On Jun 18, 7:24*am, "Janet" > wrote:
> "Michael "Dog3"" > wrote in message
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> > Anthony Ferrante >
> :i n rec.food.cooking
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> >> I usually buy Classico pesto in a jar, but I have been thinking of
> >> making it fresh. Is there that much of a taste difference to warrant
> >> the time and trouble to make it? I want to get a mortar and pestle and
> >> when I inquired about one on Ebay, the seller said the wooden mortars
> >> are not meant for pesto, just mixing spices. Is this true and if so,
> >> what type of mortar should I get?
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> >> Anyone ever try the Beritolli's pesto in the refrigerated section of
> >> the grocery store? Any good?
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> > You can certainly tell the dif between fresh and the jarred. While some of
> > the jarred pesto is good... fresh is better. I make it fresh in the food
> > processor. *Takes no time at all and you can really tell the difference.
> > Don't forget the garlic
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> > Michael
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> I concur. Food processor pesto is a snap.
>
> Another thing is that if you luck into a quantity of inexpensive fresh
> basil--or grow it--you can make a big batch of fresh pesto and freeze it in
> cubes to have any time. And it definitely beats stuff in jars and is a lot
> cheaper.
>
> What I usually do when I want to make the frozen stuff--when the end of the
> outdoor growing season is approaching and I want to use up all of the basil
> plants, for example--is make a quantity of "pesto base" in the food
> processor using just basil, garlic, and olive oil. I pour it into an 8" or
> so square cake pan and freeze it. Then I turn it out and cut it into 2" or
> so chunks, and put them back in the freezer in a plastic bag. I throw cubes
> into sauces and soups all winter, or use them to make pasta-style pesto
> (adding pine nuts and cheese).
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> I know some people say they do the same thing, but freeze it in plastic ice
> cube trays instead, then turn out the cubes and bag them. Our ice cube trays
> are long gone, or I'd do that, too.
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> I've also made it with the pine nuts but not the cheese--I think according
> to Marcella Hazan's advice, IIRC--and frozen that. I usually just leave out
> the pine nuts because I don't necessarily want them in sauces and soups.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I agree- I don't like the taste of pine nuts at all, so I don't even
think about using them.