freezing pesto?

[Sweet Pea]

I make pesto all the time, but I remember that the first time I made it, the recipe said not to add the parmesan if it was going to be frozen. So I've never frozen it, but end up throwing leftovers out if I don't use them up. Can you freeze pesto with the cheese already added? Why would the recipe say not to?

[Funwithfood]

I grow my own Genovese basil (15 plants) and freeze a huge quantity of pesto at the end of each summer (all ingredients in). It tastes identical to when it was made--even 2 years later (as noted in my "Vintage 2004 Pesto" post a few weeks ago).

[ScoobySnacks20]

The main thing is to not freeze the garlic.(if your recipe call for it) Cheese will handle the freeze cycle quite well (as most fats). It's never as good as fresh, but works quite well.

I freeze my pesto every year, as I prefer the taste of garden basil to the hydroponic stuff we ge in the cold winter. It's also cheaper this way.

[j2brady]

I always do. It works fine. ALthogh, it doens't usually last long in my freezer as we use it up so I am not sure about the long term affects on flavour.

Jenna

[PBSF]

You can freeze pesto with parmesan. The cheese has a tendency to lose flavor and go rancid if stored too long. Many think that the pesto taste fresher if one add the parmesan when the frozen pesto is used. If you have leftover pesto with parmesan, freeze it and use it soon.

[cheryl_h]

Yes I agree. The flavor of the cheese changes somehow, adding it to the pesto just before serving is tastier.

[RYP]

I would say you could. I freeze lots of pasta dishes that have parmesan in them and never have any problems.

Put the pest in ice cube trays.