Freezer Pesto

I grow a LOT of basil every year.  Not only do we use it fresh in many summer recipes, but I dry a good portion for my own blend of Italian Herb Seasoning, and then a lot of it goes into my freezer pesto which we use throughout the year.

Freezer pesto isn't just pesto thrown in the freezer.  There are two differences:  

1)    I mix it thicker with less oil.  That way when it's thawed and used, I have the option of leaving it as a paste which is best for cheese spreads or soups. Or we mix in additional olive oil later if we want a thinner blend for pastas and pesto salads.  Or mix in a little oil for a consistency in between which is ideal as a sauce for pesto pizza.

2)    I don't add any parmesan cheese before freezing.  I've found when I want to thaw and reheat, the parmesan gums up in the pan.  I found it's better to add the parmesan right before serving.  I've also found lots of uses for this pesto where it's better without the parmesan at all (see serving ideas below).

Ingredients:

• 4 C fresh basil leaves, rinsed and spun dry
• 1 C pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 C olive oil
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• Dash of salt

Process the basil, garlic, pine nuts and oil in a food processor until blended.  Transfer to bowl and stir in the lemon juice, pepper and salt to taste.  Spoon pesto into freezer bags, or other container.  I've found 3/4 cup proportions are about perfect for most things we use it for.

Makes about 3 cups.

Stored in the freezer, we've used it as long as 18 months later with no deterioration in flavor or consistency.  But I try to make only enough to last until I can make a fresh batch next year.  Once thawed, stir in grated parmesan cheese in proportions of about 1/3 parmesan to 2/3 freezer pesto, right before serving.

The Process In Pictures

This was about 1/2 of one of my basil plants.  It ended up making about 8 cups of pesto which will last us all year.  Typically, when making pesto I rinse, dry and measure the basil first, then adjust the quantities of the other ingredients depending on how much basil I have.

Basil almost immediately wants to flower when growing in the garden.  Party of my regular garden puttering involves pinching off the flowers as they grow to encourage the plants to focus on the leaves.  Before processing for pesto, be sure all the flowers have been removed and discarded.

I put the leaves in a large water bath.  Especially when I'm making a lot, it's more water wise than rinsing under a running tap.  Transfer the rinsed leaves to a salad spinner and spin dry before using.  Remember, oil and water don't mix!

When measuring out the basil, I pack the leaves not too loose, but not too tight.  I'd call it a "light press".

Spread the pine nuts on a cookie sheet and broil on high, taking out and mixing around once.  It's okay if all of the nuts aren't toasted.  I also don't add oil in this process, because I've simply found it's unnecessary.

Mince the garlic well.  We have a mini food processor used exclusively for garlic that makes this process easy.  Definitely do not expect the food processor to properly mince up the garlic when blending it with the basil.  You want it properly minced ahead of time, so as not to over-process the basil and pine nuts.

Process the basil leaves, olive oil, pine nuts and garlic until it's the consistency shown.  I don't like it processed too smooth.  Only just enough so that there are very few whole pine nuts left (a couple always manage to escape the blade), and all the leaves have been minced but not so minced they've turned into paste.  I like to see the definition of garlic, nuts and basil in my final mixture.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper in small amounts, tasting as you go along until you get the desired flavor for your personal taste.  

I prefer using freezer bags to store the pesto, smoothing out as much air as possible then rolling.

The year's supply of freezer pesto gets stored in a gallon-sized freezer bag to double-wrap against the elements.

A Few Serving Ideas:

• As a cheese spread:  This is wonderful spread on a round of brie and warmed in the oven, wrapped in puff pastry and baked per the recipe instructions, combined with cream cheese and diced sun-dried tomatoes, or mixed into plain hummus.  The possibilities are endless.  When using in this way, I don't add any oil or parmesan to the thawed pesto.
• Try it on bruschetta:  Classic bruschetta the bread is toasted then rubbed with fresh garlic before topping with the tomato mixture.  But another wonderful option is to spread warmed pesto on the toast in lieu of the rubbed garlic.  In this case, I wouldn't thin, and the addition of parmesan to the pesto is optional.
• As a pizza sauce:  Pesto pizza is a favorite in our house.  When making it at home, we will thaw the pesto sauce and blend in a little more olive oil to thin before spreading on the pizza dough.  When using for pizza, the addition of parmesan cheese is optional.
• Try it in soup!  Pesto is wonderful stirred into tomato soup.  I will sometimes take the frozen pesto from the freezer bag and slice off a chunk with a sharp knife while still frozen, then return the rest to the freezer.  That comes in handy when you don't need a full serving, and it's one of the reasons I prefer freezing in bags.  Freezing the pesto in ice trays then transferring the cubes for longer storage is also another option, and allows you to take as much or as little as you want when needed.
• Baked on chicken:  Oven baked chicken breasts are wonderful topped with pesto and a slice of mozzarella.  In this case, you can leave it as a thick spread, or thin the pesto with oil to get a lighter consistency.  The addition of parmesan is optional.
• And of course, pasta:  When using for pasta, I warm the pesto in a pan, add more olive oil to reach the consistency I want.  Remove from heat and stir in 1/3 part grated parmesan cheese before tossing in cooked pasta.