Tips for Harvesting Basil

If you're into herbs and cooking, basil is probably a big deal in your garden. Throughout summer it's the backbone of some of the most distinctive, fresh and delicious dishes around. My two personal favorites are basil pesto and Insalata Caprese, a simple salad made with basil, mozzarella cheese and tomatoes.

One of the things that makes these dishes so special is that they're largely

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How to Make Sweet Pickles

This summer I made sweet pickles for the first time, and it was so much fun. If you're a sweet pickle fan (I love them), have a big pickle harvest, or just like pickles and want an easy project to ease into the hobby of canning --this sweet pickle challenge is it.

You really have to make these pickles. They manage to be sweeter, crunchier and spicier than the store bought varieties I've

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Lavender Honey Recipe - How to Make Lavender Honey

Lavender honey is one of my secret weapons. It's easy to make, as are all the flavored honey recipes I share, and it's a wonderful choice for holiday gift giving. You can whip up a batch in about an hour, and the resulting honey is delicious -- and something your friends won't find in stores. I make separate batches of rose, orange, lavender, vanilla and lemon balm honey to give away, and

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How to Make Passion Flower Tea

Passion flower (Passiflora incarnate) is a very effective sleep aid. You can make a soothing, sedative passion flower tea in just a few minutes. You’ll be surprised at how well it works.

It can cause a different reactions in different people, but for me, it's a great mind and body relaxer. I fall asleep more easily and am more likely to sleep through the night if I make an evening cup of

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How to Revive Wilted Greens and Herbs

If you've ever opened your refrigerator's vegetable crisper only to discover that "crisp" is a relative term, you can understand the value of being able to do a little quick first aid on your limp cilantro, parsley or dill. Even better, these strategies can also work on veggies like lettuce and celery.

Reviving Wilted Greens and Herbs

Vegetables have stems and veins designed to deliver moisture

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What Is Lemon Balm

For such a wonderful and popular herb, it's surprising more people don’t know about lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). I recently blogged about making lemon balm liquor and received a puzzling number of emails from people who wondered what lemon balm is and what makes it a keeper in the garden.

I forget sometimes that there are lots of folks around who do their herb shopping in the produce

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How to Make Lemon Balm Liquor (Liqueur)

This citrus liquor really benefits from the addition of lemon balm leaves. It gives the bouquet a light, sweet lemony fragrance -- one thing that is so appealing about this herb.

Lemon balm liquor is best served chilled from your freezer -- and use some caution because it packs a wallop. It's like lemonade for grownups.

Instructions for Making Lemon Balm Liquor

Glass jar with a tightly fitting

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