How to Freeze Basil Pesto

by Allison Boelcke

Overview

Pesto is a traditional Italian sauce comprised of basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic and Parmesan cheese. It is a versatile ingredient that can be used as a pasta sauce, vegetable dip or sandwich spread. Since pesto is made from fresh basil leaves, you may not easily be able to make it all year long. If you want to enjoy pesto even when you don't have access to fresh herbs, you can preserve the sauce in your freezer.

Step 1

Prepare the basil pesto according to your favorite recipe. For best results, leave out the Parmesan cheese, which tends to loose its flavor after it has been frozen.
Step 2

Scoop the pesto into an ice cube tray. Do not overfill the tray.
Step 3

Place the ice cube tray in the freezer. Store it in the freezer for approximately two hours, or until the pesto hardens into individual cubes.
Step 4

Remove the frozen cubes from the tray and place them into a quart-sized plastic freezer storage bag. Close the bag securely and store in the freezer for up to six months. Each cube equates to 1 tbsp. of pesto.

2
Plastic ice cube tray Quart-sized plastic freezer storage bag Bowl
Plastic ice cube tray
Quart-sized plastic freezer storage bag
Bowl
When you are ready to use the frozen pesto cubes, place them in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and place the bowl in the refrigerator until the pesto thaws. If you froze the pesto without cheese, stir in 1/4 tbsp. of freshly grated Parmesan per basil cube once the sauce has thawed.
When you are ready to use the frozen pesto cubes, place them in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and place the bowl in the refrigerator until the pesto thaws. If you froze the pesto without cheese, stir in 1/4 tbsp. of freshly grated Parmesan per basil cube once the sauce has thawed.
Do not defrost more pesto than you will immediately use because the olive oil and the oils from the pine nuts can spoil even if the sauce is refrigerated. The pesto flavor may linger in the ice cube tray so it's best to have a set dedicated to freezing pesto.
Do not defrost more pesto than you will immediately use because the olive oil and the oils from the pine nuts can spoil even if the sauce is refrigerated.
The pesto flavor may linger in the ice cube tray so it's best to have a set dedicated to freezing pesto.

Overview