Basil - the King of Herbs

Advantages: versatile, tasty and easy to grow.
Disadvantages: None - unless you don't like it.

...~:~:~ Introduction ~:~:~ Basil is one of mine and Tim?s favourite herbs. Tim is really fussy with food and basil allows me to add flavour to his otherwise quite bland diet. Basil is also incredibly versatile and although most people would associate it with Mediterranean cuisine Basil is also used in many Asian cultures such as Thai, Chinese and Indian in fact from reading the internet a bit for research it would seem that in the US and Australia more people would associate Basil with oriental and Asian food than Mediterranean; I guess it must be a proximity thing? So let me tell you what I know about Basil. ~:~:~ Meet the Lamiaceae Family ~:~:~ The Lamiaceae family is also commonly known as the ?Mint? family and contains so many culinary plants such as basil, mint, rosemary, sage, marjoram, oregano and thyme. In total there...

donnabroom 04.06.2007 · Read review
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Review of Basil

Basil in the garden

Advantages: lots of uses in cookery
Disadvantages: you may not like the taste

...Basil is widely grown in Britain and has many uses in cookery and in herbal remedies. This is a half hardy plant but in warmer countries it is a perennial. The seeds can be sown under glass in late March or early April. Then the little plants can be moved to the garden in early June. You can sow the seeds straight into your gareden in May if you prefer, but I always like to get plants off to a good start in the greenhouse. The plants have funny shaped leaves and some of the different varieties have jagged edges to the ends of the leaves. The flowers are quite pretty and white, but you can also get purple tinged ones. There are lots of different varieties of basil you can grow. African Blue has the purplelish flowers and can be used in rice dishes or in stews. Sweet Basil is proberbly the most common one seen in...

Aquarian 19.03.2003 · Read review
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Review of Basil

Basil's a Beggar...

Advantages: Taste
Disadvantages: Hard to grow

...-being to a neighbour without green fingers. 'No problem' I thought, as I intended to replace them. I bought another basil plant, in good condition from Tesco's, whilst waiting for the basil seeds I had planted to flourish. Within a fortnight the plant was a sad specimen, it died a slow and painful death (well, painful to observe anyway). The seeds sprouted and produced a weak and pathetic replacement that really was a waste of time. I have since tried countless times to get a basil plant to thrive in my home, with no success yet. Why am I so obsessed with growing my own basil? Because there is nothing, absolutely nothing that can compare with eating fresh home grown tomatoes covered with freshly torn basil. Only those who have tried this out can afford to disagree and I doubt any will. Basil comes from the mint family and is, in...

witchwaysup 13.03.2001 (08.12.2004) · Read review
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Review of Basil

Sweet Basil

Advantages: loads of uses
Disadvantages: avoid if pregnant

...Basil or Ocimum Basilicum is an annual or short lived perennial with clove scented leaves, growing to 60 cm.they are short stalked, oval entire or toothed, 3-5 cm long often with a rather puckered surface.The flowers small and white , grown in clusters. The flowering season is June to September. Origins. Basil was used in baths and body massage by ancient Greek nobles for it's fragrant perfume.The Egyptians used the aromatic fragrance in their offerings to the gods and also mixed it with essences of Myrrh and Incense to embalm bodies.In India it is believed to offer protection to the soul and is sacred to the Hindu gods Krishna and Vishnu. Description. Basil is native of Africa and the Seychelles.It is also grown in Europe as a popular culinary herb and California!! It can grow up to three feet (90 cm)The essence is...

galls 23.04.2001 · Read review
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Review of Basil

basil

Advantages: very useful in cooking and smells lovely
Disadvantages: only lasts as long as the summer

...I have found basil to be one of the most useful herbs in the kitchen and it pairs beautifully with garlic as a basis for many dishes, especially italian style sauces,salads etc. It is unfortunately an annual herb so you must grow it every year and it can only be harvested in the summer. It can be grown from seed in a sunny position in your kitchen quite easily or if you prefer many supermarkets stock plants already grown. Basil likes to be picked, and to lengthen the harvesting period it helps if you nip the very pretty flower buds off as soon as they appear. I find that if you nip off the small leaves at the tops then the resulting growth is thicker and has more leaves. As the plant tastes quite different when dried it can be picked and painted on both sides using olive oil and then frozen and used when needed.To get the full...

