The basil was starting to bolt beyond my control, so I decided today was the day to harvest it. The basil I transplanted a couple weeks ago is doing pretty good, so I am not worried about running out anytime soon. I ended up getting 1 quart bag of flowers and fuzzy tops (frozen whole - for making tomatoe soup later on), 1 gallon bag of stems (frozen in 5 or 6 inch pieces for stewing with tomatoes and sauce), and a whopping 1 lb 13 oz of leaves. That is my best basil harvest EVER! I made pesto, and got 5 ice cube trays worth. I made it with walnuts instead of pine nuts simply because that was what I had on hand. It really turned out well. I am SUPER excited to have all that pesto for this winter, you when the snow is falling and all you can dream of is a taste of the garden. Fabulous!!!! (Note, all of these photos are on my living room rug because I have to watch TV while I pick leaves, otherwise I get too bored... a.d.d. much??)
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| The big pile of basil, my laptop and Punkin as size references... Is anyone else having trouble with Blogger not accepting rotated pictures? I cant make this be right side up.... |
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| Stems |
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| Flowers and Tops |
I used walnuts in my pesto too. After seeing the price of pine nuts, there was no other option! I mean, $7.95 for maybe a half cup? I never thought of using the basil stems....good idea, I always just tossed them in the compost.
ReplyDeleteGranny, Yeah, the stems have a bunch of good flavor, especially for long cooking sauces. Then I just pull 'em out and throw them into the compost. Double Duty!
ReplyDeleteI had basil out the wazoo last year. This year, like everything else...zip! Good thing I have some pesto cubes left from last year!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you could use the stems and flowers. I learn something new every day.
ReplyDeleteAPG, what the heck is goin on with your garden this year??
ReplyDeleteMrs. P, you can use every part of the basil plant. I just wouldn't try to eat the stems after they are cooked, they will still be way too tough and woody. Just remove them before you serve/preserve your food :)