Blues Man
New member
It has been great weather to grow basil this year. I have been making a lot of pesto for the freezer.
Picked and ready to blanch....
I blanch the basil for about 10-15 seconds in small batches. This really helps bring out the color and helps preserve the color when I freeze it. It also mellows out the flavor so that it is not so overpowering.
Shocked in ice water......
When ready I wring it out like a dish rag to remove the water and it is ready for the food processor. My recipe is 4-cups of basil, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup pine nuts, 4-6 cloves of garlic, dash of kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Blend all in a food processor until you reach the desired consistency.
I freeze the pesto without the parmesan cheese in small ziplock snack bags. I mix in fresh grated cheese right before I serve it. Here is a small plate with the pesto and some added olive oil and vinegar for dipping bread.
Picked and ready to blanch....
I blanch the basil for about 10-15 seconds in small batches. This really helps bring out the color and helps preserve the color when I freeze it. It also mellows out the flavor so that it is not so overpowering.
Shocked in ice water......
When ready I wring it out like a dish rag to remove the water and it is ready for the food processor. My recipe is 4-cups of basil, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup pine nuts, 4-6 cloves of garlic, dash of kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Blend all in a food processor until you reach the desired consistency.
I freeze the pesto without the parmesan cheese in small ziplock snack bags. I mix in fresh grated cheese right before I serve it. Here is a small plate with the pesto and some added olive oil and vinegar for dipping bread.