tracym 09.03.2001 · Read review
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Review of Basil

Use BASIL OIL not BASIL OIL

Advantages: great skin tonic
Disadvantages: can cause reaction on sensitive skin so test first

...Before I start I just need to clear up a common misunderstanding about Basil Oil. The term Basil Oil is often used to refer to virgin olive oil which is infused with basil leaves to make it aromatic. This is used in cooking. The basil oil used in aromatherpy is obtained from entire above ground part of the plant (ocimum basilicum) by steam distillation and is a different thing. The aroma of this essential oil is spicey and fresh. It has a slightly balsamic tang to it and is grown commercialy in many different countries including Bulgaria. It is used in perfumes, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, soap, medicine and fruit and will keep for up to three years from the manufacturing date, if its kept in a cool, dark place. Uses +++++ Basil is a good tonic for the nerves. It also seems to lift depression. Can help headaches...

janharper 23.09.2001 · Read review
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Review of Basil

Mint is so versatile

Advantages: Prolific growth
Disadvantages: None

...Mint has a genus of around twenty five species, but in fact there are hundreds of different varieties. Most of us think as mint of a herb that we only use in cooking when in fact it can be quite an attractive plant in it`s own right. Mint in general likes a cool shady spot in the garden and it will flourish given the right conditions. Many of us have at some point made the mistake of planting a sprig and ending up with a patch that has grown out of control. I have often grown my mint in a terracotta pot, this keeps the plant at bay and if the pot is well situated it can be an ideal way of attaining a decent crop. If it looks as though a frost may be in the offing then move the pot closer to the wall or the fence to protect the plant. A tiny pot of mint can usually be purchased for a small amount from the local garden centre...

Sarahjh1 19.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Mint

Basil can Phill his boots, it's only light.

Advantages: A tasty alternative
Disadvantages: None for me

... KRAFT PHILADELPHIA LIGHT BASIL Introduction. I was never a lover of Philadelphia Cheese in any form. My daughter loved it on toasted bagels but personaly I found the taste very bland and stayed clear. Then in 2006 I started doing (what was then called) the No Count plan with Weight Watchers. (This plan then became Core and is now lurking somewhere under the muddy waters of the Discover plan as Simply Filling.) Anyway, I digress, on the No Count you basically ate three meals a day of as much as you wanted from the food list - the only cheese allowed on this list was this extra light cheese and cottage cheese - this was CERTAINLY the best of the two options - I detest cottage cheese!! From then on this cheese ( lovingly known by WW members as ELF - extra low fat) has become a regular product in my...

oldchem 10.11.2009 · Read review
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Review of Kraft Philadelphia Light with Basil

marvellous mint

Advantages: good to eat
Disadvantages: none

...Mint. Where do I begin there is so much to say I will try not to bore you Mint is an herb most of you will know of mint sauce with lamb, or polo's, or spearmint chewing gum. Menthe, Mint Mint is a Mediterranean plant, introduced to England by the roman's. Pilgrims on the mayflower introduced it to America they took plants with them. The name comes from the Greek nymph Minthe. She attracted Hades and Persephone, jealous attacked her and turned her into a plant. Mint/Menthe is used in many recipes and medicines I am going to tell you a little about the menthe/ mint genus group and its species and some of it's varieties you will have to forgive me if I miss some varieties out there are over 40. Mint is a sweetly scented perennial that will rapidly take over your garden if you do not prevent it. Now a little...

mumsymary 30.10.2002 (28.01.2007) · Read review
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Review of Mint

The Double Mints....

Advantages: /
Disadvantages: /

...Peppermint and Spearmint are the two best known of the mints but there are literally hundreds of varieties, due to the fact that they form natural hybrids with each other. Spearmint is thought to be the oldest and is the one referred to in older writings, and all mints were indeed considered to be one and the same up until 1696 when British botanist John Ray did the research to differentiate them. Spearmint is a perennial that reaches about two feet and spreads through underground runners, it loves sunlight, well drained soil and flowers in small white, pink or lilac whorls in midsummer. Most mints are similar in look, varying in size and dimension but retaining similar qualities. The one problem with garden mints is that they are prone to take over and its a good idea to grow them in pots, either free standing or sunken into...

steerpyke 06.02.2005 · Read review
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Review of Mint