Basil, the King
of Herbs
To many gardeners, basil is truly
an incredible herb. There are dozens of known varieties of basil of
which Ocimum basilicum or Sweet Basil is the most commonly grown. It
is enjoyed for its rich and spicy flavor with a trace of mint, clove
and even licorice.
Along with basil’s wonderful
fragrances and flavors, some varieties are also used as attractive ornamentals
in the summer landscape and others add interest to cut flower arrangements.
Basil is native to India, Africa
and Asia, but has a long history of legend and use worldwide. In Tudor
England, little pots of basil were often given as graceful compliments
by farmers’ wives to visitors. In present-day Italy, basil is
a symbol of love, but represented hatred in ancient Greece.
The ancient Greeks painted poverty
as a ragged woman with a basil at her side. Both the early Greeks and
Romans thought the plant would only grow if the gardener shouted and
cursed while sowing the seeds. Some of you may already be proficient
at that technique with other plantings.
Historically basil has been recommended
for digestive complaints and mild headaches and anxiety. Perhaps that
was not the basis for hiding the head of John the Baptist in a pot of
basil or why Keats wrote of Boccacio’s Isabella burying the head
of her murdered lover in a pot of basil and watering it with her tears.*
It may have been the scent that was of interest or basils’ anti-bacterial
and anti-fungal qualities.
To the gardener, however, basil
is enjoyed steeped in a cup of tea, mixed into potpourri, added to Italian,
Mediterranean and Thai food or French turtle soup. *see
“Final Thoughts…”
Growing Basil
Basil is an annual herb in non-tropical
climates and a member of the mint family (note the square stem). It
is a great companion plant to tomatoes, eggplant and peppers.
It is easily grown indoors or outside,
but is very sensitive to frost injury and prefers a 70-degree soil temperature.
A sunny location in well-drained, rich soil with ample moisture will
keep it very happy. A soil pH of 5.5 to 6.5 is best and fertilizer should
be used sparingly as too much will decrease the fragrant oils.
The flower buds should be pinched-off,
as the production of flowers tends to add bitterness to the leaf flavor.
Don’t be afraid to prune your plants every 2 to 3 weeks –
the bushier the better. Cut it back to about 1/4 inch above a node.
If grown indoors in a pot, give
the plant a south-facing window, a minimum of four hours of bright light
and away from any drafts.
Since basil is so sensitive to
cold, make sure you do your final harvest before the first cold snap.
The ideal time is on a sunny morning after the dew has evaporated and
before the day becomes hot. You will also have more oils (better flavor)
if watering is withheld the two days before harvesting.
Pull the whole plant out of the
ground for your final harvest and use only the leaves. Basil is best
fresh, but can also be preserved by drying, freezing, bottled in oil,
or steeped in vinegars.
Drying Basil:
In general, basil loses much of
its favor when dried. The faster the herb dries, the more flavorful
the results.
Good air circulation, low humidity
and out of direct sunlight is best. Covering with a single sheet of
newspaper while drying outdoors will help retain its green color. Bunches
can be tied together and hung upside down or laid out on screens.
Those with gas oven pilot lights
can quickly dry herbs by placing them on cookie sheets (with oven and
oven light off) for a day or so. Check the basil daily to assure thorough
drying before storage.
Basil retains its flavor better
if stored as a large leaf and crushed at time of use. Store in tightly
sealed glass jars away from heat and light.
Freezing Basil:
My favorite method. Chop the
leaves in a food processor, add olive oil to create a smooth, loose
paste and freeze in ice cube trays. These cubes can then be put into
a freezer bag and used as needed in soups, stews, and pasta or for making
pesto. For the best pesto flavor, add the cheese and pine nuts after
thawing.
For a basil and oil puree to use
fresh or to be frozen for winter use, combine two cups of dry, packed
basil leaves and 1/4 to `/2 cup of olive oil.
Frozen basil is best when used
within six months.
Vinegar Basil:
Stalks of basil can be added to
bottles of vinegar to use on salads. Use good quality wine vinegar and
allow the vinegar/basil to steep for at least 2 weeks before using.
This works well in olive oil too. The red basils add a very pleasing
red color to both vinegar and oil.
Fresh garden tomatoes sliced and
sprinkled with chopped basil and vinegar and oil are delicious. Basil
mixes well with various egg and cheese dishes as well as fruit jams.
