Basil & Pesto Tips

[kirra]

Basil & Pesto Tips

How & When to Pick and Wash Fresh Basil Leaves

If you are fanatical, water the plant a few hours before picking to perk up the leaves. Use only fresh basil from a plant that has not yet gone to seed. The leaves are at their sweetest before flowering. Pick just before preparation, bathe tenderly in cold water, and dry by gently blotting between layers of paper towel or dishtowels.

Freezing Pesto

As the best basil is seasonal, you may wish to freeze batches of pesto for a welcome return to summer in the colder months. Before preparing the pesto, have a sterilized glass jar with a lid and a roll of plastic wrap handy. The jar should hold only slightly more than the amount of pesto you are making. Prepare the pesto. Leaving a little space in the jar, pack in the pesto and cover the top with a 1/4 inch layer of olive oil. Press a piece of plastic wrap evenly over the surface of the oil allowing the wrap to hang over the sides of the jar. Screw on the lid and freeze immediately. Pesto will keep for weeks, if not months, if prepared properly. Thaw to room temperature before adding to a recipe.

Miscellaneous Pesto Notes

Pesto and pine nuts. May the two never be torn asunder. Forget what you read about substituting walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts. Pignoli is the only ingredient that provides the creamy texture that binds this sauce.

Never heat pesto sauce - the basil will turn black and taste bitter.

Never use dried basil or you're in for a rude surprise.

Experiment with pesto - add it to soups, soft cheese, sandwiches, life.

When cut basil is exposed to oxygen, it eventually blackens. If you must make pesto ahead of time, cover the top of the batch with a light layer of olive oil and press a piece of plastic wrap evenly over the surface. Refrigerate. Leave the pesto out to reach room temperature before adding to a recipe.

Does your pesto taste a tad flat? Add 1/4 teaspoon of high quality balsamic vinegar to round it out.