Basil Pesto for the Freezer

Basil grows fast and wilts even faster, which makes it one of the trickiest market herbs to keep up with — buy a big bunch on Saturday and by Wednesday it’s often gone soft and dark. Pesto solves that problem for good. It comes together in the time it takes to boil water for pasta, and it freezes beautifully, so a single big batch bought at the peak of the season can flavor meals well into the winter.

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• ⅓ cup pine nuts (walnuts or almonds work too)
• 2 garlic cloves
• ½ cup grated Parmesan
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Squeeze of lemon juice (optional, helps keep the color bright)

Instructions

1. Toast the nuts. Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly golden. Let cool slightly.

2. Blend the base. In a food processor, combine the basil, toasted nuts, and garlic. Pulse until finely chopped.

3. Add the cheese and oil. Add the Parmesan and pulse a few more times. With the processor running, slowly stream in the olive oil until the mixture comes together into a thick, spoonable paste.

4. Season. Add the salt and a squeeze of lemon juice if using. Pulse once more and taste, adjusting salt as needed.

5. Use immediately or store. Toss straight with hot pasta, spread on sandwiches, or spoon over grilled vegetables. Refrigerated in an airtight container with a thin layer of olive oil on top, it keeps about a week.

Freezing Instructions

• Portion before freezing. Spoon the pesto into an ice cube tray, filling each compartment, and freeze solid.
• Transfer to a bag. Once frozen, pop the cubes out and store them in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 6 months. This way you can thaw just one or two portions at a time instead of a whole batch.
• Skip the cheese if freezing. For the best texture after thawing, some cooks leave the Parmesan out before freezing and stir it in fresh after thawing — either way works, but leaving it out keeps the color slightly brighter in the freezer.
• Thaw quickly. A frozen cube drops straight into a pot of hot, freshly drained pasta and melts into sauce within a minute or two of tossing.

Tips

• Buy basil in bulk when you see it. This is the easiest way to use up a whole overflowing bunch (or several) before it wilts.
• Blanch the basil for the brightest color. Dropping the leaves in boiling water for 10 seconds, then into ice water, before blending helps the pesto stay vivid green in the freezer instead of turning brownish.
• Nut-free version. Sunflower seeds make a good pine-nut substitute if you’re avoiding tree nuts.
• Beyond pasta. Stir a spoonful into scrambled eggs, swirl into soup, or use as a sandwich spread in place of mayo.

Where to Find the Ingredients

Basil is in full swing at Washtenaw County markets and farms right now and will keep going strong through September.

Farmers markets:

• Ann Arbor Farmers Market — Saturdays 7am–3pm, Wednesdays 7am–3pm
• Ypsilanti Farmers Market — Saturdays 9am–1pm
• Saline Farmers Market — Saturdays 8am–noon

Farms & farm stands:

• Tantre Farm — certified organic CSA and farm stand in Chelsea, growing a huge range of herbs.
• Community Farm of Ann Arbor — biodynamic CSA in Chelsea.
• Jacob’s Fresh Farm — 475 N Fletcher Rd, Dexter, farm stand open daily 8am–6pm.
• Kapnick Orchards — Britton, farm market carrying produce alongside orchard fruit.
• Blue Spring Farm — CSA and farm stand with a wide range of summer vegetables.
• Green Things Farm — 3825 Nixon Rd, Ann Arbor, farm stand open 7 days a week March through early December.
• Whitney Farmstead — diversified vegetable farm with CSA and market sales.
• Old City Acres — 741 Emerick St, Ypsilanti (B Cubed Bakery lot), Thu–Sun.
• Slow Farm Organic — certified organic CSA with a weekly grocery-bag pickup of seasonal produce.
• Fusilier Family Farms — 20-week CSA growing produce and flowers.
• Wasem Fruit Farm — Milan, market carrying vegetables alongside their fruit.
• Seva Farm — biodynamic, no-till CSA farm.
• Argus Farm Stop — two Ann Arbor locations, open daily 8am–8pm year-round, with a weekly produce box from 50+ local farms.
• Rain Dance Organics — organic vegetable and flower farm with a strong CSA program.