DIY pesto – to make or to buy? (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to make pesto or buy it? ›

Both homemade and shop-bought pesto sauces have their advantages. If convenience is your top priority, then store-bought pesto is right for you, but if freshness is your main concern, then nothing can compete with making pesto yourself.

Homemade basil pesto is a wonderfully versatile and tasty sauce/spread made from a handful of flavorful ingredients. It comes together in minutes and tastes worlds better than store-bought because it's so fresh. (Just like with lemon curd, store-bought pesto is nothing like real, FRESHLY made pesto!)

Most supermarkets offer refrigerated tubs of pesto, but they've got a short shelf life — especially once they're opened. Shelf-stable jars, however, are usually a lot cheaper, plus you can keep them on hand in the pantry for when the craving strikes.

The most common reason for pesto tasting bitter is that the olive oil is past its best and has started to turn rancid. If the pesto has been made in a food processor or blender, there's also the possibility that it has turned bitter from the crude, sheering action of the blades.

For modern makers who like the quickest method: Stick with the food processor. The pesto won't be as creamy, but if you're all about efficiency this will do the trick. For those on a budget or with small kitchens: Go for the mezzaluna or the immersion blender.

Anything canned/jarred is heat treated to various extents to create the vacuum and make it shelf stable. Fresh is always better. Even if it is “fresh” from a supermarket's deli, it may have been frozen or components of it frozen.

2 Potential Downsides

First, since traditional pesto contains nuts, someone with a nut allergy must avoid traditionally prepared recipes. Luckily, there's an easy workaround using recipes without nuts. Second, store-bought pesto may or may not contain extras you may not want to eat.

Pesto Sauce

This fresh and fragrant pasta sauce is served uncooked, so choose a pasta shape that won't overwhelm it. Similar to oil-based sauces, pesto is served best with longer cuts of pasta, like the corkscrew shape of Fusilli. Pesto works best with Bucatini, Capellini, thinner Spaghettini, and Fettuccine.

The reason pesto (and guacamole) turns brown is because of a chemical reaction the cut basil has from being exposed to air. The reaction is known as oxidation. To prevent oxidation, I blanch the basil leaves for a few seconds in boiling water until they turn bright green.

In the Middle Ages, Italians mashed walnuts with garlic, a mix that was especially popular among Liguria's seafaring culture: The paste was thought to help ward off sickness during long sea voyages. Still, the most famous pesto—and the one we tend to think of when we hear the word—is pesto alla genovese.

Why is pesto so expensive? ›

Its scarcity, plus the fact that the plants are picked roots, soil, and all to ensure that only juvenile leaves make it into pesto, makes it extraordinarily expensive and something that only premium, artisan pesto makers can justify using.

Yes, pesto can be used straight from the jar and doesn't require cooking or heating. In fact, we actively discourage applying too much heat to pesto, as this will destroy many of the fresh flavours that producers work so hard to retain.

If, after savoring pesto, you encounter symptoms such as itching in the mouth, hives, digestive distress, or even severe reactions like difficulty breathing or anaphylaxis, it's plausible that an allergy is present.

The majority contain the key ingredients vegetable oil, basil, cheese, pine nuts but in addition, manufacturers can add salt, sugar, preservatives and extra herbs and spices. Unfortunately adding salt and sugar to pesto can turn it into an unhealthy option from the traditionally healthy sauce it once was.

The primary ingredients in pesto — basil and olive oil — are sensitive to heat. Basil can lose its vibrant color and fresh flavor when exposed to high temperatures, turning it a darker, more muted green. Olive oil can also lose some of its health benefits and can develop a bitter taste when heated excessively.

Basil pesto is an easy but rich and flavorful sauce that's great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks in between. It's so useful to keep on hand. Make ahead and store in the fridge or freezer for later use.

Olive oil can give store-bought pesto a much-needed boost — especially if you have a nice extra-virgin or infused variety (such as basil or garlic) on hand. Furthermore, you don't have to add much to make a difference.

Storing Pesto in a Jar

This can keep for a few weeks in the fridge if you continue to cover the top with olive to keep the herbs fresh. You can also choose to freeze the jar, but I wouldn't keep it in the freezer for more than a month before switching it to the fridge.

Because pesto is such a strong sauce, anything you do to reduce its pungency just a little and steer it toward a sweeter, rounder-flavored sauce will help. That includes selecting a good, mild olive oil; using Pecorino Sardo cheese instead of Romano; and not toasting the pine nuts.