Anise seeds germinate best when they are less than two years old.
Sowing Anise Seeds.
Sow seeds where the plants will reside as soon as the weather becomes settled in early spring. Plant anise 1/2 deep and 1/2 apart in drills 15 or 18 inches apart. Anise thrives best in well-drained, light, rich, somewhat dry loamy soils well exposed to the sun. Plants require little care; keep weed free and a light application of well-rotted manure are all that is required.
Transplantation.
Not recommended.
Harvesting.
When around 4 months old, which is about a month before the flowers will bloom, the plants should be cut for drying. Or allow the plants to go through their entire growing cycle to harvest the seeds.
Anise Uses
leaves, seeds, oil
Leaves.
Use as a garnish for flavoring salads.
Seeds.
Anise seeds are used to flavor curry powders, cake, pastry, confectionery, and some kinds of cheeses and breads. The seeds can be ground and compounded with other fragrant material to create sachet powders.
Oil.
Anise oil is commonly used to flavor both alcoholic and non-spiritous beverages. Another common use is for making some drugs more palatable. Anise oil is also used for liquid perfumes. The oil is quite volatile with about 50 pounds of seed being required to produce one pound of oil. A major producer of anise oil uses both the "hay" and the seeds for distilling.
Foods Containing Anise.
Aniseed balls, pizzelles, pfeffernusse, cheeses (la Gerome from Vosges, France) a variety of regional drinks including Sambuca, the spirit absinthe, and some root beers. Anise is a common flavoring in Christmas baking.