"Basil stems, like the stalks of most soft herbs, are entirely edible. While they may be too tough to blend into a smooth pesto sauce or to used as garnish, they still have some of that sweet, peppery basil flavor that can be infused into the syrup. Moreover, turning basil stems into a herby and flavorful syrup is easier than it sounds. Just whip out a pot, add some water, sugar, and, of course, the basil stems, and reduce it into a syrup."
"There are plenty of ways to use your homemade basil stem syrup. The most obvious places where the herby syrup shines are in drinks - think lemonades, hot or iced teas, juices, smoothies, and mocktails or cocktails. You can even use it in desserts, as a topping for ice cream, a sweetener for popsicles, or incorporate it into the frosting for a simple vanilla cake."
Basil stems are edible though often too tough for smooth pesto or garnish, and they retain sweet, peppery basil flavor suitable for infusion. A simple syrup can be made by simmering basil stems with water and sugar, then straining the mixture. The syrup works well in lemonades, hot or iced teas, juices, smoothies, mocktails, cocktails, and desserts such as ice cream toppings, popsicle sweeteners, or frosting for vanilla cake. Flavor variations include adding ginger for spice or simmering with lemon slices for brightness. The syrup can be personalized and stored for later use to reduce food waste.
Read at Tasting Table
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]