Crop of the Week: Basil
May 12, 2012 10:34 PM
• Yuma County fresh herb growers produce basil on less than
50 acres. Production continues throughout the year even in the hottest
parts of the summer. Yuma-grown basil is routinely shipped throughout
the nation to high-end restaurants and food stores.
• There are more than 40 known varieties of basil.
• Mediterranean cuisines frequently use basil, especially combined with tomato. Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto, an Italian sauce from the city of Genoa. Vietnamese and Chinese use fresh or dried basil in soups and other foods. In Taiwan, people add fresh basil leaves to thick soups. They also eat fried chicken with deep-fried basil leaves. Basil can be added to meat and poultry as well as fish, rice, cheese and eggs. It also adds a special something to vegetables, especially root vegetables, and to soups and sauces.
• Basil, which has long been known to contain bacteria-fighting properties, has recently been incorporated into plastic wrapping to preserve foods. Certain antimicrobial chemicals within basil will ooze out of the wrapping and slow the growth of eight types of lethal bacteria, including E. coli and listeria. Experiments showed basil-impregnated wrapping extends the shelf life of cheese and most likely meats, fish, baked goods, fruits and vegetables.
• Basil essential oil is used topically to massage the skin. It enhances the luster of dull looking skin as well as hair. As a result, it is extensively used in many skin care supplements that claim to improve the tone of your skin. It is also used for acne and skin infections.
• The pungent aroma of basil repels many flying insects. Have either a pot or a vase of cut stems on the table when eating outdoors.
• A tea made from the leaves is used in India as a remedy for colds. It is also used for the relief of dysentery, gas pains and nausea, and as a cure for worms and warts.
• The fresh herb can be kept for about a week in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or for a longer period in the freezer after being blanched quickly in boiling water. Place fresh leaves in a dry jar with a pinch of salt and cover with olive oil. The dried herb has a different taste, rather like curry.
• Basil is an annual herb of the mint family, native to central and tropical Asia and Africa (some say it originated in India).
• Basil plants reach a height of 12 to 30 inches depending on the variety, with foliage in shades of green and deep purple and blossoms in white, pale pink, lavender and mauve.
• The basil name comes from the Greek for “king” and it is revered as a sacred herb in the Hindu religion. Every good Hindu goes to his rest with a basil leaf on his breast. This is his passport to paradise.
Source: Kurt Nolte is an agriculture agent and Yuma County Cooperative Extension director. He can be reached at knolte@cals.arizona.edu or 726-3904.
• There are more than 40 known varieties of basil.
• Mediterranean cuisines frequently use basil, especially combined with tomato. Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto, an Italian sauce from the city of Genoa. Vietnamese and Chinese use fresh or dried basil in soups and other foods. In Taiwan, people add fresh basil leaves to thick soups. They also eat fried chicken with deep-fried basil leaves. Basil can be added to meat and poultry as well as fish, rice, cheese and eggs. It also adds a special something to vegetables, especially root vegetables, and to soups and sauces.
• Basil, which has long been known to contain bacteria-fighting properties, has recently been incorporated into plastic wrapping to preserve foods. Certain antimicrobial chemicals within basil will ooze out of the wrapping and slow the growth of eight types of lethal bacteria, including E. coli and listeria. Experiments showed basil-impregnated wrapping extends the shelf life of cheese and most likely meats, fish, baked goods, fruits and vegetables.
• Basil essential oil is used topically to massage the skin. It enhances the luster of dull looking skin as well as hair. As a result, it is extensively used in many skin care supplements that claim to improve the tone of your skin. It is also used for acne and skin infections.
• The pungent aroma of basil repels many flying insects. Have either a pot or a vase of cut stems on the table when eating outdoors.
• A tea made from the leaves is used in India as a remedy for colds. It is also used for the relief of dysentery, gas pains and nausea, and as a cure for worms and warts.
• The fresh herb can be kept for about a week in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or for a longer period in the freezer after being blanched quickly in boiling water. Place fresh leaves in a dry jar with a pinch of salt and cover with olive oil. The dried herb has a different taste, rather like curry.
• Basil is an annual herb of the mint family, native to central and tropical Asia and Africa (some say it originated in India).
• Basil plants reach a height of 12 to 30 inches depending on the variety, with foliage in shades of green and deep purple and blossoms in white, pale pink, lavender and mauve.
• The basil name comes from the Greek for “king” and it is revered as a sacred herb in the Hindu religion. Every good Hindu goes to his rest with a basil leaf on his breast. This is his passport to paradise.
Source: Kurt Nolte is an agriculture agent and Yuma County Cooperative Extension director. He can be reached at knolte@cals.arizona.edu or 726-3904.
No comments:
Post a Comment