Content
Lemon basil is a hybrid between sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) and American basil (Ocimum americanum), bred for culinary use. Today, the use of lemon basil has a very wide range: from drinks to sauces for meat. Any medicinal or beneficial properties of the hybrid have not been officially confirmed.
Growing Lemon Basil
The parent species that gave rise to lemon-scented basil are annual plants. The hybrid has inherited this quality to the fullest. Therefore, it has to be grown annually. 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 quality 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 variety of cabbage in the neighborhood.
Optimal temperature: + 25 °C or higher. Already at + 12 °C growth stops. Lemon basil is propagated by seeds or cuttings.
To speed up 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 bed depends on the temperature outside. Seedlings can be planted outside when the night temperature is not lower than + 10 °C. Usually this is the end of May. The seeds are planted directly into the ground in early July. After 6 leaves appear on the plants, pinch the top so that the basil produces lateral shoots. If necessary, a hybrid with a pleasant lemon smell can be grown in an apartment as a potted crop.
In the photo, lemon basil is growing as a potted plant on a windowsill.
After the buds appear, the leaves of the plant become hard and unsuitable for fresh consumption. You can only brew basil in tea, but the lemon smell disappears when brewed in hot water.
Lemon basil is harvested by cutting the shoots. The length of the shoots is 10-15 cm. The remaining stump should have 4-5 more leaves. 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 preparing lemon basil for the winter, when some of the vitamins will inevitably be lost, the dried herb will support the body. This is the case if you use the spice as a base for tea.A hot vitamin drink is also good for colds and flu.
How to use lemon basil
The use of lemon basil is not limited to just vitamin tea. The plant can be used in the summer to make soft drinks. Fresh leaves are added to summer salads. Dried or fresh basil will add an interesting aroma to homemade preparations for the winter. In order to highlight the taste of a particular dish, basil can be added to a meat dish as a seasoning or made into a sauce. It is used as a flavoring for sausages and alcoholic beverages.
Lemon Basil Tea
This is the simplest and most popular way to use the spice. You can make a decoction of lemon basil or add the herb leaves to regular black tea. If you are using the herb not as a flavoring agent, but want to get the maximum benefit from it, basil should be brewed separately. About 50 g of herb is poured into a liter of boiling water and left for 10-15 minutes.
Refreshing drink
There are 2 options: wait until the broth cools down, or make lemonade. In the hot season, the second option is preferable. But you need to make 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;
- liter of water;
- sugar to taste.
The herb is brewed and lemon juice is added. Sugar is added to taste. Cool. To get a cold drink, put the cooled lemonade in the refrigerator.
Additive to preservation
Basil goes very well with tomatoes.Although this mainly applies to fragrant basil, you can experiment and instead of fragrant, add lemon-scented basil to a jar of tomatoes when preserving them.
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. It is also added to soups. When fresh, the hybrid is often used in salads.
Salad
When fresh, the plant is actively used in vegetarian salads. It goes well with other table greens:
- arugula;
- coriander;
- parsley;
- tarragon;
- rosemary.
These same herbs, when dried, are used as a seasoning for meat dishes and seafood.
Sauce
When used fresh, the herb is very popular for creating sauces. The famous Italian “pesto” consists only of fresh basil, minced, and extra virgin olive oil. They use a fragrant variety for pesto, but for variety you can also use a lemon variety.
There is also a variety of “pesto” with the addition of tomatoes. This sauce is called “red pesto”. This sauce contains significantly 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.
Contraindications
The main contraindication that basil has is its ability to accumulate mercury. All species of the genus Ocimum have this property. Purple basil accumulates the maximum amount of mercury. Therefore, it is not eaten anywhere except Russia.
Green types of basil accumulate less mercury.And to minimize the content of this metal in the plant, it is necessary to grow basil in an environmentally friendly area.
You should not use all types of basil and for certain diseases:
- hypotension;
- blood clotting disorders;
- diabetes mellitus;
- ischemia.
For these diseases, spices are not recommended at all.
How to store it correctly
Before storing, the spice must be properly prepared. When dried, the cut shoots are tied into bunches and hung in the shade in the breeze. The branches are usually not used, so after drying, the leaves are separated from the stems and placed in a fabric bag. Store in a dry place. To save money, you can add the stems to some dish as a flavoring.
Fresh basil is often ground in a meat grinder. In this form it is stored in the refrigerator in the freezer. You can immediately make the sauce by sealing it in sterile jars. In this case, the seasoning is stored for a year in the refrigerator.
Reviews of lemon basil
Conclusion
The use of lemon basil is limited only by the gardener's imagination and the possibilities for growing herbs. It is impossible to use the spice in its dried form to make pesto, but if the plant has been moved indoors, the owner will receive fresh leaves even in winter.
Regarding tea with lemon basil, in winter I brew frozen, combining it with strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, currants, adding honey, so it does not lose its aroma.