Growing Herbs: Basil
March 8th, 2010
Don’t you love basil? A meal cannot possibly be deemed Italian if there is not any basil in it. This fantastic smelling herb is one of the best ones to begin with because it is so simple to raise and harvest.
You will see basil all over Greek, French and Italian menus, but this little herb that could is native to the tropical Pacific islands. I do not know what twist of chance brought it to Europe, but what a nice twist that was. In my opinion, the best basil dish is a scrumptous pesto, which is a green sauce made from a whole bunch of chopped basil mixed with olive oil. Scrumptious!
Just a couple of the numerous types of basil that you can choose from are:
- Sweet Basil: This variety is the most popular one for dishes. The leaves are glossy in appearance and they provide a full basil flavor.
- Lettuce-Leaf Basil: For a milder flavor, you might want to choose this type which has broad leaves. Green Ruffles, Napoletano and Mammoth are just a couple of the many types of this type of leaf.
- Bush Basil: Tiny Leaf Purple, Bush, Piccolo Fine Verde, Spicy Globe and Green Bouquet are just a couple of the many types of this smaller basil which is wonderful for edging.
- Lemon Basil: This type has short, small leaves and offers a lemony fragrance. Herbal tea, fruit salad, vinegar and poultry and fish dishes are just a few of the things lemon basil leaves can be used for.
- Purple Basil: It is no surprise that purple basil has broad purple leaves and delicate pink flowers. Use it in your vinegars and in your Greek dishes.
- Thai Basil: This type of basil has long, thin leaves and is (of course) from Thailand. The slight licorice taste is a nice addition to Thai and Indian dinners.
Even though some folks may prefer to purchase their basil herbs at the nursery, picking-up seeds is also a good way to begin. Regardless of how you begin, your herbs should grow to about 20 inches tall as long as they have lots of sun and well-drained sod.
I cut off the white blossoms that will start showing up during the summer. I do this because I’m not in it for the flowers; I want those nice 1-2 inch leaves. When you cut off the flowers, you get a bushier herb with more leaves.
Harvesting your basil is as easy as 1, 2, three: simply cut the stem just before the flowers, pick off the leaves and dry them. The leaves can be stored in a freezer bag after you dry them. You can also skip the drying part and stick them immediately into the freezer. If you really want to bring out their taste, put the leaves in a container and cover them with olive oil. They will last like that for a number of months.
Growing basil indoors is not something that I recommend, although it can be done. I tried really hard to winter my basil a few years ago without success. Basil just cannot grow and survive unless it gets moist soil and gets around 5 hours of direct sun a day. Unfortunately, my kitchen does not get a lot of sunlight.
Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.
Here is more information on Italian Herb Garden. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.
Growing Herbs : How to Grow Basil
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