Basil looks great but tastes bitter and horrible... Why?

[SnackMyFoodie]

I grew an herb garden this summer and used raised beds full of a mixture of different soils... No fertilizers or chemicals. I planted basil, parsley, dill and rosemary. All turned out well except the basil tasted bitter and left a bad taste in my mouth... yet it looked fantastic. Could this just be a matter of the seeds I bought or did I mess up on my harvest date?

 

[Alex H]

Did you let it flower?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Coriander is the one I use the most fresh, so can't answer your poll!

 

[dougm13]

Flowering usually does not affect the taste of basil. Did you use it fresh or dried it? Fresh basil is usually sweet not bitter. Do not give up, it is easy to grow, try something else. Maybe try a few plants from a nursery of different types and find one that you like, then try the seeds the following season.

 

[Alex H]

Flowering usually does not affect the taste of basil. .

/pantomime mode on

OH YES IT CAN!

/pantomime mode off

 

[OhioTom76]

Do you happen to know what type of basil you planted? Apparently there are quite a few different varieties which can have very different flavors. Perhaps look over the images in the link below to see which one is the closest to what you have:

http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crops-and-gardening/basil-varieties.aspx

If it is sweet basil, that sounds rather odd that it is tasting bitter when used fresh. Did you have it pressed up against some other herbs, and perhaps the flavors intermingled?

 

[sillylucy]

I always thought of basil as sweet and never bitter. I like to chop it up so you really get the flavors out in your dishes. Maybe you were eating some old basil?

 

[Tara]

The herb that I used the most isn't on the list. I use cilantro the most. I make a lot of Southern Western flavored dishes.

I also use a lot of basil. The smell of fresh basil is very strong, but I don't find the taste to be bitter.

 

[isabbbela]

I don't think basil tastes bad at all! I actually love basil! I use it all the time, specially when making pesto sauce for pasta. It's one of my favorite pasta sauces!!
For regular foods, you shouldn't put too much basil. Also, are you buying it dry or fresh? I find that is tastes way better when it's fresh! Or maybe you could have planted a bitter kind of basil? I never found it to be particularly bitter...

 

[ReadmeByAmy]

Even they say that Basil is good for tomato dishes we do not use it whether it is fresh or in powdered form because the kids don't like the taste that is why we eliminate using this kind of herb in our kitchen and in our cooking.

 

[firelily99]

The flowers on the basil should always be pinched off or the leaves do become bitter. You might want to experiment with making pesto with the bitter basil, I have read that it works out okay.

 

[Athenagdlyt]

I only use dried basil. I use it on my pasta dishes. So far, I find it work well. The fresh ones, I haven't tried yet.
On your poll list, I only use parsley. I chop the herbs and mix it with butter for use on breads, pasta, and on meat.

 

[nutmegprincess]

I use basil the most. There are different kinds of basil. Maybe you used a different variety!

 

[vennybunny]

It may be a bad batch of seeds. Consider trying again with new seeds or seedlings.

Also, when basil flowers, it sucks all its nutrients and spends it on the flower, making the leaves dry and bitter.