In general, add fresh basil at the last moment, as cooking destroys
the flavor quickly. When adding dried basil to a recipe that calls for
fresh, substitute 1/3 the amount called for in the recipe.
My first thought of a basil recipe
is pesto. I love pesto – mounded on angel-hair pasta and surrounded
with fresh sliced Botanical Interests tomatoes, or spread on broiled
fish or grilled chicken, or a baked potato, or a sauce for string beans
or pizza, or…you get the idea. It’s great and easy and quick
to make.
Pesto
(1 cup)
3 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
2 large cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Add all ingredients except the cheese to
a blender or food processor. Blend until well processed. Beat in cheese
just before serving.
Fresh Lime-Basil Sorbet
1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (8 to 10 limes)
1 cup water
1 cup simple sugar syrup (1 cup sugar plus 1 cup water, boiled then
cooled)
12 whole basil leaves
1 egg white (optional)
Combine all ingredients, except egg white,
into a freezer friendly container and freeze 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
Remove from freezer and allow to soften a little. Put chunks of frozen
mixture into a food processor and process until all crystals have
disappeared and mixture is smooth. Re-pack into container and keep
frozen until needed. This will keep for up to 2 months. If you prefer
a lighter, less icy sorbet, add 1 egg white during processing.
Yields 4 servings.
(Recipe from Herbal Gardens’ website)
Don’t forget the flowers.
Basil flowers are edible and are a nice complement in salads or used
to decorate the dessert or dinner plate. Our Thai Siam Queen and Cinnamon
are especially nice for this use.
There are more than 40 varieties
of basil and many are offered by The Herb Cottage. The distinctive characteristics
for each variety are listed here and are also printed on the front and
back of every packet, but your own taste buds will most likely be the
determining factor.
Cinnamon, Organic
· Cinnamon aroma and flavor.
· Attractive violet flowers.
· Great in teas and potpourri.
· Sweet flavor, excellent combined with other fruity
flavored herbs.
Custom Blend
· 7 unique varieties giving a blend of color, textures,
flavors, uses and fragrances.
· Includes: Lemon, Anise, Cinnamon, Purple
Ruffles, Dark Opal, Thai and Genovese basils.
Genovese Italian
· A pesto-making favorite.
· Large leaf.
· Strong flavor and aroma.
Greek Spicy Globe
· Small mounding plant (12” wide and 6”
tall).
· Excellent border plant.
· Strong flavor, small leaves.
· Slow to bolt.
Greek Mini Yevani, Organic
· Organic selection of Greek Spicy Globe.
Italian Large Leaf
· Very good used fresh and for pesto.
· Large leaf.
Lemon Mrs. Burns
· Strong lemon/citrus fragrance and flavor.
· Excellent for vinegars, salad dressings, fish dishes,
and sprinkled in salads.
· Good container variety.
Lime
· Combined flavor of basil and lime, very tasty.
· Great in vinegars, with fish, salad dressings,
sauces, oils and sprinkled on salad.
· Good with standard basil dishes as well as pesto.
· Good container variety.
Napoletano
· Large, crinkled leaves.
· A top choice for eating fresh.
· Tender leaves, mild, sweet mellow flavor.
· Good for pesto.
Red Rubin
· Dark purple. All-America Selections Winner, 1992.
· Clove-like spicy flavor.
· Too strong for pesto.
· Great for vinegars, in pasta dishes.
· Good garden ornamental, containers.
Thai Siam Queen
· Superior Thai basil. All- America Selections Winner,
1997.
· Sweet, spicy flavor.
· Very aromatic leaves (licorice aroma).
· Large leaves, compact plants
· Beautiful pink and purple flowers.
· Good container variety.
Petra, New in 2007
· Large leaf.
· Dark purple.
· Sweeter than Red Rubin.
· Great for pesto and salad color.
And she forgot the stars, the moon, the sun,
And she forgot the blue above the trees,
And she forgot the dells, where water runs,
And she forgot the chilly autumn breeze:
She had no knowledge when day was done,
And the new morn she saw not: but in peace
Hung over her sweet Basil evermore…..
‘For cruel ‘tis,’ said she,
‘To steal my Basil-pot away from me.’
~John Keats
©
2006 Botanical Interests, Inc. www.botanicalinterests.com