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Basil mystery
My wife sent me to the store to pick up ingredients for a potluck dish.
One was fresh basil. I saw a vast array of fresh herbs in plastic boxes in the chilled section, but no basil. I also noticed clumps of flat and curly parsley, as well as cilantro, but no basil. I tracked down an employee and asked. "Oh, it's over there," pointing at the shallots. Sure enough, there were plastic boxes filled with shriveled, blackening basil between the garlic and the shallots. My next stop was Trader Joe's. Same deal -- far from the other herbs; next to the potatoes, not chilled. This basil looked worth buying, however. Why is this one fresh herb treated so poorly, when all the other herbs are at least chilled, if not actually spritzed with water periodically? |
Basil mystery
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Basil mystery
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Basil mystery
I have holy basil caps, tulsi tea is holy basil.
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Basil mystery
On Thu, 18 Dec 2014 13:30:20 -0500, Dave Smith
> wrote: > On 2014-12-18 11:34 AM, wrote: > > > My next stop was Trader Joe's. Same deal -- far from the other herbs; > > next to the potatoes, not chilled. This basil looked worth buying, however. > > > > Why is this one fresh herb treated so poorly, when all the other herbs > > are at least chilled, if not actually spritzed with water periodically? > > > > > My experience with basil in my garden is that it needs a lot of direct > sunlight. It also needs a certain amount of heat and water to do well. All three are in scarce supply in my yard. -- A kitchen without a cook is just a room |
Basil mystery
On 12/18/2014 1:30 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2014-12-18 11:34 AM, wrote: > >> My next stop was Trader Joe's. Same deal -- far from the other herbs; >> next to the potatoes, not chilled. This basil looked worth buying, >> however. >> >> Why is this one fresh herb treated so poorly, when all the other herbs >> are at least chilled, if not actually spritzed with water periodically? >> > > > My experience with basil in my garden is that it needs a lot of direct > sunlight. Basil is an annoying herb; I find it hard to grow in the garden and I really have no suitable window sills. I like the taste but it's easy to overcook and then it's hard to distinguish from overcooked spinach (which you can keep.) -- Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD) Extraneous "not." in Reply To. |
Basil mystery
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Basil mystery
"James Silverton" > wrote in message ... > On 12/18/2014 1:30 PM, Dave Smith wrote: >> On 2014-12-18 11:34 AM, wrote: >> >>> My next stop was Trader Joe's. Same deal -- far from the other herbs; >>> next to the potatoes, not chilled. This basil looked worth buying, >>> however. >>> >>> Why is this one fresh herb treated so poorly, when all the other herbs >>> are at least chilled, if not actually spritzed with water periodically? >>> >> >> >> My experience with basil in my garden is that it needs a lot of direct >> sunlight. > > Basil is an annoying herb; I find it hard to grow in the garden and I > really have no suitable window sills. I like the taste but it's easy to > overcook and then it's hard to distinguish from overcooked spinach (which > you can keep.) I never actually cook with it. The most I do is sprinkle it on top or mix it in at the end:) -- http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/ |
Basil mystery
On Thu, 18 Dec 2014 13:56:56 -0500, James Silverton
> wrote: >On 12/18/2014 1:30 PM, Dave Smith wrote: >> On 2014-12-18 11:34 AM, wrote: >> >>> My next stop was Trader Joe's. Same deal -- far from the other herbs; >>> next to the potatoes, not chilled. This basil looked worth buying, >>> however. >>> >>> Why is this one fresh herb treated so poorly, when all the other herbs >>> are at least chilled, if not actually spritzed with water periodically? >>> >> >> >> My experience with basil in my garden is that it needs a lot of direct >> sunlight. > > Basil is an annoying herb; I find it hard to grow in the garden and I >really have no suitable window sills. I like the taste but it's easy to >overcook and then it's hard to distinguish from overcooked spinach >(which you can keep.) Basil is an herb that is added to a dish at the end. Never use it during the cooking process as that will kill the flavors. I am successful growing basil in large pots with maybe 3-4 hours of direct sunlight per day. Basil is a shallow-rooted plant and must be watered every day to keep it from stressing out. Basil seeds do not germinate unless the soil is nice and warm and the evenings do not get cool/cold. To plant the seeds, scratch the surface of the soil lightly. Scatter the seeds across the surface. Mist the seeds into the scratched surface. Be sure to keep the soil moist by misting. Spraying water with a hose will disturb and bury the seeds. Janet US |
