Tomato Facts

Isn't basil one of the best herb plants? A dish can’t possibly be deemed Italian if there is not any basil in it. It’s one of the best herb plants to start with because it’s simple to grow, a cinch to harvest and it smells awesome too.

You’ll see basil all over Greek, French and Italian menus, but this little herb that could is native to the tropical Pacific islands. I am not sure how it got to Europe, but I’m glad it did. In my opinion, the best basil dish is a mouth-watering pesto, which is a green sauce made from a whole bunch of chopped basil mixed with olive oil. Wonderful!

There are many types of basil to choose from, such as:

• Sweet Basil: This type is the most popular one for cooking. Sweet basil has glossy leaves and has the full basil taste.
• Lettuce-Leaf Basil: This type of basil has broad leaves and a milder taste. There are several varieties of this leaf type, including Mammoth, Napoletano and Green Ruffles.
• Bush Basil: This smaller type of basil is good for edging and also comes in a few different varieties, such as Spicy Globe, Bush, Tiny Leaf Purple, Green Bouquet and Piccolo Fine Verde.
• Lemon Basil: This kind has short, little leaves and offers a lemony fragrance. You can use the leaves in vinegar, fruit salad, fish and poultry dishes and herbal tea.
• Purple Basil: It’s no shocker that purple basil has wide purple leaves and delicate pink flowers. This type is best in vinegars and Greek meals.
• Thai Basil: This type, which is from Thailand (of course), has long, narrow leaves. It also has a slight licorice taste that adds extra flavor to Thai and Indian dishes.

Starting with seeds is a nice way to get going with basil, but you can also pick-up your plant from the nursery, greenhouse or home improvement store. Regardless of how you start, your plants should reach about 20 inches tall as long as they have lots of sun and well-drained dirt.

I pinch back the white buds that will start showing up during the summer. The reason I do that is because I’m not in it for the flowers; I want those nice 1-two inch leaves. Pinching it back makes the herb grow bushier (more leaves).

Harvesting your basil is as easy as one, two, 3: simply cut the stem just before the blossoms, pick off the leaves and dry them. Once they’re dry you will put them in a freezer bag to store them. In fact, you do not have to dry them, they will go immediately into your freezer. You can even store your herbs in a container and cover them with olive oil, which will bring out all their taste. They can keep for several months this way.

You can cultivate basil inside, but I cannot recommend it. My try at wintering basil several years ago was not successful. It really needs about 5 hours of direct light a day with moist dirt to grow and thrive. Sadly, my kitchen does not get that much 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.