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Sweet marjoram is a bushy half-hardy perennial sub-shrub that is often grown as an annual. Origanum majorana is 1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m) tall with descending, multi-branched stems that spill over to create a mound. Since the stems take root where they touch the soil, the mound gradually increases in diameter. If grown in a hanging basket, the stems form a a cascade of attractive gray-green foliage. Sweet marjoram's oval leaves are soft and fuzzy, but you need a hand lens to see the short fine hairs. They are opposite each other on a square stem which is typical of plants in the mint family. The leaves get up to an 1 in (2.5 cm) long and have a wonderful, very distinctive, perfumy fragrance when bruised. The flowers are tiny, less than 1/8 in (0.3 cm) long and arranged in burrlike heads 1/2 in (1.3 cm) long. Wild marjoram is another name for oregano (O. vulgare). Pot marjoram (O. onites) has larger flowers and a less pleasing (to me) fragrance. Hardy marjoram, a.k.a. Italian oregano, (Origanum X majoricum) is a hybrid resulting from crossing oregano and sweet marjoram. It combines the pungency of Greek oregano with the sweetness of marjoram.
Location
Culture
Usage Most herbs are better preserved by freezing than drying, but sweet marjoram retains its fragrance after drying better than any other herb. I keep a Mason jar of dried marjoram leaves and flower heads on the shelf over the stove. I use it in spaghetti sauce, eggplant parmesan and lasagna: anything with tomatoes. Try sprinkling some on pizza. It's a must for turkey stuffing. Sweet marjoram is an important flavoring in German sausages, and it is used extensively in French, Italian and Portuguese cuisine. The fresh perfume of sweet marjoram is delightful in potpourri and scented pillows. The French put it in linen drawers. It is used in commercial perfumes.
Features Steve Christman 1/10/00; updated 5/7/03, 10/30/03
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