Which basils do you think has the best flavor for pasta sauce & such?
The purple basil is pretty but does it have good flavor?
What about the spicy globe basil?

I don't grow the purple basils anymore. You're right in that they are attractive, but I've found their flavor to be too "clove" intensive for cooking. But if you want to grow them in a mixed ornamental border to brush against & release scent while weeding on a hot summer day, they're just fine.

I grew "Spicy Globe" once, & while it also makes a very pretty border & the flavor is okay, I find the tiny leaves not only labor-intensive, but plucking them for cooking tends to ruin the globe shape that makes them so pretty.

So for cooking I now exclusively grow the basic types - for Italian cooking - "Sweet", "Genovese", "Lettuce Leaf", etc., etc., any of the basic green types.

For salads & seafood cooking, I also make sure to grow lemon and lime basils as well. They make terrific pestos for topping grilled seafood or stirring into pasta or potato salad.

I am a big fan of basil, and I like to collect as many of them as I can find, even though they all die when winter comes. I also find the sweet basil and the large leaf or lettuce leaf ones to be the best for most cooking.

--J--

Thanks, I will plant more types this year & try freezing it in the ice cube trays.

Anyone ever try overwintering cuttings indoors like houseplants? I'm growing 5 different kinds this year (sweet, cinnamon, dark opal, dwarf purple, and Mrs Burns Lemon)...partly for companion plantings, partly because I LOOOVE the smell, and partly to try in cooking. I'd like to have one that grws well inside in witner months as well.

Wanda, Genovese basil is the one typically used in pesto. That's all I grow for my pesto; it's a bit more peppery and less clove-y, I think. I also use 2 parts basil to 1 part Italian parsley in my pesto.

CountryKitty, I've grown basil inside before (not lately), and they do well provided they're in spot with good sun exposure. How are yours doing?

I'm thinking of putting some of the basils that arent used for cooking in the front yard as ornamentals (don't like to put stuff we're going to eat in the front, as dogs walk there, and people spit and throw their trash ).

--J--