Basil Pesto Sauce

 

Whipping up classic pesto? Easy peasy!  But storing it? That’s a different ball game! Here are my top two methods plus an exciting approach I haven’t tried yet.

First, make your pesto and fill a jar nearly to the brim. Leave enough headspace to be able to drizzle olive oil on top and seal tightly. This keeps it fresh for weeks in the fridge!

Yes, you can freeze pesto but that will only allow it to last for about a month before you must bring it back down to the fridge area.  Although if you use a vacuum sealer, you could increase your freezer ability to up to 9 months.  

When you're ready to enjoy it again, simply transfer it to the fridge to defrost. Enjoy every delicious bite! I’ve used an ice cube tray to freeze my pesto and once frozen, I pop out the cubes and place them in a Ziploc bag or a vacuum sealed bag and use what I want then to reseal the bag again.

This recipe is enough for one serving. 

Ingredients 

1/4 Cup Pine Nuts, plus 1 1/2 Tablespoons

3 Cloves Garlic, unpeeled

3 Cups Fresh Basil, packed

1/4 Cup Olive Oil, plus 1-2 Tablespoons

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, plus 2 Tablespoons, grated

Salt, to taste

Instructions 

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the pine nuts and garlic.

Toast for a few minutes or until golden brown, shaking the pan occasionally to toss the pine nuts and promote even color.

Once the pine nuts are done, remove them from the pan and continue to toast the garlic.

Remove garlic from the pan and remove the skin.

Wait until both garlic and pine nuts are cooled.

Place the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil in a blender and pulse until smooth, but still a tad grainy in texture.

Place everything in a bowl and stir in the cheese.

Salt to taste and store according to post directions.

Elizabeth Kilbride is a Writer and Editor with forty years of experience in writing, with 12 of those years in the online content sphere. Author of 5 books and a Graduate with an Associate of Arts degree in Business Management, a bachelor’s in mass communication and cyber-analysis, a master’s in criminology with emphasis on Cybercrime and Identity Theft and is currently studying for her Ph.D. degree in Criminology. Her work portfolio includes coverage of politics, current affairs, elections, history, and true crime. Elizabeth is also a gourmet cook, life coach, and avid artist in her spare time, proficient in watercolor, acrylic, oil, pen and ink, gouache, and pastels. As a political operative who has worked on over 300 campaigns during her career, Elizabeth has turned many life events into books and movie scripts while using history to weave interesting storylines. She also runs 7 blogs ranging from art to life coaching, food, writing, Gardening, and opinion or history pieces each week.

Sauces, Kilbride, Potpourri of Frugality, Homemade, Do it yourself

 

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