Basil and the purple flowers

[tasha]

we have been growing basil for a while and I noticed that if you keep the purple flowers on them they taste completely different when you pick them and it does not taste at all like basil should. have you had this problem and why does the purple flower change the taste?

 

[marlingardener]

By the time basil flowers, it is pretty mature and the effort put into making flowers does change the taste. I always pinch off any sign of a flower head, and the basil holds its flavor longer.

 

[DeborahJane]

How good to know Marlinger. Not that i have much success with basil as it gets eaten. A friend grows hers very successfully in a self watering pot up on a table so i guess the beasties which like basil are non climbing ones. I intend giving it a go and will be sure to pinch off the purple flowers.

 

[tasha]

okay thank you I will make sure that I cut the basil way before the purple flowers because I must say that I have waited too long in the past and the basil grows way too much for us to use it all.

 

[herbs93]

Because it gets older ! The leaves usually harden and got a bitter taste, after the flowers appear.
I was always wondering why the basil from my parent's garden tastes more bitter than mine. The plant gets old.