24.11.2024

If your basil has flowers on the tips, don’t throw them away: they are worth gold if you use them like that.

By Lesia

If you have a basil and it has flowers, don’t throw them away because you can use them in different ways. Below we show you everything.
Basil flowers
Basil is one of the most loved and used aromatic herbs. Its scent and flavor are truly unique and almost everyone loves it. It completes many dishes and gives it that extra touch that cannot be missed. It is precisely because of its use that it is often decided to plant it near home. 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. It will always be fresh and taking care of it is really simple. You just have to have a few small precautions and it’s done.


Flowering basil plant
What you don’t know, however, is that you don’t have to throw away basil flowers. In fact, even these are edible and you recognize them because they are similar to ears only they are slightly smaller and thinner. They grow and are usually cut and thrown away. Now we will 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 there are small white flowers. These are usually cut when they reach a few centimeters. The cut will in fact allow the stem to grow and therefore have more basil leaves. Some of these spikelets, however, you can grow them up to a maximum of 10/15 centimeters to be able to use them in the kitchen and beyond. When they have reached this length, you can proceed to cut them, but be careful because this is not consumed as well as the leaves but must first be dried.
Basil spikelets
The spikelets are therefore edible but must first be dried. Once you reach a decent length, you can detach them from the basil plant which will continue to grow even more and you can put them in the sun for several hours. Be careful that there is no wind otherwise the spikelets will fly away. Once they are dried, it will take about 48 hours, you can use them in different ways. However, we recommend putting this herb in a jar with a lid to ensure that it retains its aroma. But let’s see how to use them in a very simple way below.


Basil vinegar: here’s how
With the dried spikelets, you can obtain a vinegar with a basil imprint by simply pouring the dried spikelets into the bottle. Let everything infuse for about 7 days and 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 seedling
With basil spikelets it is also possible to multiply basil and give rise to a new seedling. In this case it is advisable to dry the spikelets directly on the plant. As soon as they have rubbed it then on loose soil mixed with sand. These must always be moist and exposed to the sun. If you do it in spring or summer, the result is assured. After a few weeks you will see the first leaves appear and slowly the plant will begin to grow. These are just a few methods to use basil differently and you should at least try.