| Description & extraction |
Basil oil or sweet basil is a common name for the culinary herb ocimum
basilicum and it is extracted by the process of steam distillation. Basil
can also be propagated very reliably from cuttings in exactly the same
manner as 'busy lizzie', with the stems of short cuttings suspended for
two weeks or so in water until roots develop. Once a stem produces
flowers, foliage production stops on that stem, the stem becomes
woody, and essential oil production declines. To prevent this, a basil
grower may pinch off any flower stems before they are fully mature.
Because only the blooming stem is so affected, some stems can be
pinched for leaf production, while others are left to bloom for
decoration or seeds. Basil oil is pale greenish-yellow in color and has
thin consistency and strength of initial aroma is medium. It is a
wateryviscosity. It is sweet, herbaceous, licorice like, slightly
campherous. Basil oil blends with bergamot, celeray sage, clove bud,
geranium, lime, lemon, hysoop, juniper, eucalyptus, neroli, marjoram,
Rosemary, melissa and lavender. |
