ingredients to a paste in a mortar and pestle (pesto literally
translates as “paste”), but these days the process is made
much easier with the food processor. Making pesto can be
as simple as dumping all the ingredients into the bowl and
switching on the machine, but I’ve made a few upgrades to
the classic recipe to address some problems I had with it.
First is color. When it is first made, pesto has a lovely
emerald green color, but that color quickly fades to an
unappetizing brown as it sits. This is due to oxidation
reactions that occur when plant pigments are exposed to the
air. To prevent this from happening, blanch your herbs in
boiling water for about 30 seconds before dropping them
into an ice bath, then drying and processing them. This
blanching step will deactive the enzymes that are
responsible for the oxidation reactions, and your pesto will
stay bright green even after days of storage. I add the garlic
directly to the blanching water along with the basil leaves,
which helps soften its harsh edges.
Check out these two pestos. The one on the left was made
without blanching, while the leaves for the one on the right
were blanched first. Over the course of a day or so, the
difference in color becomes even more pronounced.
nandana
(Nandana)
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