As stated in the chart above, these are the values of a half cup (21.20 grams) of fresh chopped basil. You can find a small bunch (usually about 6oz.) of fresh basil at almost any local grocery or big box store, but rather than paying close to a couple bucks for it, you could start growing your own from a pack of seeds for just about the same price, maybe less. It may be too late in the year to grow it outside depending on where you're at, but setting up a small windowsill herb box is always an option to growing any time of year. Just three basil plants that are properly cared for can provide about one to one and a half cups of basil leaves a week.
Wherever you decide to grow your basil, there are a couple things you'll need to take into consideration. Basil loves sunlight, so providing it with at least 6 to 8 hours a day is optimal. Choosing a south facing window will ensure that it receives the most possible natural sunlight in a day, you could also set up an area with grow lights to ensure that it receives adequate lighting if window space isn't an option. The other important thing to remember is that basil roots are very prone to rotting. You'll need to either choose an area outside with good drainage or use a container with holes in the bottom and a water catchment tray.
If you grow basil from seeds, be sure and cover them with between 1/4" to 1/2" of soil. They'll take anywhere between 8 days and 2 weeks to germinate, with an additional 2 - 3 weeks before you have the first true set of leaves. If you've planted the seeds too close together, you'll want to thin them out by either replanting them about 6" apart outside once the danger of frost has passed, or by sticking to two or three plants per 8" container. One of my neighbors told me that the pH levels of your soil are important, and that they should be checked every 4-6 weeks. She says that if the pH level is around 6.0, then you're basil will be just fine. I've never checked pH levels in my soil for any of the plants I grow, but I'm sure there is some sort of over the counter testing kit or something you could look into. She also claims that if you'll just use fertilizer at half strength as often as suggested on the package, this will help make sure the soil is good for the growing and you won't need to do any pH testing.
I've never used any store bought fertilizer. I have access to as much horse manure as I want to pick up, so that's what I use. It may or may not be doing the job, but here's what I do. Occasionally I'll go and shovel some manure from the oldest side of the poop pile, bring it home, and put about a 1/2 or 3/4 of a shovel full worth in a 5-gallon bucket and fill it with water. Every couple days I go out there and stir it around with a stick or something... I've even used my hand. No big deal. About once a month or so I'll fill my watering can with the manure water from that bucket and I'll water whatever plants I can until the there isn't enough water to scoop out anymore. You could try this too or buy fertilizer, it's really up to you.
In order for basil to grow well and keep producing the best amount of leaves, you'll need to harvest it often. Once there are five or six sets of leaves on it, you can start plucking them. The way I do it is to snip off the center shoot just above the second set of leaves from the bottom. If you aren't going to use it right away, you'll need to decide how to store it. Basil doesn't dry out well for me, it never does. It always turns black and the taste very noticeably fades. I believe it has something to do with the high water content in it. If you want to keep it as fresh as you can, keep the center shoot/stem and the leaves intact and put them in a glass or a vase of water just like you would fresh cut flowers. If you keep them like this on a counter and out of direct sunlight, they could stay green for almost 2 weeks.
Basil also freezes well. Make sure you rinse them off before preparing them. If you want to make it into a pesto or something before you freeze it, that's always an option. You could also pluck off the leaves and make them into oil cubes. Roll each leaf, slice them up into thin strips, and loosely put the strips into an ice cube tray. After that you can pour just enough olive oil in each section to cover the strips, and freeze it that way. After they're frozen you can transfer them into a freezer baggy if you'd like, or just keep them in the tray and cover it with plastic wrap.
You can also freeze the leaves whole. By this I mean you can just pluck the leaves off the stem, carefully rinse them off so you don't bruise them, and then dry them on a paper towel or in some sort of salad spinner if you want. Once they're dry, lay them out on a cookie sheet and stick them in the freezer for an hour or two. After that, take them out and loosely stick them in an airtight freezer bag, seal them shut, and stick them back in the freezer until you're ready to use them. Make sure you label the bag with the name and date for future reference. When you harvest more basil, I don't suggest adding the new leaves to the bag that's already been in the freezer. I would just start with a fresh bag every time.
I don't let my basil grow flowers, I pick from it far too often for it to do that. I still don't quite know how long basil will grow before it will just die off if you don't let it flower and go to seed either. Once you decide you're ready to stop using your basil plant and would like to get seeds for future planting, let it grow until it starts to blossom. Once the flowers are there, just leave them alone until they turn brown and the seed pods form. After that, you can pull the pods off and set them in a shallow bowl or something to dry out more. If you look inside the pods, you'll see the seeds inside. You can rub your fingers on them to help the seeds come out, or if you're patient, they'll fall out on their own. You'll need to store the seeds in a cool, dark, and dry area. Some say the freezer or fridge is fine, but I just keep all my seeds in individual baggies inside a jar and stick them in the pantry. You can check into which method is best for you, but when the seeds are stored right they could last for at least 5 years... some argue that basil seeds could last 10+ years, but I don't know that I would have any sitting around that long to test that time length.
Here is a simple video on How To Save Basil Seed by bsntechdotcom that you can watch if you're interested in seeing how it can be done.
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Don't forget to come back for the next post, it will cover the remedial uses for basil, and the applications for each. If you haven't subscribed yet, please consider doing so. Leave a comment if you have one, and share this with others who may find it useful. I'm still interested in finding similar blogs and sites too, so please share yours or your favorites in the comments below. Don't forget you can contact me personally through any of the options on the Contact Magpie page, I'm always open to suggestions for article content and interested in getting to know my blog's readers.
