Saving your own basil seeds is very quick and easy. You will never have to buy seeds to grow basil again if you do this every year.
Basil is such a taste of summer. Just the smell reminds me of a summer bbq with ribs, watermelon, and chips with pesto.
Saving your own basil seeds will give you the flexibility to grow a ton of basil next year.
That way you will have enough basil to make all of your favorite summer dishes.
You can even keep basil growing inside all winter long so you never run out of basil to add to winter pizzas, caprese salads, and spaghetti with meatballs.
Basil is one of those herbs that is super easy to incorporate into your diet.
There are many health benefits of basil, which gives just one more incentive to add this yummy herb to your chips and salsa addiction.
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How to Collect and save Basil seeds
First things first, you have to let your basil plant go to seed or begin flowering.
Once the flowers form, then you must wait until the flowers die off and the seeds are left, dry and brown.
Try to harvest the seeds before a hard frost comes to your area if you live in a cooler climate.
Hold one of your hands underneath the basil and scrape the little seed pods off the stem with your other hand.
Now that you have the seeds striped off of the stem, you can separate the seeds from the husk.
Pull the husk away from the seeds of each little pod. There will be several seeds per pod. You can discard the husk.
Continue this process until you have as many seeds as you want to save!
How to store basil seeds
Store your saved basil seeds in an airtight container, such as a small mason jar with a lid.
Keep the container in a cool, dark place such as a cupboard or drawer.
You can also store seeds in a paper envelope or paper bag, just make sure that it is kept in a place with low or no moisture, as moisture can lead to spoiling the seeds.
If you have several envelopes or paper bags with seeds in them, you can place them in a gallon pickle jar with a lid.
Although you want to keep the seeds in a cool place, don’t let them freeze as this could effect their germination rate as well.
All About Basil
Basil is in the mint (or Lamiaceae) family.
It is a culinary herb used in cooking all across the world.
Basil is an annual plant, meaning it will have to be replanted each year.
You can grow basil outside during the summer in a pot or in the ground, or you can even grow basil inside in a pot for the winter.
There are many different types of basil. Some of the more popular basil plants in the United States include, Sweet Basil (Genovese), Thai Basil, Tulsi Holy Basil, Lemon Basil, Italian Basil, Purple Dark Opal Basil, and Cinnamon Basil.
If you are looking for ‘just plain’ basil, Sweet Basil is a good place to start.
Health Benefits of Basil
Because it is known as a culinary herb, basil isn’t necessarily thought of for its medicinal benefits.
However, basil is actually a great addition to your daily food for more than just flavor!
Here are just a few health benefits of this famous herb.
Basil is packed with antioxidants, which help fight off diseases.
This herb may even help fight against cancer because of its antioxidants and phytochemical components.
It is anti-inflammatory which makes it a great herb to use for fighting inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and heart disease.
Basil is also antibacterial and antimicrobial (helps fight bad bacteria overgrowths, viruses, and infections).
It is an adaptogenic herb, meaning basil can help combat stress or the effects stress has on your body.
And basil may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
How to Use Basil
In case you are newer to using basil, or you are just looking for even more ways to use basil, here are just a few recipe ideas!
Top pizza or pasta dishes with whole basil leaves.
Layer it between slices of mozzarella and tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Make it into pesto. Use that pesto as a dip for chips or as a pizza or pasta sauce.
Add chopped basil leaves into a salad bowl.
Make a rice and chicken (or shrimp) skillet and add fresh basil leaves.
Puree basil leaves into your spaghetti sauce and serve with meatballs.
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