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Tuesday

Freezing Pesto ~


I love fresh pesto from the garden.  It has such great flavor, with the basil, pine nuts, garlic and good olive oil.  It just screams summer time and freshness. 

I have a six cup food processor, so I fill it to the rim of freshly picked basil.  I always have trouble with "tightly packed", so I just kind of fill it to the rim.  And hey, it works...  See?


And then I add about 3/4 cups pine nuts.  I store mine in the freezer at all times, because any nut can go rancid, or stale.  I want fresh, so the freezer holds them well until I am ready to use them.


Then a tablespoon of kosher salt and a teaspoon of freshly ground, black pepper.  Last, but not least, add 2 cloves of fresh garlic.


Put the cover on and pulse a few times.  Then turn the processor to the on position.  And through the feed tube at the top of the food processor add a 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil in a stream.  After a minute turn it off and it should look something like this.



At the point, I don't add cheese because I am freezing it.  But if you
want to use it right away, add 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese,  and cover the food processor again and give it another little whiz. 

Serve over cooked pasta and it's oh so, so good.

But, mine is going into the freezer for now, to enjoy all winter long.

I pour my pesto into plastic baggies, and close them.  Then I flatten it out on a plate and it stores neatly and compactly in my freezer.

Yum ~




 
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4 comments:

  1. MarthaAugust 14, 2012 at 9:53 PM

    I freeze pesto too but in jam jars. A friend does it in ice cube trays and then puts the cubes in a baggie. Then all she has to do is take one or however many out. I think that's a smart idea!

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  2. ReginaAugust 17, 2012 at 7:35 PM

    Your pesto looks so good Mary! I have never made it and always have a jar of Trader Joe's in the refridge but it is so easy I really ought to give it a try.

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  3. Taste the RainbowAugust 18, 2012 at 6:02 AM

    Hi Martha,

    I used to freeze in the ice cube tray and transfer it too. But, I found it dried out quicker that way. I just take a tablespoon and kind of scoop out the frozen pesto from the bag and re-seal it.

    And this takes up less space in my freezer too. I do my soups and spaghetti sauces this way too.

    I guess any way you freeze it, it's still delicious, lol!

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  4. Taste the RainbowAugust 18, 2012 at 6:05 AM

    Thanks Regina,

    I will buy a jar sometimes from Costco, thanks for the tip about TJ's. I like to keep a jar on hand during the long winter months. :)

    And yes, pesto takes five minutes to make. But, the ingredients are quite expensive.

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