Gardeners reveal how they make the most of their herb harvest – a syrup recipe is perfect for ice cream and cocktails
GARDENING fans have revealed how they’ve cultivated a common herb for many different tasty purposes.
The different methods carry from a tasty syrup recipe to dessert to a craft cocktail addition.
Redditor SaccosMeatMarket revealed in a post that they had grown too much basil from their garden and didn’t know what to do with it.
“I’ve made nearly two dozen jars of pesto and at this point, I think that’s enough. I have a couple of ziplocs of fresh frozen basil going, and two ice cube trays of chopped basil/olive oil mix,” they explained.
Reddit users rushed to the rescue and offered several delicious alternatives.
Another Redditor recommended making a basil simple syrup and offered step-by-step instructions.
Start by boiling a one-to-one mixture of water and sugar in a large pot.
Then, let it simmer and stir until all of the sugar is dissolved in the water.
Soon after, add as much chopped basil as you want to the mixture. It can be a handful, a little, or a lot.
It all depends on how potent you want the basil taste to be.
Then, continue to let it simmer for a minute or so, before turning off the heat, but keep it covered until the pot is cool.
Lastly, strain the syrup into jars and refrigerate until used.
“Mix the syrup with water and lemon juice for a great lemonade. Mix into vodka or other liquors for cocktails. Pour it over vanilla ice cream,” they added.
The Reddit user who shared the instructions even offered a quick cocktail recipe.
Take the syrup and “muddle” it with strawberries, fresh lemon juice, ice, vodka, and club soda.
Shake it a few times to mix together and then garnish with a basil leaf.
A second option for the herb is to dehydrate it for seasoning and add it to a sauce.
A few Redditors thought it would make a great Christmas present.
“Buy or recycle some nice-looking jars and slap on some pretty labels. Everyone in my family including myself would love this as a gift or stocking stuffer,” one wrote.
“Or try putting basil in an oil to use for flavoring. Great gift!” another added.
A third idea for the original poster was to freeze their pre-made jars of pesto with the basil.
“I put it in eight-ounce ball canning jars, which is typically enough for around 12 to 16 ounces of pasta depending on how pesto-y you want it,” they explained.
“Toss it on the warm pasta with a bit of warm reserved pasta water.”
Another Redditor said basil sugar makes a “super tasty addition to desserts and drinks.”
“Sprinkle a little on top of cut fruits or a slice of pie. Add to your lemonade “or make your drink fancy by using to sugar the rim of your glass!),” they wrote.
“I first experienced basil sugar as a topping on a panna cotta with blueberry jam swirl. Amazing. Fresh taste!”
Easy gardening tips to save money, maximize space, and repel pests
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- Banana peels, vinegar, and coffee grounds are often recommended as natural fertilizers.
- Dollar Tree sells four packs of seeds for $1.25.
- Try a vertical planter like Amazon’s Mr. Stacky 5 Tier Stackable Planter, $35 to make more use of a small space.
- Use netting like the Garden Netting Pest Barrier, $8, from Amazon to keep away bugs that eat your vegetables.
- Try sacrificial planting to reduce the use of pesticides and keep pests away from your garden. Deliberately growing certain plants to attract agricultural pests can keep them away from the plants you want to protect. Examples include marigolds, lavender, catnip, and chives.
- For pesky weeds in your garden, the Grampa’s Weeder – The Original Stand-Up Weed Puller Tool with Long Handles, $45, from Amazon is a helpful tool you can use without having to bend over.