If you love foods that are versatile, more than like you love Pesto – my kids love it, I do, and a jar goes rather fast around our house.
We have fresh Basil growing in the garden now – but until it really takes off, we are picking up our Pesto at Costco – it’s $.36 per oz (the 22 oz jar is $7.99).
We are a family of 6, soon to be 7… so Pesto does not last long for us. However, if you are a smaller family that can’t quite use up a lot of Pesto at once, it’s best to freeze it.
We have 2 jars of Pesto at home right now – although they are dated into May, we are throwing half of it in the freezer just in case we can’t finish it all within the week. Once the jar is opened, I like to use it within the week… but right now we have a lot of produce in the fridge so I’d prefer to freeze just in case we get busy trying to use everything else we have.
Even if you buy it pre-made (like we are right now) it’s also a great idea to freeze it. You won’t have to worry about not eating it quickly and having it sitting in the fridge.
What can you Do with Pesto?
There are SO many ways to use Pesto… here are a few ideas:
- Spread on Homemade Crackers
- Spread on your Sandwich
- Mix Pesto with Pasta for Basil Pesto Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes (our favorite)
- Use Pesto for Pizza Sauce
- Spread Pesto on your Omlette for breakfast in the morning
- You can even mix Pesto with white rice for more flavor
How to Freeze Pesto
Our ice cube trays hold approx. 2 Tablespoons a piece – how “neat” you are when you fill them up depends on who does the filling. In our case, our 9 year old does the Pesto freezing and so the trays are a little messy ;)
On the bright side, it gives her something to do and teaches her something beyond a screen so we are fine with that.
1. Use a spoon to fill the compartments with Pesto.
2. Cover the ice cube tray with plastic wrap – gently tap the plastic down on top of the cube sections to keep as much air out as possible.
3. Put the tray in the freezer overnight (that’s easier for us) or, for the afternoon, until frozen.
4. Gather quart-size freezer bags & label them. I suggest labeling the outside of the bag with the date, and then a reminder (1 cube = 2 Tablespoons) – just in case you are not the one pulling out the cubes for dinner later. You might know how much each cube is.. but your significant other or kids may not.
5. Take the trays out of the freezer – and turn them upside down – pop them out and put in the freezer bags. If they are difficult to come out, then run the bottom of the tray under warm water (but make sure your hand is under the other side so the Pesto cubes don’t fall into the sink!)
OR…. freeze the Pesto in Jelly Jars (pick up this deal on Amazon) – they are just 4 oz, and the perfect size to add to Basil Pesto Pasta Recipes or even Pizza.
Once frozen, Pesto is good for up to 12 months.
Did you know that Basil is one of the most valuable herbs? It is high in antioxidants and rich in vitamin A, and C – it is also high in iron, magnesium and potassium.
