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Reyhan Sabz Basil
Ocimum basilicum
This special green basil from Iran has been long-missed and desired by those of us in the US! Milder than many of the basils available in the US, one of its main functions in Iranian cooking is that it is enjoyed as a fresh herb, thanks to its citrusy and pleasant flavor and texture.
Description and photos by Sama of Reyhan Herb Farm.
Days to maturity: 70
Seeds per pack: 145
Germination rate: 92% on 05/31/2024
Planting / harvesting notes
Basil germinates best when the weather has warmed a bit as summer approaches. Sow these seeds indoors or direct sow them, spacing about 8 inches apart. For indoors, sow seeds on the surface of moist potting soil and keep it evenly moist and in the sunlight until germination. This variety is still tasty when it has started flowering, but by pinching the tips of the plant when you harvest, you can prevent it from flowering for longer.
Seed keeping notes
We wait until frost kills the plants before we harvest seed, to make sure the seeds are as mature as possible, and also because once the plants are brittle and dead, it’s easier to thresh them. Thresh by stepping on the flower spike the harvested plants to remove all of the calyxes (the calyx on a basil plant is the cup of leaves that the flowers had emerged from), or by whacking the seedheads in a bucket, allowing the ripest seed to fall. Sift through strainers to remove the largest chaff, and then winnow off the lighter chaff with your breath, a fan, or the wind.
