Do you dry basil flowers as an herb?

TomNJ · September 12, 2015

I was so busy canning tomatoes this summer that I negligently let my sweet basil go to flower. I cut off all the flower stalks in hopes that there will be enough time for another crop of leaves before the first frost, but now what to do with all of these flower stalks. Can I dry the little flower leaves (not the flowers), that is, will they have the same taste and intensity as an herb as the green leaves?

TomNJ/VA

imp · September 12, 2015

To me they do. I have used fresh basil flowers, candied, on savory and sweet dishes.

Zana · September 12, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by imp

To me they do. I have used fresh basil flowers, candied, on savory and sweet dishes.

Ditto. Also used the flowers in making jellies and dry and grind into a powder. Sometimes find the little leaves around the flowers and the flowers more intense than the bigger ones, but depends upon the variety.

zeroma · September 13, 2015

On Thai basil I have used the flowers to make tomato sauces. Also dried the flowers, stalks and leaves together as they are much more delicate than sweet basil and take half the time.

zeroma

KC.Sun · September 14, 2015

You can use the flowers fresh or dried. It's common in South East Asian dishes.

Fresh is preferred over dried though.

gvozdika · October 2, 2015

After collecting basil seeds I save those husks(?) and use them in tea.

TomNJ · October 3, 2015

Thank you all! My flower stalks are drying and I'll grind them up soon.

TomNJ/VA

drew51 · October 6, 2015

I'm growing besides regular basil, African Blue basil and it seem to flower a lot. It is a hybrid, so you can keep flowers on it without worry of the plant dying. It's more a shrub really. I plan to overwinter it in a south window or under lights. It may be a good choice for flower harvest?
I'm growing a number of unusual herbs this year. Mexican, Mexican bush, and Cuban oregano. All are shrubs and not true oregano's. Cuban is a variegated succulent.

September 12, 2015	#1
TomNJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Floyd VA Posts: 771	Do you dry basil flowers as an herb? I was so busy canning tomatoes this summer that I negligently let my sweet basil go to flower. I cut off all the flower stalks in hopes that there will be enough time for another crop of leaves before the first frost, but now what to do with all of these flower stalks. Can I dry the little flower leaves (not the flowers), that is, will they have the same taste and intensity as an herb as the green leaves? TomNJ/VA

October 2, 2015	#6
gvozdika Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Oregon Posts: 53	After collecting basil seeds I save those husks(?) and use them in tea. __________________ There is no better soil analyst than the lowly earthworm. -- Albert Howard

September 12, 2015	#2
imp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Wichita Falls, Texas Posts: 4,832	To me they do. I have used fresh basil flowers, candied, on savory and sweet dishes.

September 13, 2015	#4
zeroma Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 637	On Thai basil I have used the flowers to make tomato sauces. Also dried the flowers, stalks and leaves together as they are much more delicate than sweet basil and take half the time. zeroma

September 14, 2015	#5
KC.Sun Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: 6a Posts: 322	You can use the flowers fresh or dried. It's common in South East Asian dishes. Fresh is preferred over dried though.

October 3, 2015	#7
TomNJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Floyd VA Posts: 771	Thank you all! My flower stalks are drying and I'll grind them up soon. TomNJ/VA

October 6, 2015	#8
drew51 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Sterling Heights, MI Zone 6a/5b Posts: 1,302	I'm growing besides regular basil, African Blue basil and it seem to flower a lot. It is a hybrid, so you can keep flowers on it without worry of the plant dying. It's more a shrub really. I plan to overwinter it in a south window or under lights. It may be a good choice for flower harvest? I'm growing a number of unusual herbs this year. Mexican, Mexican bush, and Cuban oregano. All are shrubs and not true oregano's. Cuban is a variegated succulent.