By Sarah E. White

There’s really no excuse not to grow herbs. Even if you don’t have a back yard big enough for a garden (or any backyard at all), herbs like basil, rosemary, thyme and mint are easy to grow in pots in a sunny window or on a balcony ledge. The only problem – if you want to think of it like that – with growing herbs is that you tend to get a lot all at once, and it can sometimes be difficult to come up with something to do with them. Take basil, for instance. It’s actually better for the plant if you harvest regularly, and all those leaves can add up quickly. I happen to love pesto (here’s my recipe), but I’d rather do other things with some of the bounty as well. All credit for this idea goes to my husband, who is enamored of the basil gimlets served at Theo’s in Fayetteville. We learned that it’s really easy to make a basil infused simple syrup, and of course you could do this with any other herb you’ve got a lot of that would be tasty in drinks (mint, anyone?).

 Basil Simple Syrup

Simple syrup is a basic recipe of equal parts sugar and water. Start with one cup of each, but if you have a lot of basil or another herb, or are making enough for a party, you can easily double or triple up. Add the water and sugar to a saucepan along with a handful (maybe half a cup if you were the measuring sort) of washed basil leaves. It’s fine if they’re not looking totally pretty. Bring to a slow simmer on medium heat, stirring to melt the sugar. Let it bubble gently for 5 or 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool with the basil inside. Strain and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Uses for Infused Syrups

You can use yours like my husband does, in a basil gimlet (equal parts vodka and syrup, or cut back on the syrup a bit if you don’t like it too sweet, along with a generous application of lime juice), or like I do, in lemonade. You can just add a shot to storebought lemonade if you like, or make your own. Start by squeezing a lemon (or a lime, if you’d rather) into a pint glass, add a quarter cup of syrup and fill the rest of the glass with ice and water. This makes a concoction that’s not too sweet or too sour, so you can add more lemon if you like it tart or syrup if you like it sweet. 

Lemonade for a Crowd

• Two cups of basil infused syrup
• One gallon water
• Two cups of fresh lemon juice

Combine all and serve over ice. Garnish with lemon and basil if you’re feeling fancy

Sarah E. White is a knitter, crafter, mom and writer based in Fayetteville. She writes at Our Daily Craft about crafting with and for kids and creating the life you’ve always wanted, as well as writing the knitting websites for About.com and Craft Gossip. She’s just about finished writing her third book on knitting and getting ready to celebrate her daughter’s fifth birthday.