How To Freeze Fresh Basil Pesto

Keep up to 6 months. Then i gently press another piece of wax or parchment paper onto the spread pesto and stick it in the freezer for a few hours to firm up.

How to Grow Basil for Your Best Pesto Yet (With images

Prepare the basil or pesto you wish to freeze.

How to freeze fresh basil pesto. Enlist an ice cube tray and freeze the pesto into cubes. Alternatively, scoop the pesto into a resealable freezer bag or airtight container. It seals the pesto totally, so no air can seep in and impact its quality.

Place in the coldest part of the freezer. I put the herb mixture in containers portioned for one dinner, and then pour a thick layer of oil on top. More about that in a bit.

Freeze overnight, then transfer cubes to a resealable plastic bag; Small ice cube trays work well for small batches of soups or if you tend to need more pesto, freeze in these big ice cube. Put in ziplock after solid.

Do not fill the container or bag to the brim as the pesto needs space to expand on freezing. Here's a genius method for storing your pesto for months at a time: Chop any fresh basil you wish to freeze into very fine pieces, then place it with a bowl.

To use, just break off as large a piece as you need. Transfer the finished cubes to freezer bags and use as needed. Then transfer the pesto cubes to sealable plastic bags.

Add the cheese and process a few seconds. All of these methods work well. To make pesto w/o oil or cheese, for freezing:

This will keep the basil from turning black in the freezer. This will help the pesto release and prevent oxidation along the edges. So, for the past 30 years, that's how i make pesto.

Whenever you want a little hit of summer basil flavor, just toss a cube or two into the hot dish; One cube is usually the equivalent of about two tablespoons of fresh basil. This oil is really the key, so don't skimp.

To freeze small amounts of pesto, put spoonfuls of pesto into ice cube trays and place in the freezer until solid. Yes, you can freeze basil pesto. Or defrost and spread onto sandwiches.

When you are ready to freeze your pesto, oil your freezer container with olive oil. Stir constantly as you add the liquid to help avoid adding too much. Add just enough oil or water to make a thick paste.

To freeze pesto in batches, we use small ice cube trays. Some people freeze their pesto in ice cube containers and then pop the frozen cubes into freezer bags. Pesto originated in italy and is made with basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts (or walnuts or almonds) salt, and a hard cheese like parmesan or pecorino romano.

We love to make this in big. If using a freezer bag, press out as much air as you can from the bag and seal it tight. Let me show you how to freeze basil, and just how simple it is.

It keeps longer, and we can take out as much or as little as we need. When ready to use defrost, add cheese and oil. It is best to freeze pesto in small containers, with just enough for a single recipe in each.

Seal the freezer bag or container, then label and date it. Follow the steps in ‘method 2’ above by freezing the pesto in ice cube trays. Just use the same proportions of fresh basil, garlic and lemon juice that you normally use for your pesto and pound, crush or blend in a food processor then freeze in half pint batches.

One of our favorite ways to use pesto is. Then, scoop the pesto into small freezer bags or hard freezer containers with lids. I just process the basil and the olive oil.

Scoop the resulting mixture into ice cube trays and freeze. Defrost pesto at room temperature, about 20 minutes (or at. Add a drizzle of olive oil and pulse to lightly coat the leaves with oil;

Once it’s frozen, remove the ice tray from the freezer and immediately transfer the frozen pesto to a freezer bag or an airtight container. Basically, just pulse fresh basil and olive oil in a food processor (1/4 cup olive oil to 2 cups packed basil leaves) until the basil is finely chopped, then freeze in a thin layer in a ziploc bag.