Pesto time! Preserving Basil to Enjoy Year Round.

It's Pesto time!

Basil makes a yearly appearance in our garden; it's a staple when you can your own pasta sauce. It's wonderful to use fresh and easy to preserve for use through out the year.

It's best to clip the tops when they start to bud to promote continued growth.  This year was confirmation that August,  September and October are particularly  busy months for my business, so bud clipping fell by the wayside.  Never the less,  there was an abundance of basil.

My dear friend came for a weekend visit and thankfully she enjoys doing whatever we are doing, because Pesto was on the schedule.

This was my second time harvesting my basil,  and I cut it all as we were anticipating our first snow. Basil doesn't like the cold,  especially the snow.

We pulled all the tender leaves off the stem and left any thick leaves. I soaked them in a bowl of cold water,  then used the salad spinner  to remove the water.

I spun them in the Cuisinart,  adding olive oil and garlic until I had a nice smooth paste. Next,  I spoon the Pesto into ice cube trays,  freeze,  pop them out and store them in freezer bags.

They cubes are ready to use to season chicken or fish,  soups,  freshly made cheeses and vegetables.