{"product_id":"perilla-shiso-red","title":"Perilla Shiso Red)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerilla Red (Shiso Red)\u003c\/strong\u003e is every bit as useful as it is good looking. Its feathery, deep purple-red leaves make a striking plant, but this isn't simply an ornamental version of Green Shiso. The flavour is stronger and more robust, with an aromatic, slightly astringent edge, and those richly coloured leaves have a long tradition of use in Japanese cooking, particularly for pickling, preserving and seasoning.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e📏 Height up to around 75cm\u003cbr\u003e🌿 Annual\u003cbr\u003e❄️ Frost tender\u003cbr\u003e🍃 Seasonal Growing Guide\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpring Sow:\u003c\/strong\u003e from March to June indoors. Soak the seeds for 4–8 hours before sowing, then surface sow onto moist seed compost, pressing them gently into the surface and covering only very lightly. Keep moist at around 20–22°C. Germination can be uneven and slow. Once seedlings are large enough to handle, pot them up and grow them on. Harden off before planting outside after all danger of frost has passed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSummer: \u003c\/strong\u003eplant about 30cm apart in a sunny or lightly shaded position in fertile, moist but well-drained soil. A sunnier position will help develop the richest leaf colour. Red Shiso is also happy growing in a container, but don't let it dry out. Pick leaves regularly from the growing tips to encourage bushier plants and plenty of fresh growth. Pinch out flower buds if you want to keep harvesting leaves for longer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAutumn: \u003c\/strong\u003ekeep picking while the plants remain productive. Plants growing in pots can be brought somewhere bright and frost-free to extend the harvest, but outside the first frosts will bring the season to an end.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e🍴 Edible\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRed Shiso has a stronger, slightly more bitter and astringent flavour than the green form. The leaves can be used fresh in salads and as a seasoning for fish or tofu, but they really come into their own in pickles and preserves.\u003cbr\u003eIn Japan, Red Shiso is traditionally used to flavour and colour umeboshi, Japanese pickled plums, and in other vegetable pickles. Those richly coloured leaves can also be used to make a wonderfully pink shiso vinegar or simmered with sugar and lemon to make a colourful syrup for summer drinks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e💡 Did you know?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerilla seed has a natural period of dormancy, which is why germination can sometimes be slow or uneven.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MoreVeg Seeds","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54073475989780,"sku":"HBREPR","price":0.6,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0918\/3133\/7236\/files\/perillared.jpg?v=1790357115","url":"https:\/\/moreveg.co.uk\/products\/perilla-shiso-red","provider":"MoreVeg Seeds","version":"1.0","type":"link"}