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Have you ever made extra pesto and stored it in the refrigerator only to find it all brown and yucky a few days later? And you thought putting a piece of plastic wrap over the top would help. Not really.
Well there’s a secret to keeping your pesto green I learned from my wife. You blanch the basil first. Simple as that.
How to blanch basil
Just remove the leaves from the stalks and wash as you normally would. (Don’t forget to compost all those stalks.) Put on a large pot of water to boil and prepare a large bowl filled about two thirds with ice water.
Boil for 15 seconds only
Ice bath for 5 minutes
Plunge the basil leaves into that pot of boiling water for 15 seconds and then remove immediately with a large stainer or slotted spoon. Immerse them in the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. After five minutes, drain the leaves and squeeze out the excess water between paper towels.
Then proceed with your recipe as normal. This doesn’t change the flavor, but the pesto stays a nice green color when you serve it and especially if you store some in the fridge for later use.
Let me know how this works for you.
James
P.S. What’s your favorite thing to put pesto on?
