Herbs: Buying Vs. Growing

[sorrowscall]

Hello! I recently wanted to learn about collecting and growing herbs from a friend of mine that does that. He lives down the road and let me borrow books on it and all. However, I can't help but wonder which would be more helpful in the long run? Would it be more beneficial health-wise to just buy them or grow them? If I grow them, will their shelf-life be shorter? I'd like to know the pro's and con's of each.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I guess the only advantage of growing them yourself is that you know what they have been exposed to and been fed. I'm lucky in that I love rurally with little pollution from passing vehicles etc, but I would not want to eat them if they grew in my front garden next to a busy road. You can't wash off contaminants that the plant has absorbed from the soil.

Otherwise, given the volume of herbs I use in my cooking, not it is cheaper for me to grow the common ones than to be constantly buying them.

 

[Ella]

Growing them is obviously cheaper, but then if you're not going to use them all, you have to freeze them and store them. It depends on how often use use them too, so if you use a lot of mint and basil, that's great, but storing them does take time and they do stay fresh as long as you do it straight away. Personally freezer space is scarce so I use it for things that have to be frozen.

I don't mind shop bought as I don't use herbs that often and only a small amount so the shelf life is better in a glass container.

 

[winterybella]

I am speaking from a position of experience. I can't even say definitely that it is cheaper because I have not been completely involved in the buying of the seeds or paying the gardener.
One thing I know is that it's more convenient and I know what's been used in my garden. I don't have that luxury when I buy them from the grocery store. For me that's enough reason for using my own.

My friends and family also love the idea as they get lots of "freebies". I have grown in such quantities I could sell some of my produce if I wanted to.

 

[DancingLady]

I think it is better to grow than buy. One reason I hardly use any herbs in cooking is that I can't stomach the extra expense. It really adds up pretty quickly and it's hard to have to use the same herb every day until you finish the bunch. I am planning to get a good little herb garden going soon so I can have herbs in my daily cooking and not have to worry about paying for them all the time.