If your basil has flowers on the tips, don’t throw them away: they are worth gold if you use them like this
If you have a basil plant and it has flowers, don’t throw them away because you can use them in different ways. We show you everything below.
Basil flowers
Basil is one of the most appreciated and used aromatic herbs. Its scent and flavor are truly unique and almost everyone loves it. It complements many dishes and gives them that extra touch that cannot be missing. It is precisely because of its considerable usefulness that people often decide to plant it near the house.
Whether you have a vegetable garden or a simple balcony, just put a pot and start growing. This way, you will always have it at hand and you will not have to ask your greengrocer for it. It will always be fresh and taking care of it is very simple. Just a few small precautions and you’re done.
Flowering basil plant
What you don’t know, however, is that you shouldn’t throw away basil flowers. In fact, these are also edible and you recognize them because they look like corn cobs, but they are slightly smaller and thinner. They grow and are usually cut and thrown away. Now we’re going to show you why you should absolutely not throw them away.
Don’t throw away basil flowers
As we just said, basil has spikelets on each stem where the small white flowers are present. These are usually cut when they reach a few centimeters. In fact, cutting will allow the stem to grow and therefore have more basil leaves.
However, you can grow some of these spikelets up to a maximum of 10/15 centimeters to be able to use them in cooking and beyond. When they have reached this length, you can proceed to cut them but be careful because it does not consume them like the leaves but must first be dried.
Basil spikelets
The spikelets are therefore edible but must first be dried. Once they have reached a suitable length, you can detach them from the basil plant which will continue to grow even more and you can place them in the sun for several hours. Be careful that there is no wind otherwise the spikelets will fly away.
Once dried, it will take about 48 hours, you can use them in different ways. However, we advise you to put this herb obtained in a jar with a lid so that it retains its aroma. But let’s see below how to use them in a very simple way.
Basil vinegar: here’s how to do it
With the dried spikelets you can obtain a vinegar with a basil flavor by simply pouring the dried spikelets into the bottle. Let everything infuse for about 7 days then filter the mixture. Here you will have obtained a basil vinegar in a very simple way without going to the supermarket.
Dried basil spikelets
Create a floor plan
With basil spikelets, it is also possible to multiply basil and grow a new plant. In this case it is advisable to dry the spikelets directly on the plant. As soon as they are, rub them on loose, sandy soil. These must always be moist and exposed to the sun.
If you do this in spring or summer, the result is guaranteed. After a few weeks you will see the first leaves appear and little by little the plant will begin to grow. These are just a few ways to use basil differently and you should at least try.