Price range: £1.85 through £31.00
Cinnamon flavour basil from Mexico. Height 45cm.
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Basil, Cinnamon
ocimum basilicum
Approx. 800 seeds per gram
Cinnamon basil is beautiful and aromatic, it has a reddy purple stems, slightly pointed leaves and purple flowers. It is also known as Mexican basil. It does not like the cold and is not frost hardy.
If you do not have a greenhouse basil will grow happily on a sunny windowsill and even outside in a sunny, sheltered spot.
How to grow:
Basil is an annual herb. Sow seed from March to July in pots or seed trays at 22 -24°C. Prick out tray sown seedlings into individual 8cm pots when they are about 6cm tall. For windowsill herbs pot on once more into a 12cm pot, otherwise transplant into the growing site. Direct sowings can also be made in June.
Succession sow throughout the season to ensure a supply of fresh leaves. Harvest individual leaves and then stems June onwards. The purple flowers are produced on spikes during the summer but pinch them out to encourage leaf production.
Pests and diseases:
Basil can suffer from aphids, use a biological control if this is a problem. Basil prefers to be watered in the morning, do not over water to help prevent fungal diseases.
How to use:
Cinnamon basil, as the name suggests is very rich in cinnamon aromas. It is best cooked in sweet dishes like pies and cakes, biscuits and desserts. It makes a fragrant syrup for a fruit salad. In a small saucepan, bring the 2 cups of sugar and one cup of water to a boil. Remove from the heat. Stir in the chopped cinnamon basil and spearmint. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Prepare your fruit salad and pour over the fragrant chilled syrup. Basil does not dry particularly well but you can chop it, add a little water and freeze in ice-cube trays.