All About Basil

Enhancing the flavor of food with culinary herbs is one of life’s simple pleasures. There are many herbs that add zip to a dish - thyme, oregano, sweet marjoram, parsley, and sage are some of the favorites. Perhaps the most popular of all is basil, a herb valued worldwide for both its culinary and aesthetic appeal. In today’s program, we will explore this versatile herb - its origins, varieties, cultivation, harvesting, preservation, and culinary uses. Since basil is now abundantly available in stores and markets, it is quite easy to include it in your recipes, adding wonderful flavor to many dishes.

Although basil is primarily associated with Italian cooking, it originated in the Far East. It was first known in India, Pakistan, and Thailand, and all varieties of basil now under cultivation worldwide came from ancient strains found in these Far Eastern countries. In these cultures, the use of basil was often beyond the kitchen. For example, in India, a sprig of holy basil buried with the dead was thought to protect the loved one from evil in the hereafter. Basil was found growing near Christ’s tomb after the resurrection, testifying to its close relationship to religion two thousand years ago.

In Europe, basil has been used to symbolize love in Italy and to serve as a natural insect repellant in France. In Italy, a young woman would set a pot of basil on her balcony as a signal to her suitor that she is willing for him to visit. And it was widely believed that she would fall madly in love with him if he brought her a sprig of basil. In France, sidewalk window boxes are typically full of healthy, flourishing basil plants. In particular, outdoor cafes have an abundance of basil in planters around the tables, utilizing its well known insect repelling property.

There are many different kinds of basil, each with its own distinctive aroma and flavor. Sweet Basil has been the most common variety grown in kitchen gardens in America for the past 200 years. Indeed, Sweet Basil was a staple at Monticello, grown and harvested in abundance during Jefferson’s time. Sweet Basil has a delightful smell and taste, and combines well with other herbs, particularly oregano, sweet marjoram, thyme and parsley. It enlivens many dishes, adding a delicious flavor to fish, poultry, cheese, eggs, beans, tomatoes, and many other vegetables.

There are over sixty different kinds of basil, too many to describe in this program. It is well worth our time to become familiar with a few basil types other than the familiar Sweet Basil, since each variety has unique properties and some have quite different uses.

For example, there are several kinds of bush basil, characterized by their small, globe-like bushy appearance. These plants have small aromatic leaves, and are quite ornamental. They are particularly suitable for container gardening. When harvesting a bush basil, it is easy to strip the tiny leaves from the branches, releasing a most delightful, flavorful aroma valued highly by chefs in fine restaurants. The largest bush basil is Fine Green Basil, Green Bouquet Basil is a more compact plant , and Spicy Globe Basil is the smallest of all .

Another interesting group is the purple basil type, plants that are so stunning in the garden that they are often grown for their ornamental as well as culinary value. Opal Basil, with its striking purple leaves, was hybridized in 1962 by crossing a colorful Turkish species with Sweet Basil. Therefore the distinctive flavor of Sweet Basil is characteristic of Opal Basil, making it an interesting substitute for the green variety in salads and pasta dishes. Purple Ruffles is a cultivar that is similar to Opal, but its leaves are larger and crinkled in texture.

There are a number of scented basils that add uncommon interest to various dishes. These varieties have flavors that are quite similar to other plants. Some examples are Cinnamon Basil, Lemon Basil, Lime Basil and Anise Basil. These varieties constitute just a small fraction of the many different kinds available. Persons interested in adding an exotic basil to their herb garden should consult their favorite seed catalogue in the spring.

Basil is not hard to grow. Seed should be started four to five weeks before the last frost in the spring. Sow seed in containers of moistened potting soil, covering them lightly with soil so that they rest about an eighth of an inch below the surface. The container should be labeled and placed in a plastic bag to retain moisture. Basil seeds germinate best at about 75 degrees Fahrenheit, so place the container in a warm spot like the top of the refrigerator. Seedlings will appear in about a week. Once they do, remove the plastic bag and place the container in the sunniest spot possible. Basil prefers to dry out a bit between waterings, so do not over water. Place the container in an aluminum plate or other dish so that watering can be accomplished from the bottom of the container. Since basil is so cold sensitive, it should be planted outdoors only after all danger of frost is past.

To obtain a large yield of the best quality basil leaves, they should be harvested by picking leaves from the main stem and branches just below the suckers that grow at the leaf nodes. This practice makes the plant bushier. Leaves should be harvested just before flowers develop, and should be picked in the morning after the dew is off the plants. The oils that produce the aroma and flavor of herbs is at their maximum concentration at that time. If plants are allowed to flower before harvest, the heads should be removed from plants a few days before harvest is anticipated. If plants are fertilized with fish emulsion after harvest, new growth will be stimulated from the suckers for a later picking.

Basil can be used fresh or stored in a variety of ways for later use. A branch cut and placed in a jar of water on the kitchen window sill will yield fresh basil for several weeks. To preserve for later use, basil can be dried. To accomplish this, tie together three to five stems of clean basil and hang upside down for two to four weeks in a warm, dry place. Once leaves are dry, they should be crumbled and placed in a dark jar for storage. Basil may also be frozen, either in water or chopped in a little olive oil. Frozen in an ice cube tray, the basil can be added directly to soups or stews without prior thawing.

The number of recipes that can be enhanced by this flavorful herb is legion. From combining it with olive oil and lemon juice to marinate tomatoes, to incorporating it into a flavorful spaghetti sauce, basil is one of the most popular of all the culinary herbs. Perhaps its most famous use is as an essential ingredient in pesto, a fantastic pasta sauce. Combined with garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and olive oil, basil gives pesto its distinctive flavor that has delighted people for centuries. And pesto itself can be frozen for use all winter long, when visions of fresh basil snipped from the garden have long since faded.

It is little wonder that this versatile plant has been prized by chefs and cottage garden cooks for centuries. If you’ve never explored the world of basil, you are missing a real culinary treat. There are many wonderful cookbooks available that include herb recipes. Buy one and try including basil in your dishes. You’ll like it!!

Written by members of the Heart of Virginia Master Gardeners

posted 3/1/07