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A reader requested a basil jam recipe. I have one for Cinnamon Basil Jelly.

Cinnamon Basil Jelly

Makes 4 half pints
• 1 1/2 cups cinnamon basil leaves
• 2 1/4 cups cold water
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 1/2 cups sugar
• One 3-ounce pouch liquid pectin

1. Finely chop the basil and place in a saucepan with 2 1/4 cups cold water. Bring to full boil, cover and remove from heat.

2. Allow to steep for 15 min. Pour mixture into a fine strainer and let it drip. There should be about 1 3/4 C. of basil tea.

3. Place tea into a large saucepan with the lemon juice and sugar. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly until it comes to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.

4. Stir in the pectin. Ladle jelly into sterilized half-pint jars. Clean the jar rims and seal with lids and rings. Turn upside down for 30 min. to seal lids, then turn right side up and allow to cool and set.

Enjoy!
—Wendy Higgins, West Virginia

I enjoyed your March 2009 article "Step By Step Your Garden Grows", but I wanted to why we should waste energy in sod removal? When planning a new garden bed, I use an old trick found in a rose grower’s primer: Once I've marked out the area to plant, I cover the ground with horticultural gypsum (we have clay soil) and follow up with several layers of newsprint to block sunlight. A thick layer of dried leaves comes next, topped with any soil or partial compost to weigh them down – you should have about a 4- to 6-inch height when finished. Water it in well and leave to work for several months. I've successfully used this method in the fall to create new beds and borders for the last 10 years. Come spring, nature has done the work for me and all that's necessary is to dig and plant.
—Theresa Rooney, Minnesota

Thank you so much for the January 2009 article "Discover Cardamom". I gave my plant to my sister and she is going to bring me another start of it when she comes to visit. I love The Herb Companion. I am making a raised bed in my backyard to grow my culinary herbs, as well as some tomato plants and squash. I am thrilled my doctor suggested it for a senior with back and knee problems (“Grow your herbs without taking your back out,” she said.) I learned about herbs from a spot of spearmint growing in my aunt’s garden, along with a huge plant of garden sage. It was the fragrance that hooked me.
—Elsie Barton, via www.herbcompanion.com 

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