Drowning in Basil

[rainbowgardener]

Last night we had fresh basil pesto for dinner and then I canned four jars of purple basil jelly. And I still have more basil than I know what to do with!

[nltaff]

Hi RG, are those jelly recipes recorded somewhere in the using/preserving forum? Sounding really good right now!

[rainbowgardener]

This -- https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 45&t=57694

is a page where I talked about jelly and jam and ice cream making with flowers and herbs and gave a jelly and a jam recipe.

That page is more talking about florals but the process is exactly the same with herbs. Make an infusion / steep the herbs or flowers to get the flavor into the water. Then strain the herbs or flowers out and use the flavored water to make jelly with sugar and pectin.

Here's the basil jelly recipe I have been using:

4C water
2C firmly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 pkg pectin
3 drops green food coloring, optional but makes the green basil jelly prettier (no added color needed for purple basil jelly, which comes out a beautiful deep rose pink)
4C sugar.

Bring the water and basil to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand at least ten minutes. Strain out and compost basil. Return the flavored water to the pan. Stir in pectin and food color. Return to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in the sugar. Boil for one minute (or until the jelly starts to coat the spoon) stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam. Carefully ladle hot mixture into sterilized, hot half pint jars leaving a little air space at the top.

If you want it to keep longer, it should be processed in a hot water canner, per directions. However, depending on the pectin you are using, for me sometimes the canning process tends to un-jell it, so it is runnier than I like. If you are canning it, you should add a little bit of lemon juice to the infusion.

[rainbowgardener]

I was looking around for what else to do with basil (I already have a freezer full of pesto! and way too much basil jelly!) and found this:


Strawberry Basil Margaritas

Makes 1 pitcher, or about 8 servings
1 can (12 ounces) frozen limeade concentrate
10 strawberries (or 12 if you're using smaller ones from the farmer's market or your backyard.)
8 basil leaves
2 to 2 1/2 cups tequila (gold or silver)

Empty the limeade concentrate into a pitcher. Add 2 1/2 cans of water and 1 1/2 (18 ounces, or 2 1/4 cups) cans of tequila (or a bit less, if you don't want your drinks to be quite as strong).

Hull the strawberries, slice lengthwise, and add to the pitcher. Crumple the basil a little in your hands (this will help the basil flavor release into the drink) and add it to the pitcher, too. Place the pitcher, covered, in the fridge overnight, or for at least four hours.

When you remove the pitcher from the fridge, your margaritas will be a lovely pale pink color. Now all you have to do is serve them and wait for the compliments to pour in.
https://www.thekitchn.com/10-recipes-tha ... chn-192741

Personally, I would probably use more strawberries and more basil!

Basil oil is reputed to have lots of medicinal qualities, so I will try making some of that, too.

[nltaff]

Thanks, RG, I just cleared my blueberry bushes of berries and made 6 jars of jam yesterday. Not too taxing (haven't done jam or canning for over 10 years now and I seem to remember it being messier than my experience yesterday). I bought a jar of pectin, so for others reading here, 1 and a half TBS per 1 and a half cups of pre-sugar liquid. I might try the green like a jam, leaving the finely chopped leaves in the mix. I'm thinking that if I add the lemon juice to the chopping process, perhaps it will come out green, not black. I actually love to just pick basil leaves and munch on them, or add them whole to the salad mix. I find this puzzling because I really don't like anise or licorice flavors! I was thinking of what combinations might be good for the jelly/jam. Maybe French bread slices with roasted pepper and sharp provolone (like the cheddar/fruit combo). Or, cheese bisquits made with Locatelli or Asiago instead of cheddar.

[rainbowgardener]

well..... let us know how it works for you. I personally don't think I would like chewing on basil leaves in my jelly and I don't think they have enough substance to make it very "jammy." If you do the infusing, then the leaves themselves don't have much flavor left in them, so you might as well remove them.

[rainbowgardener]

RE: I really don't like anise or licorice flavors!


Although some basils, especially the purple ones, lean a little bit towards anise-y flavors, basil really is NOT anise flavored. It is its own unique flavor, quite different.

[rainbowgardener]

Note to self for next year: I probably don't really need eleven basil plants!

We had a pitcher of the strawberry basil margaritas (yum, yum!), we had company over so I made a double recipe of pesto, I did some basil oil... I still have gallon bags of it that I don't know what to do with!

[imafan26]

Let some of the basil in the garden flower. The bees love it and the forage gets scarcer as the summer ends. You will also be able to collect seeds for next year. My mom can grow basil at her house without getting downy mildew. I just have to plan my meals so I can pick the basil on the same day I make Thai food. A little more inconvenient since I used to be able to go out in the yard and pick fresh herbs whenever I needed it.

[Jrockbk]

Question from a newbie, I planted 3 basil cuttings to clone and one looks like it's dying, can it be saved?

[applestar]

Try snipping off the large leaves to conserve waterloss from the leaves.

[imafan26]

That is an interesting setup. I think the small one is a goner. Cuttings root usually in two week in water or perlite. I plant them in potting mix (MG). They don't particularly like wet feet. Your dish is more like a static hydro system. If the stems are staying in the pool of water, it may be why the basil is turning yellow. The stems at the bottom may be turning black. Basil can be grown hydroponically. We grew them in cinder in an ebb and flow system. The roots need air.