Herbs: Make Your Own Winter Pesto
October 30, 2011
Freeze Fresh Pesto for the Winter
Still have basil in the garden here in Texas? If so, I'd say today is the perfect day to get it harvested and start making Pesto to put away for the winter.
Basil won't tolerate temperatures below 40 F degrees and we've already dipped to 40F at night, and into the mid- to high- 30's in some parts of Texas at night. Pine nuts, the traditional ingredient in pesto, can be pricey...but you don't have to use them. You can use any other nut you have on hand like walnuts or almonds - it's just as good! And remember, you can make pesto from many different herbs...it doesn't have to be basil. One of my favorite pesto combinations is cilantro and walnuts. So pesto isn't just for warm season herbs!
If you're making mass quantities of pesto right now like I am, you'll want to freeze pesto portions for future use. I like to scoop the pesto into ice trays, which make just about the right amount for a single portion. Cover the pesto in the tray with some plastic wrap and freeze. Then just store in freezer safe ziploc bags. Yum!
