Anyone who is used to cooking, or is simply passionate about good food, knows the importance of basil for the gastronomy of our area. In fact, we are talking about a plant that has entered the collective imagination as one of the basic elements of many local recipes, capable of giving an extra boost to dishes. Given its importance, it would be best to be able to use it all year round: but is it possible? Let’s try to find out together.
Basil: the real plant
As the etymology of the name suggests (the word “basil” derives from basilikon, royal plant), basil is an authentic plant with magnificent properties. In addition to being used for centuries in folk medicine, this plant can be used to make a multitude of recipes: for example, it can be combined with other aromatic herbs, such as parsley and rosemary, and seasoned on meats and especially vegetables; but its uses range from fish to soups. It is impossible not to mention the exceptional contribution he manages to give to several first courses and, obviously, to a first course made almost exclusively with basil: Genoese pesto. You can even make aromatic essences.
How to always have it available?
Being so versatile, it’s easy to imagine how useful it could be to have basil leaves on hand 365 days a year. We start from the assumption that this plant should be sown between May and June, to ensure that it can grow healthy and strong. Perhaps not everyone knows that this plant requires a lot of light and a mild temperature. Ideally, you should water the soil every day, especially during the hottest times of the year. When the temperature drops, you should keep the plant indoors, perhaps on a windowsill. When removing the leaves, do it individually or by removing the entire branch, without undermining the support structure of the plant. One of the main mistakes made when growing basil is leaving it at the mercy of winter weather: sadly, it could die in a few days. With the right care, following these tips, it is possible to use it practically all year round and keep it healthy and strong. Another tip, if you don’t have the possibility of growing it in a pot, is to opt for freezing. Not everyone knows that once the individual leaves have been removed from the twig, it is possible to freeze them to have them available at any time. Needless to say, the freshness is not comparable to that of freshly extracted leaves from the plant, but the result is exceptional. In fact, the use in recipes remains unchanged, and so does the aroma!
