Laurel Dane Designs, LLC

I made homemade pesto for the first time and it was so easy!!!

My basil plants got HUGE this summer and I needed to harvest it before we get frost.

This is just a small quantity rinsed and drying.

I’ve never had basil with leaves this big!

Caprese salad is one of our favorites so I had to make some in the process.

Ah but back to the recipe at hand…

Mixed it all up in my Kitchen Aid food processor.

I absolutely love mine! If you don’t have one here’s a link for mine https://amzn.to/3RvCOep

I used a wide funnel to pour pesto into half pint jars. If you don’t have a funnel they are so useful to keep jars clean.

Here’s my link for a canning jar funnel https://amzn.to/3PvmjfR. Half pint jars are the perfect size for pesto. This is a link for jars https://amzn.to/460vBHI. { I am an Amazon affiliate and earn a tiny commission per sales thru my links }

Interested in the recipe? Here’s what I used

Pesto Recipe

Makes 4 half pint jars depending upon how much oil you add in. 

Ingredients

• 6 cups basil leaves
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
• 5.3 oz parmesan cheese
• 1 cup mixed nuts walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, and/or pine nuts
• salt to taste
• Lemon juice – just a splash

Instructions

• Peel and cut the garlic into pieces. (This is just to help the process. It will be fully minced in the food processor.)
• Add the cheese, cut into chunks, to the food processor, and process it until it becomes a coarse powder. 
• Add the garlic, nuts, basil, and some olive oil (in that order), and begin to process the ingredients. *Pulse slowly gradually adding olive oil. 
• Taste the pesto for salt. Add salt to taste, and process the sauce until it reaches the desired texture.
• Serve immediately, or freeze.
  Fresh pesto lasts 1 week in the fridge or 3 months in freezer.  

Whip some up and enjoy- Kristen