Category: Vegetables

Do mice eat plants? Yes, and they will eat garden plants and houseplants, too. Do rodents eat basil? Pets and other small animals. It’s not just bugs and insects that are eating your basil plants. If you have pets, especially cats, they will be very tempted to take a bite out of the leaves. Basil […]

Adult cabbage loopers are moths that lay their hundreds of eggs in deposits of up to seven eggs at a time on sweet basil plants. Within four days, the hatched larvae chew and consume leaves. What animal is eating my basil? The most frequent assaulters of your precious basil plant leaves are Japanese beetles, slugs […]

Planting certain herbs in your backyard or around the perimeter of your home can keep flies, mosquitoes, ants and other insect pests away. Basil controls flies and mosquitoes, as does garlic. Rosemary controls mosquitoes, flies and ticks. Sage repels ticks, and spearmint keeps ants away. What does basil keep away? Basil. An ever popular herb […]

One of the best ways to keep the creepy crawlies away is to place fresh basil around the home. Like other strong herbs, spiders despise the smell of basil — and will stay away from its presence. What is the best plant to keep spiders away? 13 Plants That Keep Away Spiders Basil. Any variety […]

As one of the most pungent herbs, I can easily see why basil makes the list as a natural mosquito repellent. It makes sense, because basil is known as the perfect companion plant to tomatoes to help keep bugs away. How do you use basil as a mosquito repellent? One alternative is to make your […]

A handful of insects are attracted to the basil plant. The Japanese Beetle, slugs, thrips, aphids, spider mites, and some caterpillars. Smaller insects can be removed with a strong water spray, while larger garden pests can be picked off by hand. How do you keep bugs off basil? Insecticidal Soap Insecticidal soaps are available in […]

What animals and insects eat basil? Aside from people, there are a variety of things that eat basil. Japanese beetles, slugs, and aphids are the most common basil pests. Other pests include whiteflies, spider mites, caterpillars, and thrips. What is eating my basil at night? Slugs and snails also tend to eat basil at night. […]

The intense scent and oil in basil and many other herbs are often used to deter common household pests. The pungent herb seems to repel flies and basil pest control has been used since ancient times. Basil is intolerant of cold temperatures and needs a full day of sunlight. What does basil plants attract? Basil […]

The flavor of basil is a balance between sweet and savory, with hints of mint, anise, and pepper. While the initial flavor has pronounced tones of black pepper, this aromatic herb ultimately adds a hint of sweetness to any dish. Why does my basil taste so strong? Most herbs keep best at 32 to 41 […]

Yes, you can! It’s actually fairly easy to dry basil leaves in the oven. You start by leaving your fresh basil leaves to dry at room temperature for a few days. After this time, preheat your oven to 170ºF (or the lowest temperature possible), then lay your basil leaves out on a baking sheet lined […]

Basil. Basil and oregano are basically cousins, being a part of the mint family. Both are also quite similar, so much so that you can use basil in almost every recipe that uses oregano. The herbs are complementary to each other and work best with savory ingredients commonly used for pizza-making. Do you put basil […]

Basil is sold fresh and dried but fresh basil is typically preferred for cooking. Although dried is more concentrated than fresh, dried basil does not have the same taste; the dehydrating process draws out more of the mint flavor and less of the anise. Are you supposed to cook basil? If a recipe simply calls […]

No Thai Basil? No problem! Some recipes call for Thai basil, a pungent variety that can be hard to find in grocery stores. To duplicate its flavor, use common “Italian” basil and add a few fresh mint sprigs to the recipe. What is a good substitute for Thai basil? If you can’t find Thai basil, […]

Thai Basil (Ocimum basilicum var. Thai Basil is an essential ingredient when we make pho, a Vietnamese soup with broth, noodles, meat, and vegetables. But, we also use it liberally in salads, curries, noodle dishes, and stir-fries. The plants are beautiful with deep green leaves and reddish-purple stems and flowers. Can you use regular basil […]

Italian basil is not a real cultivar (by cultivar I mean “cultural variety”) of basil. “Italian basil” a general term for the types of basil that may be used in Italian cooking. The two types of basil cultivars that are used in Italian cooking include Sweet Basil, the most common cultivar, and Genovese Basil. What […]

Southeast Asia. Thai Basil is native to Southeast Asia, though its exact origin is somewhat debated since its history of cultivation dates back approximately 5,000 years. Is Thai basil from Thailand? Thai basil (Thai: โหระพา, RTGS: horapha, ISO: hōraphā, pronounced [hǒː. rá(ʔ). pʰāː]; Khmer: ជីរនាងវង, chi neang vorng; Vietnamese: húng quế) called káu-chàn-thah (九層塔) in […]

Appearance: Thai basil has purple stems, while sweet basil has green stems. The leaves of Thai basil are narrower than sweet basil leaves and have a slightly serrated edge. Sweet basil leaves also tend to be more delicate than sturdy Thai basil leaves. Can you substitute basil with Thai basil? Can I substitute basil for […]

In terms of taste, Thai basil smells like anise and has a more licorice smell with a slightly spicy taste. Sweet basil has the classic aroma that reminds you of pesto and has more of a clove like. Does Thai basil taste different than basil? But setting looks aside, Thai basil is spicy with an […]