned for its properties:

  • digestive. Hyssop may help reduce bloating while kick-starting digestion
  • expectorant, meaning it promotes the expulsion of mucus. To be used therefore in case of wet cough, but to be avoided in case of dry cough as hyssop can be irritating in this case
  • antiseptic

The infusion can also be used externally. Warm compresses may help treat shocks and bruises.

Note that the use of hyssop is contraindicated in children, pregnant women and people with epilepsy.

You will find all the information you need to plant this beautiful perennial in your garden in our advice sheet Hyssop: sowing, planting, growing, benefits.