How do I Harvest Common Fennel?

The plump, layered fennel bulb imparts a sweet taste and crunchy texture to dishes.

Common fennel is available in several varieties with culinary uses for both the seeds and the fleshy bulb that forms just above the ground. The elongated, striped fennel seeds produce a distinct licorice flavor traditionally used for flavoring sausages and pork dishes. The fennel bulb has a sweet flavor and a crunchiness similar to celery without the tough, stringy texture, and the licorice flavor is considerably subdued. Fennel is easily grown and harvested in the home garden.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Knife
• Food dehydrator, optional

Instructions

Harvesting Bulbs

1. Use a shovel to gently loosen the fennel plant in the ground and remove the entire plant. You should wait to harvest fennel until the bulb is about 4 inches across and firm to the touch.

2. Cut the root and the stalks from the plant, leaving only the bulb. Cookbook author Andrea Chesman recommends saving some of the feathery fronds from the top of the plant to use as a herb or garnish with finished fennel dishes. You can also incorporate the stalks into vegetable stock.

3. Wash the bulb, and remove any damage or unsightly outer layers. Cut the bulb in half to remove the core, and follow instructions in your recipe for further preparation of the bulb.

Harvesting Seeds

1. 

   Harvest fennel seeds when they turn brown.

   Cut flower heads from the plant when the seeds have attained an even, light brown coloration. Fennel seeds left too long on the plant may shatter and become unusable.

2. Set flower heads in the sun for a few days or place inside a food dehydrator.

3. Shake the seeds loose from the flower head and into an airtight container for storage.

Tips & Warnings

• There are multiple varieties of common fennel, some of which have been bred to produce large bulbs. Look for varieties with names like bulbing fennel, Florence fennel and sweet fennel if you plan to harvest fennel bulbs.

• Fennel flowers mature at different rates, so the seeds may not all be ready at the same time. Make multiple harvests to gain maximum seed yields from your fennel plant.

• If they aren't exposed to the sun, fennel bulbs retain a creamy white coloration rather than turning green. If you want white fennel bulbs, mound soil around the bulb as the plant grows to protect the bulb from the sun, according to the University of Florida IFAS Extension.

• Fennel seed either self-sows or becomes invasive, depending on your perspective on the use of the plant. According to the Washington State University Extension, in some areas, common fennel is considered a noxious weed, so plant it with care and, if you allow it to go to seed, expect to see fennel in your garden again next year.

References

• Washington State University Island County: Fennel, Sweet Anise
• "Serving Up the Harvest"; Andrea Chesman; 2007
• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Florence Fennel
• Washington State University Extension: Common Fennel