Quick garden question

[Pixelated]

Does anybody here grow herbs?

I planted some basil a few years ago and didn't bother to ... restrain the plant in any way. It has now run completely amok, and is also sporting lovely light purple flowers. I'm just wondering if the leaves themselves are still edible, since the plant has run so wild, or will they be unpleasantly bitter or something?

Also, if the leaves are still okay to eat, has anybody got any recommendations on how to preserve them? Can I just air-dry them?

Thanks.

[Dreamstalker]

The leaves are absolutely still edible. Start pinching/cutting off any new growth, especially the flowers and the plant will eventually be 'trained' to grow short and small.

As for preserving, I would put the leaves in a food processor with as much olive oil as possible and blend it to make a paste--pesto without the other stuff. Pour that into ice cube trays and freeze it, when frozen put the cubes in ziplock bags. Each cube is one 'serving' of basil for whatever.

[Kittish]

So long as the plants haven't been treated with any not safe to consume fertilizers or pesticides, then yeah absolutely okay to eat.

For preserving, air drying works if you want dried herb that you can crush to use in cooking.Lay out a single layer of leaves on some paper toweling in a large baking sheet and put it in the oven with the oven turned off for a day or three. If it's humid enough that they won't dry out on their own in that time, you can turn the oven on its lowest setting for a few hours, just prop the door open with a wooden spoon or something. When the leaves are completely dry, put them in an airtight container and store in a cool, dark place or in the freezer.

Dreamstalker's method is also a good one for applications where a bit of oil won't mess up a dish.

Basil is an annual, so the plants you have this year will die once they set seed. But as you've seen, they'll come back so long as you let a few of them make seeds (IOW- stop cutting off flowers a month or so before your expected first frost).

My plants are all indoor potted plants because where I live isn't very good for growing stuff outside. I had a couple of oregano plants for a few years that I swear were doing their utmost to go walkabout (I killed them off when it got to the point where the root ball was solid roots- no soil left in the pots). I still have some dried in the freezer, it's a LOT more potent than store bought dried herbs.

[taxguykarl]

Definitely edible. Find a farm stand and stock up on tomatoes (or grow a bunch of your own). You have a supply of excellent sauce waiting to happen.
Or just a few 'maters with mozzarella curds and balsamic vinegar....caprese salad anyone?