What to use for Lamb Ears use cook or just for fragrant? So what about Black Basil ? So I can know before to cut this 2 plants to use it. Please tell me about this thanks.
About herbs...
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Rose, there was a recent thread about Lamb's Ear... scroll about halfway down the page.
I don't know of a Black Basil, so I can't help you there specifically. If it's a basil, it's edible. I would say, sniff it, taste it, and decide if you want to cook with it. :-)
Ok thank you so much so here is new picture of it today it called......
"Deep Dark Opal Basil" with beautiful purple flowers so great strong fragrant love it.
#2 post....
Does this by chance have a licorice smell/taste?
Yes smell like kind of but the taste not sure if can eat this?
I had some last year called licorice basil. If this is the same, it was edible in light doses. Too strong to eat alot. Maybe someone can clarify.
I hve some that looks kind of like that...I am thinking it would be fine, perhaps a few leaves chopped into some spaghetti sauce?
Yes, I think purple basil is a good addition to a mix of basil varieties for many purposes, but I would hesitate to use only purple basil in spaghetti sauce for example. Purple basil pesto, on the other hand, might be especially delicious!
Purple basils are really fun if you're making herbal vinegars... A few sprigs added to the bottle will make the vinegar turn a lovely rosy pink color! I like to stuff a bottle with whatever combination of herbs, fill with vinegar, and allow to steep for several weeks. Then I strain out the herbs and put the vinegar into clean bottles, maybe with a new sprig or two of herbs "for pretty."
Do you steep yours on a window ledge where they get bright light and/or sunshine or in a darker place? And for how long?
I steep them in the relatively dark and cool basement for 3 or 4 weeks before straining the vinegar. If you're not sure, taste the vinegar & see if you think it has enough flavor.... sometimes it gets really strong, and then I dilute it with additional plain vinegar after I strain it. I like to use white wine vinegar for herbal vinegars, as the flavor is not as harsh as cider or white vinegar. Sometimes I'll use red wine vinegar (think rosemary & garlic) or balsamic vinegar (especially with oregano) too.
I was just browsing this post and I see that Critter puts basil in vinegars. I was wondering if you can do the same with oils? Can you make herb flavored oils and, if so, what would you use them for?
My understanding with herb flavored oils is that you must be very careful to avoid botulism.... I think you can heat the oil with the herbs to get the flavor, but then you have to strain out the herbs, and I'm not sure of the exact procedure to sterilize or process the oil after that... you might ask over on the canning/freezing forum. I do think it's not recommended to put fresh herb sprigs in a bottle of oil that's meant to be kept at room temperature, because if there are botulism spores on the herbs, the oil would provide the perfect anaerobic environment for their growth.
I use flavored vinegar for many of the things you might use flavored oil for, like salad dressings or marinades, so I haven't bothered with making herb-infused oils. But I think olive oil with garlic plus a little basil or rosemary would be fabulous drizzled over mashed potatoes....
Nix on the above advice! I just found this thread from last year http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/530835/ where I did a little googling & found out that straining & heating the oil is not sufficient to reduce the risk of botulism. However, I think if you keep flavored oil in the fridge it will be OK.... or stick to herbal vinegars!