Love it or hate it, basil is an easily
recognized herb in its green leafy pungent form. I happen to love basil.
Did you know it comes in dozens of colors, scents, sizes and taste? It
also comes in a bush or shrub variety although these types aren’t
typically used for culinary preparations. Basil can be grown year round
between your outdoor garden and your kitchen windowsill.
Growing Basil Everywhere: A Year Round Herb
(Imported from my old WordPress Blog)
A Brief History of Basil:
It is believed basil comes from the Greek word basileus. It means
“king”. Or it may come from the Latin word basilicus which means
“dragon”. In either case the culinary world crowns basil “the king of
all herbs”.
Basil is native to many tropical areas.. It has been cultivated
for over 5000 years. Over time, it has made its way to every corner of
the world and into the households of most cultures. It is grown as an
annual in most parts of the world. It needs the warmth of the sun, grows
quickly and requires little maintenance beyond picking and using it.
There are over 40 known varieties of basil of which Ocimum basilicum
or Sweet Basil is the most commonly known and grown. Ocimum is from a
Greek verb that means “to be fragrant.” The foliage is easily
bruised. Just brushing against the leaves releases its easily
identifiable fragrance.
Varieties can grow to a height of 2 1/2 feet and
are about as wide. Basil foliage colors range from a pale to deep
green, it comes in purples and it can even have variegated leaves
with purples and yellows. The leaves vary from fragile and silky, to
thicker and crinkly and they maybe dull or shiny. The leaves can be tiny
or quite large. Flowers appear in summer on the ends of branches and
are either white or lavender. What ever plant you grow, it is always
fragrant.
Types of Basil
Anise basil
Camphor basil
Cinnamon basil
Cuban basil
Dark opal basil
Genovese basil
Lemon basil
Lettuce leaf basil
Licorice basil
Mammoth basil
Red basil
Purple basil
Purple ruffles basil
Sweet basil
Spicy globe basil
Thai basil
Basil varies in color, leaf size and in fragrance and taste. You can
find just about any kind of basil between locally available seeds,
nursery stocks and specialty catalogs. Basil is very easy to grow. It
grows quickly and vigorously be it inside on your windowsill or outside
in your garden.
Basil Uses:
Basil is primarily a culinary herb. It is typical used as a fresh
herb but can be used for its essential oils. Typically, basil is snipped
and chopped and put right into the dish. The leaves can also be used
whole in salads. Basil can be dried and used dried on fish, on meats, in
pasta dishes and in sauces. I can also be dropped into a bottle of
white vinegar to create a basil flavored vinegar for cooking and salads.
The strongest basil flavor is found in the leaves. You can cook the
leaves. You can eat them raw. You can crush the leaves for the aroma,
minced them for intense flavor or toss them on a plate as a garnish. The
flowers are also edible and can also be used as a garnish as well.
Basil mixes well with other herbs. Garlic and basil make a great
pesto. Add some lemon juice, oregano or time for a great taste. Butter,
basil and lemon goes great on fish, lamb, veal or poultry. Basil, dill
and butter do well together. Basil can be used in dozens of sauces. It
can be minced up and added to your squashes and zucchini as a great
summer vegetable dish.
Where and How to Grow Basil:
Basil can be grown in a designated herb garden, as part of your
flower garden, as borders plants, on a deck in pots and containers, as
plants in your hanging baskets and indoors on the windowsill. Basil will
grow anywhere as long as it is warm.
Basil does not need a lot of soil or root growing room. It is fast
growing annual plant. That is, it grows quickly and sets seeds. Once it
sets seeds, energy production to the leaves is stopped and the plant
typically loses its culinary value. Basil will even grow in a cup of
water.
Basil can be bought as seeds or as plants. You will want to plant
basil every 2 to 3 weeks in the garden from seed. This will supply your
household with basil all summer long. I mentioned it grows very quickly
and aims to set flowers to seed. Pinch the flowers off as soon as the
buds appear. This will keep the leaves growing longer. Eventually the
plant leaves will lose flavor but that should be about the time your
other basil plants mature.
Basil plants from a nursery are great to tuck into containers and
pots or to grow on your window sill. When you plant seeds, just follow
the seed packets. Basil grows that easily. Just keep them watered and
before you know it you will have basil plants cropping up all over the
garden. When you grow plants or seeds in containers, make sure the pots
and containers have holes. Although you can grow basil in a clean cup of
water, they don’t do well in soggy soil.
Picking and Storing Basil:
Start picking basil when the plant is about a foot tall. Regular
picking of the leaves will promote more leaf growth. You can pick
selected leaves as it is maturing up to size, just don’t over pick the
leaves. Once the plant is 10 -12 inches tall you can not do much harm
from heavy cultivation.
Refrigerate and wrap the basil leaves in damp paper towels inside a
plastic bag. They can last 3-4 days that way. You can pick a stem and
place it in a cup of water and in can last 5-7 days that way. If you are
making pestos and sauces, you can freeze basil since it will be used in
mince formed. Basil can also be dried and stored till next growing
season in a cool dark place.
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