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Last update on April 21 , 2025

Summer and fresh St. Basil go hand - in - hand . But what about once summer is over ? Or , when you have too much brisk Basil of Caesarea to use all at once ? issue forth learn how to maintain basil with thiseasy freezer - friendlypesto recipe . Then you could enjoy the taste of summer all year long !

A wood cutting board with basil, walnuts, garlic, parmesan, and lemon juice arranged around the board. Small glass jars full of pesto line the outside of both sides of the cutting board.

This lemon walnut basil pesto formula is so scrumptious that I have fondly dub it “ the besto pesto ” . It really is the best , IMHO ! Packed with saucy Basil the Great , bright tangy lemon , hearty walnut , creamy precipitous parmesan , and savory Allium sativum , this pesto recipe hits all the right spots . We love it with alimentary paste , zoodles , bollock , sourdoughand more . It ’s also easy to custom-make with various types of nuts or seed , or make it vegan .

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A man and his basil harvest. It is a huge basket overflowing with green and purple basils of many varieties. A garden scene is blurred in the background.

Ingredients

Instructions

For every2 cup of basil leaves(washed , pack , and well over cups ! ) add :

Blend until smooth . Or , pulse if you prefer chunky sweet basil .

  • Sliding scurf for the amount of European olive tree oil and lemon yellow succus . I generally start up on the lower end , adding more while blending until the desired consistency is arrive at . The amount may also depart depending on how tightly you packed your cupful of basil .

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Storage: How long is fresh pesto good for?

stack away your ruined pesto in an zephyr - tight container with a eyelid . Fresh homemade pesto is generally good in therefrigerator for about a week . However , due to the hefty amount of Citrus limon juice in this recipe ( a natural preservative ) we obtain ours usually lasts a tad longer than that ! Do not use if the pesto develops an off odour , flavor , or mold . This pesto formula can not be can .

How to Freeze Pesto

Pesto immobilise incredibly well . just add it to your favorite deep freezer - secure containers , such as wide - mouth dry pint orhalf - dry pint jar * or these long-lasting , reusable BPA - complimentary deep freezer container . fulfill the freezer container to the designated filling line – near the top , with just a little dynamic headroom for expansion . Leaving too much empty air blank in the container will top to more Deepfreeze burn and off flavour . In mason jar , leave about 1/2″ of pass elbow room .

Todefrost , take a container of pesto out of the deep freezer and place it in therefrigeratorthe solar day before you wish to use it . Avoid heating the shock unless you intend to habituate the total jar at that time . Store in the refrigerator and use within one workweek of defrosting .

  • Notethat only all-inclusive - mouth mason jars strike out asfreezer - safeare acceptable for freezing pesto ( or any other food ) . Other jars with “ articulatio humeri ” or any type of crimp in their sides can well crack in the freezer .

6 images in one. Each image is the same angle, showing the top of a vitamix blender. The first image is just  basil in the blender, then each ingredient is added on top in subsequent photos: grated parmesan cheese, walnuts, salt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and then a final image of the bright green pesto, after blending.

Ways to Use Pesto

In addition to all the definitive ways to apply pesto , such as with alimentary paste , pizza , sautéed sundry veggies , or onhomemade sourdough pelf , we learned a couple middling tasty ways to use this walnut basil pesto too . One is to tally a dollop of pesto mingle with eggs , like you would milk or high mallow when whipping up scrambled eggs , or even when making a quiche or frittata . Green bollock , anyone ?

Even more , make a killerpesto salad dressing!When we have about a half a small-scale jar or less , we top off and slim down down the stay pesto in the jarful with some extra virgin olive oil , a sprinkle of salt and pepper , another squeeze of wise maize , maybe a dash of orchard apple tree cider vinegar – and boom ! The result is a pourable , delectable pesto salad dressing . So good .

For more ways to utilise pesto , check out ourPesto Zoodlesrecipe , or thiscast atomic number 26 sourdough pizza pie crustrecipe . Besto Pesto takes them to the next level of delicious .

A hand holds a half-pint jar of bright green creamy pesto. Three other full jars are in the background beyond the hand.

So simple, right?!

And retrieve , frequently harvestingyour Basil of Caesarea keep it coming back even bushier and potent ! Harvest now , and plan to make this a few metre this summer . We always do . In all , I hope you savour this pesto recipe ! If you make it , please report back and let us know how you wish it .

bide tuned for many more quick and easy formula to use and keep up garden harvesting , or bring forth you pick up at the Fannie Merritt Farmer ’s market ! As always , sense free to ask questions ~ and circularize the sexual love by passing it on .

“The Besto Pesto” Lemon Walnut Basil Pesto Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients1x2x3x

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