Ctroen basil - pot ø10.5 cm (Ocimum x africanum)

Lemon basil is a variant of the ordinary green basil: It looks very similar to the ordinary green basil and the cultivation is also the same. However, the pronounced lemon flavor gives a different taste to your dishes. It is ideal with fish or surprising in desserts with ice cream.

GENERAL:
Basil is native to Asia (India), but has been a common plant in the countries around the Mediterranean for over 1,000 years.

With the increasing popularity of southern cuisine and various southern dishes, basil is no longer unknown to us either. Nowadays it is available all year round in our supermarkets and greengrocers.

It is a delicate annual plant, with soft dark green aromatic leaves, with a typical fragrance. The stems are square and slightly ribbed and usually grow to 40-60 cm in height. In summer, the plant blooms with small, fragrant, white flowers. There are more than 100 known varieties of basil.

CULTIVATION TIPS:
Basil is a sensitive herb that loves heat and sun. (+/- 15°C is the minimum temperature for basil to grow well).
If you want to plant it outside in full soil, you should do this from mid-May onwards. Be sure to place it in a spot sheltered from heavy rain and wind and choose a well-drained, moist soil.

However, it is better to grow basil in a greenhouse, or even indoors in a pot on the windowsill: The plant can grow uninhibited here. Always make sure you have enough water! You can pick leaves as desired and use them. If the plant starts to flower, it is best to cut it off. In our country it will never produce seed. Cutting off the flowers also has the advantage that the plant retains its bushy shape and you get more leaves to harvest.

Basil is also very popular with snails. You can keep them at bay by sprinkling sharp sand or ash around the plants, or catch them with a saucer of beer than you place next to them.

CULINARY:
Lemon basil has a typical lemon flavor with a hint of anise. We encounter this herb more and more in our kitchens, mainly with fish dishes.

Do not boil or dry the lemon basil leaves, the aroma and flavor will disappear. Adding freshly picked leaves to summer salads provides a surprising and refreshing palette of flavors

MEDICINAL:
Basil has a beneficial effect on digestion: it is antispasmodic. It is also relieving with a cold because it is cough suppressant.