Basil mystery
On Thursday, December 18, 2014 11:01:49 AM UTC-8, Janet B wrote:
> On Thu, 18 Dec 2014 08:34:52 -0800 (PST), > wrote: > > >My wife sent me to the store to pick up ingredients for a potluck dish. > >One was fresh basil. I saw a vast array of fresh herbs in plastic boxes > >in the chilled section, but no basil. I also noticed clumps of flat and > >curly parsley, as well as cilantro, but no basil. I tracked down an > >employee and asked. > > > >"Oh, it's over there," pointing at the shallots. Sure enough, there were > >plastic boxes filled with shriveled, blackening basil between the garlic > >and the shallots. > > > >My next stop was Trader Joe's. Same deal -- far from the other herbs; > >next to the potatoes, not chilled. This basil looked worth buying, however. > > > >Why is this one fresh herb treated so poorly, when all the other herbs > >are at least chilled, if not actually spritzed with water periodically? > > Look in the produce section, in or around the aisles with the > potatoes, onions, limes, oranges. Most grocery stores carry live > basil in pots. It may be contained in a cellophane sleeve. The price > is quite reasonable -- under $5, perhaps lower. > Janet US I bought a pot of basil from Trader Joes. It was planted too thickly so I replanted it in a bigger pot, cut from it all Summer and when it starting getting cool I put it up in ice cube trays, some with olive oil and some with just water. I've got "fresh" basil all winter. |
Basil mystery
On 2014-12-18 1:47 PM, sf wrote:
>> Why is this one fresh herb treated so poorly, when all the other herbs >>> are at least chilled, if not actually spritzed with water periodically? >>> >> >> >> My experience with basil in my garden is that it needs a lot of direct >> sunlight. > > It also needs a certain amount of heat and water to do well. All > three are in scarce supply in my yard. > It is odd, but for a herb that is ubiquitous to Italian cooking, it is a damned finicky one. I have one place in my yard where it will do well, but it is a spot where watering is required. Meanwhile, the oregano is growing wild. |
Basil mystery
On 2014-12-18 1:56 PM, James Silverton wrote:
>> My experience with basil in my garden is that it needs a lot of direct >> sunlight. > > Basil is an annoying herb; I find it hard to grow in the garden and I > really have no suitable window sills. I like the taste but it's easy to > overcook and then it's hard to distinguish from overcooked spinach > (which you can keep.) > Okay. You left me laughing with that one. Three quarters of the basil plants that I transplant to my garden kick the bucket. I don't mind raw or slightly cooked spinach, but overcooked spinach is vile, and it does not take much to overcook it. |
Basil mystery
I've got some red basil going in a pot for over a year, after a neighbor's kid finished his school science project with it and was about to chuck it. He did some kind of experiment using worms etc. Not sure what he hypothesized or 'proved', but I have fresh basil when I want it. |
Basil mystery
"Kalmia" > wrote in message ... > > > I've got some red basil going in a pot for over a year, after a neighbor's > kid finished his school science project with it and was about to chuck it. > He did some kind of experiment using worms etc. > Not sure what he hypothesized or 'proved', but I have fresh basil when I > want it. the kid was probably dousing your plant with evil chemicals. boogie boogie boogie!! |
Basil mystery
On 12/18/2014 8:28 PM, Reggie wrote:
> "Kalmia" > wrote in message > ... >> >> >> I've got some red basil going in a pot for over a year, after a neighbor's >> kid finished his school science project with it and was about to chuck it. >> He did some kind of experiment using worms etc. >> Not sure what he hypothesized or 'proved', but I have fresh basil when I >> want it. > > the kid was probably dousing your plant with evil chemicals. boogie boogie > boogie!! > > Is red basil the so-called Royal Basil? I like it essentially uncooked as placed into Pho soup. -- Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD) Extraneous "not." in Reply To. |
Basil mystery
On 18/12/2014 11:27 AM, Janet wrote:
> In article >, > says... >> >> My wife sent me to the store to pick up ingredients for a potluck dish. >> One was fresh basil. I saw a vast array of fresh herbs in plastic boxes >> in the chilled section, but no basil. I also noticed clumps of flat and >> curly parsley, as well as cilantro, but no basil. I tracked down an >> employee and asked. >> >> "Oh, it's over there," pointing at the shallots. Sure enough, there were >> plastic boxes filled with shriveled, blackening basil between the garlic >> and the shallots. >> >> My next stop was Trader Joe's. Same deal -- far from the other herbs; >> next to the potatoes, not chilled. This basil looked worth buying, however. >> >> Why is this one fresh herb treated so poorly, when all the other herbs >> are at least chilled, if not actually spritzed with water periodically? > > Parsley, sage, rosemary, chives etc can all stand frost so being kept > in a chiller section does them no harm. > > Basil is far more temperature sensitive, the first garden frost will > kill it dead. Putting fresh basil in a chiller would blacken the leaves > in no time. > > Janet UK > Have you tried the Italian small-leaf variety? It looks as if it might be tougher than the usual kind. Graham |
