2.30 Caraway

Latin name: Carum carvi

2.30.1 Growing caraway

From Jennifer A. Cabbage <fxjac.camelot.acf-lab.alaska.edu>:
Caraway is a hardy biennial native to Europe and western Asia. It grows to 2 ½ ft. tall. Caraway like full sun, and does well in dry heavy clay soil that has a moderate amount of humus (pH between 6 and 7.5). It doesn't like having its roots disturbed.

Caraway is easily grown from seed that is sown in either early spring or in the fall. Seeds planted in September will flower and produce seed the following summer. It occasionally matures in the third summer of growth.

Plant seeds ¼ to ½ in. deep, they will germinate in 7 to 21 days, or more. Space seedlings 12 to 24 in. apart.

2.30.2 Harvesting caraway

From Jennifer A. Cabbage <fxjac.camelot.acf-lab.alaska.edu>:
Harvest seeds as soon as they begin to ripen to avoid shattering of the fruits. They ripen from June to August of the second year.

2.30.3 Using / preserving caraway

From Jennifer A. Cabbage <fxjac.camelot.acf-lab.alaska.edu>:
Roots taste like a combination of parsnips and carrots, and they can be boiled like a vegetable.
Young shoots and leaves can be cooked with other vegetables or can be chopped into salads.
The dry seeds are used in rye bread, sauerkraut, cheeses, applesauce, soups, salad dressings, apple pie, cabbage dishes, potatoes, and stew.
Seeds contain small amounts of protein and vitamin B.