A Basil For Every Occasion
Originally native to India, basil has earned itself a seat at many a dinner table around the world. Most commonly found in Italian cuisine and a main ingredient in the popular condiment pesto, basil is also used in many Southeast Asian dishes as well. This delicious aromatic mint-relative has many wonderful properties and a multitude of uses around the world in ethnic dishes, drinks, desserts, ornamental gardens and cut flower arrangements, as a great pollinator plant, and even in medicine.
The Many Faces of Basil
Genovese
The classic Italian basils are known for their strong, sweet flavor and are used extensively in Mediterranean cooking. A traditional favorite is caprese salad, made by layering these leaves with slices of tomato and fresh mozzarella and drizzling with balsamic reduction (see recipe below). These varieties are also preferred for making pesto because of their large, abundant leaves, sweet flavor, and high essential oil content. They grow well when given lots of space for each plant and are best harvested by clipping the tops of the plants rather than harvesting individual leaves. This type of harvesting helps Italian basil plants grow large, robust, and bushy, producing many leaves over a long season.
- Sweet, 65 days – traditional Italian variety for pestos and vinegars, high yielding
- Genovese, 68 days – the classic variety for pesto, with large spoon-shaped leaves
- Aroma F1, 70 days – vigorous plant with slight anise flavor, Fusarium resistance
- Aroma 2 F1, 70 days – vigorous with large 3” long leaves, resists bolting and Fusarium resistant
- Italian Large Leaf, 78 days – very large plants with 4” long leaves, bolt resistance. Perfect for pesto!
- Rosie, 65 days – Aromatic, mild flavor appeal, upright and uniform
- Purple Dark Opal, 65 days – A beautiful garnish, strong flavor excellent for vinegar infusions, and an ornamental suitable for growing in pots
- Lemon, 60 days – narrow leaves on smaller plants, excellent addition to fish, seafood, salads, and dressings; flowers have lemony fragrance
- Sweet Thai, 63 days – Clove and licorice flavors are delectable in Thai cuisine, gorgeous purple stems and flowers contrast with green leaves
- Cinnamon, 65 days - strong aroma and mild cinnamon flavor, medium green leaves with attractive purple stems and veining, pink flowers
- Fino Verde, 63 days – compact, bushy little plant with tiny leaves, attractive rounded habit; sweet, spicy flavor makes a little go a long way!
- Tip #1- There is some debate on the best way to store basil once harvested. Many sources say to refrigerate after harvest. However, in my experience, basil can quickly develop black spots or edging from cold damage. I store mine in a vase of water immediately after harvest at room temperature. In warmer weather, you can even loosely place a clear plastic bag over the leaves to hold in the moisture.
- Tip #2- Basil can lose a considerable amount of flavor after it has been dried. For best storage and maintaining the most flavor, quickly blanch the leaves, then chop or puree and freeze in ice cube trays. Once frozen, transfer your frozen basil cubes to a freezer bag or storage container. You can even add olive oil and onions to the puree for an excellent addition to winter soup stocks.
- Tip #3- When cooking with fresh basil, add it to your meal near the end of cooking to preserve its essence and flavor.
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