When I planted the basil back in May, I was severely disappointed with how few seeds were in the packet. Surely this would not give me enough basil to make the pesto I was dreaming off. I was so wrong. The above photo is all the basil I harvested.
The next order of business was to make pesto! It’s surprisingly easy to make, and very tasty on pizza & pasta. As I was picking all the leaves off the basil, I came to the realization that I really dislike the smell of basil.. .but not the taste. Go figure.
Once you have your ingredients in order, you can puree everything in your blender and you’re done. If you plan on freezing your pesto, leave out the parmesan cheese and add it when you thaw it. Pesto can not be safely canned at home, so you’ll have to freeze the excess.
I had so much that I decided to mix a quarter of my recipe with chickpeas and a little bit more oil to make a delicious hummus.
Later that evening we enjoyed some on our pizza.
While I enjoyed being able to make my own pesto, I think this is one project that I will let the grocery store take over. I really dislike the smell of basil, and for the amount of work vs how fast we use it I would rather just buy it at Costco. Please don’t let that discourage you from making some though!
Have you tried making pesto? Do you feel the same way I do, or do you think it’s worth the effort?
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