Basil mystery
On Thu, 18 Dec 2014 18:38:01 -0500, Dave Smith
> wrote: >On 2014-12-18 1:47 PM, sf wrote: >>> Why is this one fresh herb treated so poorly, when all the other herbs >>>> are at least chilled, if not actually spritzed with water periodically? >>>> >>> >>> >>> My experience with basil in my garden is that it needs a lot of direct >>> sunlight. >> >> It also needs a certain amount of heat and water to do well. All >> three are in scarce supply in my yard. >> > > >It is odd, but for a herb that is ubiquitous to Italian cooking, it is a >damned finicky one. I have one place in my yard where it will do well, >but it is a spot where watering is required. Meanwhile, the oregano is >growing wild. Oregano is a weed that is spread by wind and birds. Janet US |
Basil mystery
On Thu, 18 Dec 2014 20:37:09 -0700, Janet B >
wrote: > Oregano is a weed that is spread by wind and birds. I wish! -- A kitchen without a cook is just a room. |
Basil mystery
On Thu, 18 Dec 2014 21:33:06 -0800, sf > wrote:
>On Thu, 18 Dec 2014 20:37:09 -0700, Janet B > >wrote: > >> Oregano is a weed that is spread by wind and birds. > >I wish! You aren't able to grow it where you are? I will not plant oregano again. It took years to get rid of all the baby oregano plants. For a time I was using oregano down at the creek to help against erosion. I would have thought it was o.k. where you are. Do you get salty ocean wind? Janet US |
Basil mystery
On Thu, 18 Dec 2014 22:46:29 -0700, Janet B >
wrote: > On Thu, 18 Dec 2014 21:33:06 -0800, sf > wrote: > > >On Thu, 18 Dec 2014 20:37:09 -0700, Janet B > > >wrote: > > > >> Oregano is a weed that is spread by wind and birds. > > > >I wish! > You aren't able to grow it where you are? Oregano grows here with no problem, but doesn't spread like that. I have worse problems, like calla lilys and the ubiquitous blackberry vine. Those things are my weeds and I'd gladly trade them for oregano. > I will not plant oregano again. It took years to get rid of all the baby oregano plants. For > a time I was using oregano down at the creek to help against erosion. Oregano survives here and stays where it's put. > I would have thought it was o.k. where you are. Do you get salty > ocean wind? Of course! It's full on ocean wind. -- A kitchen without a cook is just a room. |
Basil mystery
> wrote in message ... > My wife sent me to the store to pick up ingredients for a potluck dish. > One was fresh basil. I saw a vast array of fresh herbs in plastic boxes > in the chilled section, but no basil. I also noticed clumps of flat and > curly parsley, as well as cilantro, but no basil. I tracked down an > employee and asked. > > "Oh, it's over there," pointing at the shallots. Sure enough, there were > plastic boxes filled with shriveled, blackening basil between the garlic > and the shallots. > > My next stop was Trader Joe's. Same deal -- far from the other herbs; > next to the potatoes, not chilled. This basil looked worth buying, > however. > > Why is this one fresh herb treated so poorly, when all the other herbs > are at least chilled, if not actually spritzed with water periodically? Here it is often sold as a plant. I think the reason being that it just goes bad so very quickly once you have picked it. I used to buy huge bunches of it once in a while in NY. Wasn't always fresh there either. I would make Caprese with it but that stuff didn't keep. Once in a while it would still be fine the next day but usually not. |
Basil mystery
"graham" > wrote in message ... > On 18/12/2014 11:27 AM, Janet wrote: >> In article >, >> says... >>> >>> My wife sent me to the store to pick up ingredients for a potluck dish. >>> One was fresh basil. I saw a vast array of fresh herbs in plastic boxes >>> in the chilled section, but no basil. I also noticed clumps of flat and >>> curly parsley, as well as cilantro, but no basil. I tracked down an >>> employee and asked. >>> >>> "Oh, it's over there," pointing at the shallots. Sure enough, there were >>> plastic boxes filled with shriveled, blackening basil between the garlic >>> and the shallots. >>> >>> My next stop was Trader Joe's. Same deal -- far from the other herbs; >>> next to the potatoes, not chilled. This basil looked worth buying, >>> however. >>> >>> Why is this one fresh herb treated so poorly, when all the other herbs >>> are at least chilled, if not actually spritzed with water periodically? >> >> Parsley, sage, rosemary, chives etc can all stand frost so being kept >> in a chiller section does them no harm. >> >> Basil is far more temperature sensitive, the first garden frost will >> kill it dead. Putting fresh basil in a chiller would blacken the leaves >> in no time. >> >> Janet UK >> > Have you tried the Italian small-leaf variety? It looks as if it might be > tougher than the usual kind. It is and I can grow it in my aerogarden so I can have it all year if I wish. Atm though it is growing plum tomatoes:) -- http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/ |
