Let’s talk about one of my favorite herbs of all time...Sweet Basil! It’s the first herb I grew on my balcony when I was in college and it started my love for gardening. When I see this beautiful herb, it makes me think of spring and summer because of its amazing smell and taste! Sweet basil is one of the most common herbs you will see in your grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and garden centers. It’s widely used in an array of culinary dishes as well as it’s used in many ways for its medicinal properties. 

Known by its scientific name Ocimum basilicum, Sweet basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow in your garden either directly in the ground or in pots on your patio. It also grows well indoors on a sunny windowsill that gets at least 6 hours or more of sunlight per day. Sweet basil is a hearty herb that grows happily as long as it has good sunlight and well-drained soil. If you want to make a stunning herb garden, it grows well with other herbs such as rosemary, thyme, cilantro, and parsley.  

When it comes to growing sweet basil, there are a few things you want to do to ensure a long term harvest and an overall happy plant. Every week or two, it is important to snip the basil segments and pinch off leaves to promote a bushier plant. This will make the plant grow wider and create more leaves for you to enjoy all season. The intense heat of the summer sun will cause your plant to bolt, i.e. produce flowers in order to create seeds for the next generation. The flowers and seeds are edible, however, you want to cut these flowers as soon as you see them because the flavor of the sweet basil leaves will diminish significantly. 

My favorite part of growing a garden is planting seeds and watching them grow! When it comes to growing basil, you want to start your seeds indoors and allow them to germinate in a warm environment. A seed starter tray with a lid to keep in the moisture and heat is an ideal way to get your seeds growing fast. Sweet basil is one of the fastest to germinate and you may be lucky to cute little seedlings pop out of the soil in just a few days!  

Let’s discuss the best part about sweet basil, which is eating it! Sweet Basil is best to be eaten and used fresh for optimal flavor. The leaves are deep green with pointed tips that curl slightly downward and they have a soft and delicate texture. Most herbs are supremely aromatic when you touch them and their scent will linger on your fingertips. The flavor and scent profile of sweet basil has sweet peppery notes of licorice and clove. When you smell and taste sweet basil, you can instantly identify it! 

As you may know, one of the most popular ways to enjoy a bounty of sweet basil from your garden is to make a flavorful pesto sauce. This herb is used heavily in some of our favorite Italian pasta dishes like spaghetti and lasagna. You can also use basil in a multitude of culinary dishes such as Caprese salad, margarita pizza with whole leaves on top, infused olive oil, sweet sorbets, and more!  

Sweet Basil is also perfect for summer cocktails and drinks like refreshing lemonade. You can make an infused simple syrup that would elevate the flavors of cocktails and fruit salads. Imagine pouring a sweet basil-infused syrup over a piece of rich pound cake topped with strawberries and whipped cream...yum!!

Here in Japan, they have basil seed drinks that are refreshing during the humid summer months. The seeds are soaked in water and form a gelatinous layer that surrounds the seeds. They look similar to soaked chia seeds and have a similar nutrition profile because they are high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. 

Sweet basil is a fantastic herb and I hope you enjoyed today’s culinary lesson! If you love sweet basil just as much as I do, let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Take care and stay tuned for a tasty recipe featuring today’s ingredient! 

-Shari :)

Photography & Styling by A Certain Aesthetic