Wholesale Caraway

01.
A Bit of Botany

a little bit of botanical information on caraway

description
Caraway is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae. The plant is similar in appearance to other members of the carrot family, with finely divided, feathery leaves with thread-like divisions, growing on 20–30 cm stems. The main flower stem is 40–60 cm tall, with small white or pink flowers. The flowers grow at the ends of stems in an umbrella like formation or in umbels and umbellets, much like that of Queen Anne's lace.

Caraway plants blossom in June. Caraway fruits (erroneously called seeds) are crescent-shaped achenes, around 2 mm long, with five pale ridges.

common names & nomenclature
The common names that include "fennel" are due to the similar scent to true fennel, the common names that include "cumin" refer to the similarity in appearance of the fruit (mistakenly called seed) of caraway and seeds of cumin. It is said that the name caraway originated from the arab word karawya.

Also known as:
meridian fennel, caraway seed, carvies, wild cumin, roman cumin, persian caraway, karawya, anis des vosges, carvi, cumin des prés

02.
Cultivation & Harvesting

considerations for growing and cultivating caraway

climate
Caraway prefers warm, sunny locations.

soil
Caraway grows best well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter.

growing
Caraway plants do best when started with seeds. Sow directly into a well-drained soil and lightly cover with a thin layer of soil in the spring or fall. You can prepare the soil by working some compost into the top 1-2 inches.

Caraway is a biennial. This means it takes two years for the plant to mature, produce seeds, then die. During the winter you may not see any evidence of the plant even though the roots are preparing for spring. So mark your spot carefully so you don’t accidentally dig them up in the spring.

harvesting
Harvest caraway fruit (seeds) when they have ripened but before they fall to the ground. Cut the flower heads and gently shake over a shallow pan.

preserving
Dry the caraway fruit (seeds) and store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. You can even dry-roast the fruit (seeds) to enhance flavor before using or storing.

03.
Where in the World

habitat and range for caraway

Caraway is native to Western Asia, Europe and Northern Africa.

04.
The Rest of the Story

additional information