basil and other herbs - Knowledgebase Question

Shrubs
HOOVER, Al
Question by weinberg69
September 16, 2010
my basil has been prolific but some of the leaves, although completely beautiful, look like they have a bite off of the end or side; or a hole in them. Can i use that leaf? or just tear off the bitten spot? I wash them of course (we ended up spraying a little, although we tried not to spray herbs). I saw once some eggs (maybe) lying on a leaf. anyway, what part of the leaf can I use? Thanks


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Answer from NGA
September 16, 2010

0

 The holey leaves are still edible. You can snip off any damage and rinse each leaf well, especially the undersides where insect eggs might hide. Once you rinse them off, the leaves a perfectly edible. There's really nothing I can recommend you spray on your herbs - a strong stream of water just a minute before you plan to harvest the leaves will remove any insects. A gentle washing with tepid water at the kitchen sink will completely clean the leaves. Enjoy your basil!

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