Tarragon
- First taste
- 6 months
- Choking risk
- low
- Common allergen
- no
- Iron
- low
Finely chopped fresh or dried
When can babies eat tarragon?
Tarragon can be offered once your baby seems ready for solids, usually at 6 months.
Tarragon is an herb that grows wild in Asia. The kind eaten most today is French tarragon. Its mild licorice-like aroma goes into béarnaise sauce in France and chakapuli stew in Georgia. It flavors meat, sauces and vegetables, and also vinegars, teas and even soda.
It offers small amounts of various vitamins, minerals and fiber. Plant compounds like flavonoids and phenolic acids are in it too, and these may act against inflammation and microbes and as antioxidants. Avoid non-culinary forms such as supplements, essential oils and teas. Their safety in children has not been studied enough.
How do you prepare tarragon for babies?
Every baby develops at their own pace. These tips are general guidance.
Add tarragon to food as finely chopped fresh leaves, dried or powdered. After 12 months whole leaves are fine. Remove woody sprigs before serving.
Preparation by age
The same food is served differently at each age. What matters is how your baby sits, grasps and chews, more than the calendar.
6 months
6 months · Finely chopped or powderedmash
Cut: Finely chopped
Chop fresh tarragon leaves very finely and stir them into suitable dishes such as vegetable mash or stew. Whisk the leaves with a little oil to make a dressing for meat or steamed vegetables. Dried or powdered tarragon can season food too.
12 months
12 months · In any formmash
Tarragon can go into meals the usual way, whether fresh, dried, or ground. Whole fresh leaves are fine now. If you left a large woody sprig in the pot while cooking, take it out before serving so it does not end up in your child's portion and cause discomfort.
Is tarragon a choking hazard for babies?
Choking risk: low
Fresh and dried tarragon are low risk. Before 12 months chop the leaves finely, and take woody sprigs out of the dish.
Fresh and dried tarragon are considered low risk. Any food can still cause choking. Prepare it to suit your baby's age and stay close during meals.
Is tarragon a common allergen?
Tarragon is not a common allergen, and allergy to it is uncommon. Some dried herb blends that include tarragon may hold common allergens. When your child has food allergies, read labels carefully.
Key nutrients
Frequently asked questions about tarragon
Can babies have tarragon tea?
No. The source advises avoiding non-culinary forms such as supplements, essential oils and teas. Their safety in children has not been studied enough.
Can I use dried tarragon?
Yes, from 6 months dried or powdered tarragon can season food.
Sources for this page
- Dünya Sağlık Örgütü. (2023). Guideline for complementary feeding of infants and young children 6-23 months of age.
- CDC, Infant and Toddler Nutrition. (n.d.). Choking Hazards.
- Ekiert H, Świątkowska J, Knut E, Klin P, Rzepiela A, Tomczyk M, et al. (2021). Artemisia dracunculus (Tarragon): A Review of Its Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology. Frontiers in Pharmacology. doi:10.3389/fphar.2021.653993
Guides on iron, allergen introduction, gagging and drinks. Read the starting solids guides
Medical note
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Talk to your pediatrician before any feeding decision, especially about allergen introduction and reactions.
The Lokmini app
Log tarragon, reactions and your allergen journey in the app.
Open in LokminiLokmini is coming soon to the App Store.
Astro Tasarım Simay Yenice · Türkiye · merhaba@lokmini.com