Comments on: Secret Revealed! The Quest for the Secret of Really Green Pesto, Part 2

By: gina

gina — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:25:14 +0000

I’ve made large batches of pesto for several years (each from a single pot of basil grown on my urban balcony!) and didn’t even realize there could be a problem with it turning brown. Mine remains bright green, including the stash currently in my freezer, in cubes and in plastic containers.

I use the leaves raw (ie, unblanched), plenty of garlic, and walnuts rather than pine nuts, as we prefer the taste – and don’t mind that they’re also cheaper! My BIG change is substituting chicken broth for half (or more) of the olive oil called for – makes it much less rich and oily, and more palatable for spreading on a cracker or sandwich. Try it, you may like it better, too!

By: Peggy

Peggy — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 23:02:43 +0000

I grow basil every summer and make tons of pesto – some we eat right away and some we freeze – and it has always turned brown when the air hit it – whether it was frozen or not. I love it anyway, but always wished there was a way to keep it green. I’ve tried the oil -on-top idea – which I’m not really sure changed anything except that it caused us to eat too much oil. I’ve also tried lemon juice, which I’m not sure made any difference and which, I read somewhere makes the browning problem even worse.

Then last night, a very COLD January night here in Washington, DC, I got the urge for the summery taste of pesto, but had used up my freezer stash, so I used some fresh basil that I found at Whole Foods in one of those plastic boxes. Same recipe as always, except that I used almonds instead of pine nuts since that’s what I had, and guess what? It did not turn brown and what’s left over today is still bright green!

SO – the question is: Might it be that the store-bought basil was a different variety of basil than what I’ve been growing and might that have made the difference?

By: Jack Kriel

Jack Kriel — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:16:01 +0000

Thanks for the blanching info. Last couple of years I’ve harvested my neighbor’s extra basil and her Hamilton Beach $5 garage sale food processor and gone at it. As I make it the top layer of the last batch turns forest green while the rest keeps itself bright green. Then I put batches into 1 qt freezer bags and freeze it up.

MY VARIATION: Add an equal amount of fresh spinach (this year I found a great source from a local organic farmer) and save a few pennies by substituting walnuts for pine nuts. Result: Friends ask for batches…

By: Mary in Iowa

Mary in Iowa — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:45:46 +0000

I’ve never had a problem with pesto made from raw leaves turning brown when frozen, but I always attributed that to the film of olive oil poured over the top of the pesto before putting the lids on the jars. The oil seals out air and prevents oxidation. I did have an interesting experience this summer. I’ve always grown “Genovese” basil for pesto. This year I also grew a variety called “Magical Michael” for no other reason than that I have a son named Michael. It turned dark while whirring in the food processor. I followed with a batch of “Genovese” and it remained the usual bright green. The brownish-green pesto tasted fine, but was not an appealing color. So variety may also have a bearing on color retention.

By: Pauline

Pauline — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:55:29 +0000

I have a bumper crop of basil this year…yeah! I will be blanching some for the freezer; it will be so nice to have a taste of summer in the middle of our Michigan winter. Thanks for the fabulous idea.

By: Judy

Judy — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 03:02:02 +0000

I made a double batch of the recipe (didn’t blanch though, didn’t want to heat all that water for 4 cups of basil) my son & his wife brought over fish and veggies and he grilled them in foil packets with the pesto (6 servings, with only a small bit of leftover pesto). WOW!! The 2 & 3 yr old grand babies liked it too. It was great! daughter-in-law wants me so share any seeds I have left from the basil I grew this year. I will blanche any basil in batches I intend to freeze.

By: Pammy

Pammy — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:39:11 +0000

I have been making and freezing pesto for years and it always turned brown when cooked or exposed to the air. I tried this blanching recipe for the first time and I am THRILLED! My niece and I made over a gallon of pesto the other day and it is neon green, even frozen. I like to freeze part of it in ice cube trays and then pop them in baggies for when I just need a little (like for pizza). Thank you so much for the great tip. Can’t wait for the plants to grow back for my next batch.

By: alicia

alicia — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:13:46 +0000

Can’t help to think of the nutrients lost in the blanching process. I blanch greens for freezing…but will give it a try…we add parsley as well and always thought THAT
was the cause of the pesto turning brown…

By: wendy

wendy — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:09:16 +0000

I did a blind taste test between raw basil pesto and blanched basil pesto. My hopes of brilliant green pesto were dashed when I discovered that the blanched pesto lost a lot of its intense, strong, fresh basil flavor. So I’ve stopped blanching. BUT I’ve found a new way to get greener pesto. I’m adding french sorrel to the the ingredients and it stays greener and adds a lemony zing to the pesto. fabulous variation.

By: Anca

Anca — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:30:42 +0000

Thank you! I’ve finally had home-made pesto that remained green on hot pasta and this recipe is to remain ‘the’ pesto recipe. On cold food, I don’t bother making pesto. Basil leaves, whole or teared into pieces, oil, nuts and cheese go well added separately.