Basil is a delicious herb which tastes amazing both fresh and when added to dishes and cooked. One of the simplest and most effective meals you can make with fresh basil is the classic Caprese salad, a delicious dish from Italy made from layering tomato, mozzarella and basil before topping it off with salt and extra virgin olive oil.
Other fantastic uses for basil include a homemade pesto (made from adding basil to pine nuts, garlic, parmesan and olive oil before blending them all together) or a delicious tomato and basil soup.
But fresh basil bought from the supermarket, either growing in a pot or already chopped and bagged, can often be quickly used up, leaving you constantly having to replenish your supply.
However, one gardener says that every summer for the last five years he has “grown more basil than we’ve known what to do with”. And it all starts with a simple pot bought cheaply from the supermarket.
On TikTok, Joe’s Garden (run by Joe Clark) says: “Every summer for the last five years I’ve grown more basil than we’ve known what to do with and here’s how you can too by starting with a couple of cheap supermarket plants.
“Now the most important part when growing basil is to understand that each one of these little stems is actually its own little plant. So, in order to keep them alive, pop your basil out of its pot and gently start to separate away small clusters of plants.
“I like to pop some high quality compost in some large containers and transplant one to two clusters per pot, leaving them plenty of room to grow on.”
The gardening expert, who has well over 1 million followers, says there is then a further secret to growing your basil into big and healthy blooms. He says: “Instead of harvesting each individual leaf, simply locate the side shoots all along the stem and harvest just above them. This will allow these side shoots to keep growing and growing, giving you far more to harvest in your cooking all summer long.”
Joe points out that basil left outside will start to die back after the summer months, but he even has some great advice on how to keep your supply of basil going without having to go out to buy more.
He said: “Unfortunately, in the autumn your basil will start to die off but before it does place a few cuttings in water and after a week they’ll start to grow roots. These can then be potted on to grow on a windowsill over winter and then brought back out the following spring to repeat the process all over again.”
How to make a classic Caprese salad with your fresh basil
Ingredients
- Fresh tomatoes (the size is up to you and the salad works just as well with larger heirloom or beef tomatoes or smaller plum or cherry tomatoes)
- Fresh mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil leaves
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Method
This really couldn’t be simpler. Simply slice your tomatoes and mozzarella and layer them onto a plate with the fresh basil leaves. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve.