Basil mystery
On 19/12/2014 3:59 AM, Ophelia wrote:
> > > "graham" > wrote in message > ... >> On 18/12/2014 11:27 AM, Janet wrote: >>> In article >, >>> says... >>>> >>>> My wife sent me to the store to pick up ingredients for a potluck dish. >>>> One was fresh basil. I saw a vast array of fresh herbs in plastic boxes >>>> in the chilled section, but no basil. I also noticed clumps of flat and >>>> curly parsley, as well as cilantro, but no basil. I tracked down an >>>> employee and asked. >>>> >>>> "Oh, it's over there," pointing at the shallots. Sure enough, there >>>> were >>>> plastic boxes filled with shriveled, blackening basil between the >>>> garlic >>>> and the shallots. >>>> >>>> My next stop was Trader Joe's. Same deal -- far from the other herbs; >>>> next to the potatoes, not chilled. This basil looked worth buying, >>>> however. >>>> >>>> Why is this one fresh herb treated so poorly, when all the other herbs >>>> are at least chilled, if not actually spritzed with water periodically? >>> >>> Parsley, sage, rosemary, chives etc can all stand frost so being >>> kept >>> in a chiller section does them no harm. >>> >>> Basil is far more temperature sensitive, the first garden frost >>> will >>> kill it dead. Putting fresh basil in a chiller would blacken the leaves >>> in no time. >>> >>> Janet UK >>> >> Have you tried the Italian small-leaf variety? It looks as if it might be >> tougher than the usual kind. > > It is and I can grow it in my aerogarden so I can have it all year if I > wish. Atm though it is growing plum tomatoes:) > I used to grow it in Australia but have only seen it once here. I only grow rosemary indoors these days. Any other herb seems to attract aphids, even in the middle of our vicious winter. Graham |
Basil mystery
"graham" > wrote in message ... > On 19/12/2014 3:59 AM, Ophelia wrote: >> >> >> "graham" > wrote in message >> ... >>> On 18/12/2014 11:27 AM, Janet wrote: >>>> In article >, >>>> says... >>>>> >>>>> My wife sent me to the store to pick up ingredients for a potluck >>>>> dish. >>>>> One was fresh basil. I saw a vast array of fresh herbs in plastic >>>>> boxes >>>>> in the chilled section, but no basil. I also noticed clumps of flat >>>>> and >>>>> curly parsley, as well as cilantro, but no basil. I tracked down an >>>>> employee and asked. >>>>> >>>>> "Oh, it's over there," pointing at the shallots. Sure enough, there >>>>> were >>>>> plastic boxes filled with shriveled, blackening basil between the >>>>> garlic >>>>> and the shallots. >>>>> >>>>> My next stop was Trader Joe's. Same deal -- far from the other herbs; >>>>> next to the potatoes, not chilled. This basil looked worth buying, >>>>> however. >>>>> >>>>> Why is this one fresh herb treated so poorly, when all the other herbs >>>>> are at least chilled, if not actually spritzed with water >>>>> periodically? >>>> >>>> Parsley, sage, rosemary, chives etc can all stand frost so being >>>> kept >>>> in a chiller section does them no harm. >>>> >>>> Basil is far more temperature sensitive, the first garden frost >>>> will >>>> kill it dead. Putting fresh basil in a chiller would blacken the leaves >>>> in no time. >>>> >>>> Janet UK >>>> >>> Have you tried the Italian small-leaf variety? It looks as if it might >>> be >>> tougher than the usual kind. >> >> It is and I can grow it in my aerogarden so I can have it all year if I >> wish. Atm though it is growing plum tomatoes:) >> > I used to grow it in Australia but have only seen it once here. I only > grow rosemary indoors these days. Any other herb seems to attract aphids, > even in the middle of our vicious winter. I haven't had that problem thank goodness! -- http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/ |
Basil mystery
On Thursday, December 18, 2014 8:28:09 PM UTC-5, Reggie wrote:
> "Kalmia" > wrote in message > ... > > > > > > I've got some red basil going in a pot for over a year, after a neighbor's > > kid finished his school science project with it and was about to chuck it. > > He did some kind of experiment using worms etc. > > Not sure what he hypothesized or 'proved', but I have fresh basil when I > > want it. > > the kid was probably dousing your plant with evil chemicals. boogie boogie > boogie!! Nah - he's too lazy to even enter my yard. As I said, the plant is doing very well and I can't kick over a freebie. HIs mother offered it after he began sto neglect it. |
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