Purple Basil is a cultivar of Ocimum basilicum (sweet basil). The dark purple leaves are used in pesto or as a garnish. This attractive basil variety has won multiple awards for its beauty, flavor and ease of cultivation.
Is purple basil the same as regular basil?
Purple Basil
As its name suggests, this type of basil isn’t green like most herbs. It’s a vibrant purple color with larger-than-normal leaves. It’s not as sweet as other basil varieties, and it has a strong clove flavor.
What is the difference between green and purple basil?
The main difference between basils with purple leaves and those with green leaves is a higher concentration of the purple pigment anthocyanin in their leaves than in the green basils. Anthocyanin is a natural pigment that is responsible for the colors purple, red and blue in several plants.
What is another name for purple basil?
Purple basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is from the popular Lamiaceae family. The varieties of purple basil are also sometimes called red basil or black basil, as the foliage colours vary from light red to deep violet.
How do you eat purple ruffles basil?
Purple Ruffles basil has a bold appearance and taste, and the leaves can be used in most recipes calling for sweet basil. The leaves can be tossed into salads, layered into bruschetta, lihtly torn over soups, incorporated into pasta, or used as a pizza topping.
Is purple basil OK to eat?
Purple Basil is great for…
Purple Basil leaves have a beautiful, coppery glow and clove-like, slightly spicy flavour. Use them in salads, for pesto or preserved in oils and vinegars.
Does purple basil come back every year?
There are a few varieties of purple basil, but all are cultivars of the same basil plant, which is a true annual. Therefore purple basil grows from seed and die again all in one season, and do not return year after year.
What is the healthiest basil to eat?
The healthiest basil is sweet basil, Genovese basil, Thai basil, Napoletano basil, dark opal basil, lemon basil, lime basil, lettuce leaf basil, and Holy basil. These varieties are commonly used in daily meals and medicinal uses.
Should I let my purple basil flower?
If you’re growing basil for its leaves and taste, harvest them before letting the plant bloom. If it’s purely for decorative purposes, then go ahead and let your plant bloom. Either way, your freshly picked leaves will still have all the same health benefits!
Can you eat ornamental purple basil?
Purple basil can be used in any recipe that calls for sweet basil, although the flavor is more intense than traditional sweet basil. Beyond making a gorgeous statement in your garden, purple basil is also a nutritional powerhouse with vitamins A, C, K, B6, iron, calcium, potassium, and tryptophan.
Is purple basil natural?
In fact there are several species of purple basil, including some that grows in tiny leaves in Thailand and another found in the mountainous regions of north America.
Is purple basil invasive?
This plant is easy to grow and reseeds well. It makes for good contrast of color among other plants. Can be considered invasive under good conditions but easy to control.
How do you harvest and store purple basil?
- Harvest purple ruffle basil for drying when the first flower buds appear. Rinse the plant with a spray of water to remove dirt and insects.
- Quick-freezing basil allows the leaves to keep more of their flavor. To freeze basil, put a layer of leaves in a plastic bag and press out the air.
Is it better to chop or tear basil?
Tearing basil with your hands (as opposed to using a knife) helps slow the process, as tearing tends to keep more of the cell walls intact than cutting does. But either way, the basil will indeed discolor over time, so your best bet would be to make sure that you chop or tear basil immediately before using it.
What eats purple basil?
The most frequent assaulters of your precious basil plant leaves are Japanese beetles, slugs and aphids.
Who should not eat basil?
Additionally, people taking blood pressure-lowering drugs or diabetes drugs should use caution with basil supplements since they may lower blood pressure and blood sugar. Your doctor may need to decrease your drug dose ( 18 , 34). Avoid holy basil if you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant.
When should you not eat basil?
How to tell if basil is bad or spoiled? Basil that is spoiling will typically become soft and discolored and the leaves will start to darken; discard any basil that has an off smell or appearance.
Can I grow purple basil inside?
Purple basils are unusual and attractive growing in containers in both indoor and outdoor herb gardens.
How long does purple basil last?
Even though well preserved basil doesn’t really go bad, it will start to lose its flavor over time. So, no matter which method you use to store it for the long term, it’s best to use it up within one year.
Is drinking basil water good for you?
A: Yes, basil tea is a healthy and refreshing beverage that will uplift your mood with added health benefits. Basil contains vitamin A, vitamin K, iron, manganese, calcium, and essential oils. Plus, it has the goodness of antioxidants that fight free radicals that cause harm to our body in various ways.
Will purple basil survive winter?
Generally, its growth cycle doesn’t include overwintering; rather it dies down and the hard seeds wait in the ground over winter and then germinate during the spring thaw. When temperatures dip, basil suffers cold damage almost immediately in the form of blackened leaves. Therefore, basil and cold weather do not gibe.