If you have a basil plant and it has flowers, don’t throw them away because you can use them in different ways. Below we show you everything. Basil flowers – Imilanesi.Nanopress.it
Basil is one of the most loved and used aromatic herbs . Its scent and flavor are truly unique and almost everyone loves it. It completes many dishes and gives them that extra touch that cannot be missed. Precisely because of its widespread use, it is often decided to plant it near the house.
Whether you have a vegetable garden or a simple balcony, just put a pot and start growing. This way you will always have it at hand and you will not have to ask your greengrocer for it. It will always be fresh and taking care of it is really simple. Just take a few small precautions and it’s done.Basil plant with flowers – imilanesi.nanopress.it
What you don’t know is that you shouldn’t throw away basil flowers . These are also edible and you can recognize them because they are similar to ears of corn, only slightly smaller and thinner. They grow and are usually cut and thrown away. Now we’ll show you why you absolutely shouldn’t throw them away.
Don’t throw away basil flowers
As we have just said, basil has spikelets on each stem where there are small white flowers . These are usually cut off when they reach a few centimetres. In fact, cutting will allow the stem to grow and consequently to have more basil leaves.
However, you can grow some of these spikelets up to a maximum of 10/15 centimeters to be able to use them in the kitchen and not only. When they have reached this length you can proceed to cut them but be careful because these are not consumed as the leaves but must first be dried .Basil spikelets – imilanesi.nanopress.it
So the spikelets are edible but must be dried first. Once they have reached a reasonable length you can detach them from the basil plant which will continue to grow even more and you can put them in the sun for several hours . Be careful that there is no wind otherwise the spikelets will fly away.
Once they are dried, about 48 hours will be enough, you can use them in different ways. However, we recommend that you put this herb obtained in a jar with a lid to ensure that it maintains its aroma. But let’s see how to use them in a very simple way below.
Basil Vinegar: Here’s How
With dried spikelets you can obtain a basil-flavoured vinegar by simply pouring the dried spikelets into the bottle. Leave everything to infuse for about 7 days and then filter the mixture. There you have it, you will have obtained a basil-flavoured vinegar in a very simple way without going to the supermarket.Dried Basil Spikelets – imilanesi.nanopress.it
Create a seedling
With basil spikelets it is also possible to multiply basil and make a new plant grow. In this case it is advisable to let the spikelets dry directly on the plant. As soon as they are dry, rub them on a soft soil mixed with sand. This must always be moist and exposed to the sun.
If you do this in spring or summer the result is guaranteed. After a few weeks you will see the first leaves appear and little by little the plant will start to grow. These are just a few methods to use basil differently and you should at least try.