Herb Basil
Growing the Basil Herb
Basil has always been one of the most popular herbs for all kinds of gardeners. In fact the International Herb Society voted basil the ‘Herb of the Year’ in 2003! It is easy to see why it is so popular, it can be easily grown, is packed full of nutrients and used in almost any kind of cooking. The best use for this herb is, of course, in an Italian herb garden for cooking with delicious Italian-style tomato dishes. However many also love it for its health benefits which include cardiovascular and anti-oxidant benefits.
The strong flavor that basil has is due to it belonging to the same family as garden mint. Because of this relation, growing this herb is similar. One key difference is that basil is easily grown from seed or cultivar. Most gardeners plant in early spring, however it can be sown in late winter as long as the frosts have definitely finished. If you want to give your herbs the largest chance of surviving, it is advisable to grow it as an indoor herb first. After about 4 weeks of growth have taken place, it can then be transferred outside easily.
Basil was originally cultivated in India, so it comes as little surprise that it requires as much sunshine as possible. Temperatures that would cause bolting plants, actually benefit basil. 80 to 90 degrees is the optimum range for the basil herb. Because of this love of heat, some gardeners bring their plant back indoors during the winter.
On top of this, you will need to add a good fertilizer to get the best growth. You should make sure that your fertilizer is suitable for use on ‘edibles’ as some are not suitable for using on anything you intend to eat! From then on you will need to make sure that it gets adequate water to make sure that it is soft and flavorful. You will also want to make sure that you pinch off the shoots semi-regularly to delay the growth of flowers and to encourage growth. It is also important to cut off any flower buds you see.
Harvesting the Basil Herb
As long as you leave about 7 niches or so of growth, you can harvest a lot of basil. The only problem is what to do with it all, as it does not freeze very well. One solution is to use it fresh and make a lot of food. Another is to dry a significant proportion of it.
Basil can be easily dried as long as you have a hot, dry place (70-80 degrees is best). Take about 5-6 stems of basil and dry hang them upside down. Eventually the water will all leave the plant, then it can be broken easily and stored in a pot. For those that don’t have days to spare, an oven or microwave can be used. Drying will take 3 hours or so in the oven and 4 minutes in the microwave. Note that a little flavor is usually lost using this method.
If you have a lot of vinegar or olive oil, you can add basil to it. It will not only preserve the harvest, but will add a great flavor to the condiment.
Uses for Basil
As a general rule basil is used to flavor something rather than used by itself. The most common use is in pesto or in tomato sauce, especially spaghetti sauces. Some people like basil tea, however I would recommend either adding something to the tea to sweeten it (Such as honey) or mix basil with other strong flavors (Basil and mint is a great combination for example).
