If your basil is throwing off flower stems, don’t feel guilty. Just get out there and save it from itself. It only takes a minute, plus three weeks. Just chop off the flowers and pick about half of it. Get the herbs in the morning when their flavor oils are at their height for the day.

Young herbs are better, but basil can be very forgiving. If you can still smell it when you pick it, it’s fine.

Remove basil stems and put the leaves on a paper towel, cover with another paper towel and then do nothing. In three or four weeks, you’ll have dried basil. Throw out your store-bought stuff and crumble your dried basil leaves into the empty container.

If you want to use basil in a brave new way make it into syrup that you can add to tea, cocktails, or mixed up in fruit as in the following recipe.

Just to make the syrup, Heat 3/4 cup water to a boil with 3 to 4 tablespoons sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved,3-5 minutes. Add the lime zest. Let it cool and stir in the basil slivers.

– Los Angeles Times.

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