Tulsi Basil is believed to promote long life, balance and resilience and is said to relief stress and anxiety. The list of health benefits derived from Tulsi Basil is long but the for the purposes of making mocktails, let’s focus on the taste, which is incomparable. Tulsi is minty, mildly sweet and earthy all at the same time. It must be experienced.
Tulsi Basil Simple Syrup is the secret ingredient that makes an ordinary beverage extraordinary. Like any simple syrup, it’s simple to make.
Tulsi Basil Simple Syrup
INGREDIENTS
1 cup water
3 TBSPs dried Tulsi Basil leaf
1 1/3 cup sugar
DIRECTIONS
Heat water and Tulsi Basil in a saucepan until simmering.
Add the sugar and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
Let cool to room temperature. Strain into a measuring cup. Pour the strained syrup into a jar and store in the refrigerator.
I like to store my simple syrups in recycled soda bottles fitted wit a pour top dispenser.
Here are a few ideas for using Tulsi Simple Syrup to liven up your beverages:
Pear Rickey Mocktail
Fill a glass half full of cold pear juice. Add 1 TBSP fresh squeezed lime juice and Tulsi Basil simple syrup to taste. Top with seltzer and give it a stir. Garnish with a thin slice of lime.
Blueberry Basil Mocktail
Fill a glass half full with Blueberry Basil Kombucha. Add Tulsi Basil simple syrup to taste. Top with seltzer and give it a stir with a wooden or bamboo utensil (avoid using metal with Kombucha, as the detox action of kombucha may extract toxins from the metal).
Blueberry Banana Basil Smoothie
Chop a frozen banana into a blender with a half cup frozen blueberries and Tulsi Basil simple syrup to taste. Add blueberry juice to blend to a smoothie.
Blueberry Basil Lassi
Blend together half cup frozen blueberries, one half ripe avocado, Tulsi Basil simple syrup to taste and 1 cup of plain yogurt. Add water to thin the mix if necessary.