Ginger, sage, rosemary and cloves Scents of the season

By Pat Fuller

OSU Extension master gardener volunteer

Fragrances leave a strong imprint on our memories, and those of this holiday season are especially long-lasting.

From the bayberry candles my mother used to light, to the smoky incense wafted about the church, to the scent of pine from our freshly cut Christmas tree holiday scents make me nostalgic.

You can get some of these scents from your garden right now, or use some purchased ones to enhance your family’s celebrations this holiday season.

Rosemary

I have grown and had small rosemary plants shaped into cones or topiaries as Christmas trees.

I put them in small footed urns and decorate them with little wired red berries and bows.

My favorite Christmas folktale with rosemary reminds us that when Mary and Joseph with their newborn babe fled into Egypt, a weary Mary spread her cloak over a white-flowered rosemary.

The flowers miraculously changed to the lovely blue of Mary’s cloak.

Let’s not forget the true meaning of Christmas. Do you remember the mangers our mothers bought at W.T. Grant? I still have the one from my mother.

Use rosemary sprigs to liven up a dish or simply to add scents to your home.

Sage

Can you smell the turkey roasting in the oven?

The wonderful aroma of the bread stuffing in the golden bird makes it hard to wait for a couple more hours of cooking before it can be sampled.

I still have sage in my garden that will be used in the herb bread cubes that I will mix with saut ed minced onions and thinly sliced mushrooms and celery.

I will include a pound of sage sausage browned and drained, a cubed apple and chestnuts for my “fruits of the forest” stuffing.

I love that wonderful smell.

Cinnamon

The spices that spark delightful events would have to include cinnamon.

Use cinnamon with applesauce baked into cookie sized shapes for ornaments, spiced cookies, spiced drinks, gooey iced cinnamon rolls, coffee cakes and even cinnamon roasted nuts.

Close your eyes and remember the smell of something wonderful with cinnamon in it baking in the oven.

Brings back memories!

Cloves

My husband’s fondest holiday fragrance is the aroma of a Christmas ham festooned in pineapple rings dotted by maraschino cherries and studded with pungent cloves.

I remember making beautiful pomanders with oranges decorated with whole clove pushed into the rind in geometric patterns and topped with a decorative ribbon for scenting closets and rooms.

I still make them from time to time.

What an excellent craft project to share with children to start a new tradition!

Whole cloves are available at any grocery store.

Nutmeg

It’s a unique spice that by itself has a woodsy sweet flavor.

Dusted on eggnog or baked in cookies, cakes or pies, it enhances the flavor of the end product and leaves a lasting sharply pleasant fragrance.

Nutmeg is the seed of that tree from Indonesia and the spice mace comes from a thin protective layer that encloses that seed.

Ginger

It has that smell that harkens to rich dark spice cake and gingerbread.

It has an instantly recognizable aroma that lingers, stirring sweet memories of baking with mom or grandma.

I have come to mass-produce stamped gingerbread cookies for family and friends to be presented in individually wrapped clear plastic bags, neatly arranged in holiday gift boxes.

It takes a lot more patience and skill to produce beautiful gingerbread houses, but once you have mastered it you’ll want to make more.

Getting the royal icing just right is the challenge; it can be a royal pain!

When I light my bayberry candles, bake my own cookies and experience the aroma of incense, I still remember my childhood Christmases and those precious memories sparked by the fragrances of this magical season.

I hope you do, too!

For information on pairing herbs for the holidays, go to http://go.osu.edu/herbalcombos.