How to Freeze Pesto

It is the end of the growing season and you have a large amount of basil remaining in your herb garden. Rather than just toss the plant, harvest the leaves and make your favorite pesto recipe. It doesn’t take much to freeze the pesto, giving you a fresh summer flavor all winter long. Here are a few helpful guidelines for preserving your pesto.

Things You'll Need

• Pesto
• Spoon
• One gallon plastic storage bag
• Scissors
• Ice trays
• Clothes pin
• Bowl
• Plastic wrap
• Freezer bags
• Permanent ink pen

Instructions

1. Scoop the pesto into a gallon plastic storage bag. Don’t overload the bag; it makes it more difficult to handle. It is easier to do this in a few stages rather than all at once. Seal the bag and lay it on its side.

2. Place the ice trays in a row on the counter or table near the bag of pesto. This will make it easier to move from one tray to another.

3. Snip one of the bottom corners of the gallon bag. It is best to start with a small hole and adjust the size of the hole as needed. The hole needs to be big enough that you can squeeze the pesto out, but still small enough that you can control the flow of pesto.

4. Squeeze the pesto into the ice cube trays. Fill each section evenly. Move from one tray to another until all the trays are filled. Hold the bag of pesto upside down over a bowl and fold the cut edge down. Clip the folded edge with a clothes pin and lay the bag in the bowl. Put the bowl in the refrigerator.

5. Smooth down the top of the pesto in the ice trays. Spread a layer of plastic wrap over the ice tray. Smooth the top of the plastic wrap so that it is in contact with the pesto. This will help reduce discoloring due to oxidation.

6. Place the trays of pesto in the freezer. It will take several hours for the pesto to freeze hard. Then remove the pesto cubes from the trays and put them in a freezer bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bag. Label the bag with a permanent ink pen and be sure to include the date. Continue freezing the rest of the pesto using this method.

Tips & Warnings

• Remove the amount of frozen pesto cubes you need and allow it to thaw naturally in a bowl or cup in the refrigerator. You can also throw the frozen pesto cubes into hot food.

• Before making the pesto, you can blanch the basil by submerging it in boiling salted water and immediately moving to a bowl of water with ice cubes. Blanching helps the basil retain its green color.

• You can keep frozen pesto six to eight months in the freezer.