Why does my homemade pesto taste disgusting?

[AnxiousZebra]

It's basil, pine nuts, parmesan and garlic with olive oil and a touch of lemon in the quantities suggested by the likes of Jamie Oliver.

What am I doing wrong? It's horrid 🙈

Are the pine nuts stale

No 🤷‍♀️ they are lovely. I toasted them very slightly.

If it's a Jamie Oliver recipe possibly too much oil?

Can you describe the taste? Is it too nutty? Too salty?

I don't think you're meant to toast the pine nuts... Maybe it's that?

You are meant to toast them!

Is the Parmesan good quality
Did you wash the Basil

Yes describe the flavour

Might need salt

Some recipes say to toast them, last time I didn't and it was disgusting so I thought maybe it was that but obviously not!

Should I cook the garlic?!

I can't quite describe the problem, it just tastes very pungent and not in a nice way, perhaps too much Parmesan and/or garlic?

Washed basil and I think the parmesan is ok, it's a new block

Will try salt

Maybe it's too garlicky for you? Taste raw garlic alone- is that the horrible flavour? You're not supposed to cook it no.

So I would say the garlic being raw may have done that especially if it was kind of musty

I am one of those people who throws away instead of adding to it to try fix it (it rarely works)

Pesto is relatively simply to make I reckon the garlic had a green bit in the middle which made it taste bad

My guess is that you used a blender and mixed it for too long. If you blend it for too long it will heat up and get bitter.

It could also be the oil. Have you tasted the oil?

Are you tasting it before you add it to your dish?

It will be pungent by itself.

When I make pesto I crush the garlic into the lemon juice first and leave it for 10-15 mins - the acid ‘cooks’ it and takes some of the sharpness away.

The first lot I made was bitter and not nice...I think I'd pulsed it too long in the food processor. www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/sep/02/how-to-make-perfect-pesto

Oh of course - oil! Good quality Italian extra virgin olive oil usually has a bitter taste (often described as ‘peppery’) personally I don’t like it at all. Spanish is usually more mellow.

I love garlic but maybe it is the green bit or something.

I'm going to try all these tips, thank you, and if I still don't like it I think I'll accept that pesto and I are not to be. It's not something we usually use anyway, I was just trying to think of simple things to have to add to toddler meals (pesto pasta with peppers etc)

Maybe she'll like it, I made a horrid chicken stew the other day too but she loved it! Usually I can cook quite well but stuff I make for her seems to be disastrous 🤷‍♀️

Also usually like olive oil though it is very bitter. I think it's that combined with a bit too much cheese and garlic and being pulsed too long!

How much garlic did you put in? Maybe too much garlic?

Oops cross post!

Amazing! I shoved it in the fridge anyway and just tried some on toast and it tasted so much better chilled. Is there something to that?!

DD did eat some although I wish I had a picture of her funny face at first when she tried it

Was the basil really fresh? I find it goes right fousty and weird if the basil isn't totally fresh (and it only keeps for about a day).