250 Seeds w/Instructions
Fennel is considered indispensable in French and Italian cookery. The young plants and the tender leaves are often used for garnishes and to add flavor to salads. They are also minced and added to sauces. The bulbs, tender stems and the leaves are employed in soups and fish sauces, though more frequently they are eaten raw as a salad with or without dressing. The famous "Carosella" of Naples consists of the stems cut when the plant is about to bloom. These stems are considered a great delicacy served raw with the leaf stalks still around them. By sowing at intervals of a week or 10 days Italian gardeners manage to have a supply almost all the year. The seeds are used in cookery, confectionery and for flavoring liquors. Oil of fennel, a pale yellow liquid, with a sweetish aromatic odor and flavor, is distilled with water. It is used in perfumery and for scenting soaps. Because of the strong phytonutrient profile of fennel, it has been associated with many health benefits, such as aiding in digestion, cancer prevention, and controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Fennel needs fertile soil rich in moisture.
