Contents
Lemon basil is a culinary hybrid between sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) and American basil (Ocimum americanum). Today, the use of lemon basil has a very wide range: from drinks to meat sauces. Any medicinal or beneficial properties of the hybrid have not been officially confirmed.
Growing Lemon Basil
The ancestral species that gave rise to lemon-scented basil are annuals. The hybrid inherited this quality in full. Therefore, it has to be grown every year. The plant is unpretentious and does not create many problems for gardeners.
For a lemon hybrid, choose a place protected from the wind and well warmed by the sun. In the shade, the hybrid loses its qualities and smell, and its growth slows down significantly.
For planting, choose a place where onions, carrots, zucchini or cucumbers grew last year. If possible, it is advisable to plant peppers, tomatoes or any of the varieties of cabbage in the neighborhood.
Optimum temperature condition: + 25 °С or higher. Already at + 12 ° C, growth stops. Lemon basil is propagated by seeds or cuttings.
For accelerated production, basil is grown through seedlings, planting seeds in late March or early April. They are planted in a permanent place when the height of the sprouts reaches 5 cm. Whether it will be a greenhouse or an open garden depends on the temperature outside. Seedlings can be planted outside when the night temperature is not lower than + 10 ° C. Usually it is the end of May. Immediately in the ground, the seeds are planted in early July. After 6 leaves appear on the plants, pinch the top so that the basil gives side shoots. If necessary, a hybrid with a pleasant lemon smell can be grown in an apartment as a pot culture.
In the photo, lemon basil grows as a potted plant on a windowsill.
After the appearance of buds, the leaves of the plant become hard and unsuitable for eating fresh. It will only be possible to brew basil in tea, but the lemon smell disappears when brewed in hot water.
Collection of lemon basil is carried out by cutting the shoots. The length of the shoots is 10-15 cm. There should be 4-5 more leaves on the remaining stump. Pruning can be done 3 times per season.
Benefits of Green Lemon Basil
The plant does not have miraculous qualities. But it contains a rich set of vitamins. Thanks to this, even when harvesting lemon basil for the winter, when part of the vitamins will inevitably be lost, the dried grass will support the body. This is the case if you use the spice as the basis for tea. Hot vitamin drink also helps with colds and flu.
How to use Lemon Basil
The use of lemon basil is not limited to vitamin tea. The plant can be used in summer to make soft drinks. Fresh leaves are added to summer salads. Dried or fresh basil will add an interesting flavor to homemade preparations for the winter. In order to set off the taste of a particular dish, basil can be added to a meat dish as a seasoning or make a sauce with it. It is used as a flavoring for sausages and alcoholic beverages.
Tea with lemon basil
This is the easiest and most popular way to use the spice. Lemon basil can be used to make a decoction or add grass leaves to regular black tea. If you use the herb not as a flavoring agent, but strive to get the maximum benefit from it, basil should be brewed separately. About 50 g of herbs are poured with a liter of boiling water and infused for 10-15 minutes.
refreshing drink
There are 2 options here: wait until the broth cools down, or make lemonade. In the hot season, the second option is preferable. But you need to do it with the addition of lemon, since sour additives quench your thirst better. To make lemonade you will need:
- bunch of basil;
- 1 medium lemon;
- litere of water;
- sugar to taste.
The grass is brewed, lemon juice is added. Sugar is added to taste. Cool down. To get a cold drink, the cooled lemonade is removed in the refrigerator.
Preservation additive
Basil goes very well with tomatoes. Although this mainly refers to fragrant basil, you can experiment and add lemon-scented basil instead of fragrant when preserving in a jar of tomatoes.
Seasoning
As a dry seasoning, the herb can be used in mixtures with meat and fish. Dry lemon basil is used to flavor baked goods. They also add it to soups. When fresh, the hybrid is often used in salads.
Salad
Fresh plant is actively used in vegetarian salads. It goes well with other table greens:
- arugula;
- coriander;
- parsley;
- tarragon;
- rosemary.
The same dried herbs are used as seasoning for meat dishes and seafood.
Sauce
Fresh herb is very popular for making sauces. The famous Italian “pesto” consists only of fresh basil, passed through a meat grinder, and extra virgin olive oil. A fragrant variety is used for pesto, but lemon can also be used for a change.
There is also a variety of “pesto” with the addition of tomatoes. This sauce is called “red pesto”. This sauce includes much more ingredients: sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, various types of nuts. In each country, the sauce is prepared with different types of nuts. The original suggests pine nuts. In the absence of pine, it is replaced with pine nuts or wild garlic.
Противопоказания
The main contraindication that basil has is the ability to accumulate mercury. All species of the genus Ocimum have this property. Purple basil accumulates the maximum amount of mercury. Therefore, nowhere, except in Our Country, it is not eaten.
Green basil species accumulate less mercury. And for the minimum content of this metal in the plant, it is necessary to grow basil in an ecologically clean area.
You can not use all types of basil and for some diseases:
- hypotension;
- disorders of blood clotting;
- diabetes mellitus;
- ischemia.
With these diseases, spices are generally not recommended.
How to store correctly
Before storing, the spice must be properly prepared. When drying, cut shoots are tied into bunches and hung in the shade in the breeze. The branches are usually not used, therefore, after drying, the leaves are separated from the stems and put in a cloth bag. Store in a dry place. To save money, you can add the stems to any dish as a flavoring.
Often fresh basil is ground in a meat grinder. In this form, it is stored in the refrigerator in the freezer. You can immediately make the sauce by closing it in sterile jars. In this case, the seasoning is stored for a year in the refrigerator.
Lemon Basil Reviews
Conclusion
The use of lemon basil is limited only by the gardener’s imagination and the possibilities for growing herbs. In dried form, it is impossible to use the spice for making pesto, but if the plant was moved into the house, then the owner will receive fresh leaves even in winter.