Study Edible Herbs

Course Code: VHT242

Course Duration: 100 hours (approximation, self paced study, commonly 3 to 6 months, longer if you need)

• Learn to cook with herbs
• Learn to identify edible herbs
• Learn how to process and preserve edible herbs

Learn how to identify and successfully grow dozens of common and uncommon edible herbs. Develop your skills and experience the delights of cooking adventurous new recipes with herbs. Learn drying and other methods of preserving the flavour (eg. herb oils, salts, vinegars).

What are Culinary Herbs?

The fresh and dried leaves, flowers and sometimes stems of culinary herbs are the parts used in cooking. These come from plants such as mint, sage, tarragon, chives, parsley and a multitude of other species.

Sometimes people confuse culinary herbs with spices. Spices are usually powdered substances produced from the grinding of seeds, roots, bark, fruit and sometimes the flowers or flower parts i.e. saffron (actually the stamens of the flowers).

Culinary herbs do two common things in the kitchen:

1. They can be used to replace salt and sugar as food flavourings.  Which is a positively healthy move...salt and sugar are widely known to be consumed by most people in quantities which are detrimental to health.

2. They greatly expand the variety of tastes which can be experienced. They have been used since man's earliest times to add to the flavour of food. With the tremendous variety of herbs that are readily available now, today's cook will use them to provide interest in the form of colour and texture as well as flavour.

Course Structure

There are eight lessons as outlined below:

1. Introduction

2. Culture

3. Propagating and Establishing a Herb Garden

4. Cooking with Herbs

5. The Most Commonly Grown Varieties

6. Other Important Culinary Herbs

7. Lesser Grown Varieties

8. Special Assignment

Why Study Edible Herbs? 

• edible herbs are a powerful way to connect with a memory or favourite recipe
• we can improve health from the inside out 
• you can determine if herbs from your garden are more or less potent that herbs bought or grown from elsewhere 
• we can decide on the right herb through plant identification skills 
• we can learn how to use herbs in different ways 

How this course works!

• Enrol any time  - we have daily intakes. 
• Join thousands of graduates, complete 100 hours of study (approximately).
• Self-manage your time to read, research, complete formal assessments, take self-tests and undertake practical tasks.
• Enjoy tutor support, receive marked assignments and feedback to help you grow. 

Optional examination: Skip the exam to receive a Letter of Completion from the school or Pass the final exam to be awarded a Statement of Attainment in Culinary Herbs.