Why would anyone buy Pesto?

[PeggySioux]

I am so cross.

For 30 years I have thought that I hated pesto. Turns out I hate the nasty vinegary oily nasty yak that you can buy.

Whizzed up fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil with parmesan is blardy lovely!

My god I have a lot of pesto to eat to make up for lost time.

Because I have to drive 30km to a shop where you can buy fresh basil and for some reason since I had children I am unable to keep my home grown basil plants alive long enough to harvest enough leaves.

Because you don't always have access to fresh basil, just when you fanct pesto. It's convieient without being crap.

cos its easier, op

i dont understand garlic in all other pesto except sacla

why is it that all food is drowned in garlic puree nowadays to make up for loss of any real flavour

I don't get ths. I make pesto from 2 or sometimes 3 large bunches of basil from Waitrose at £1.69 each. This is enough to get three meals out of it for the 5 of us (say one night with pasta, the next as a topping for salmon or lamb and finally with say mozzarella and parma ham on bruschetta). I find it very good value.

Once when we were on holiday with a very basic kitchen, I decided to buy some pesto. Despite buying the most expensive brand I could find, I was shocked at how awful it was compared to the fresh stuff.

What are the ingredients for coriander pesto?

For the green pesto version using basil, I cheat. Use half the amount of basil and bulk it up with rocket. Gives it a rich green colour with the slight bitterness of rocket. Nice.

Is it really that much better? Okay, what are the measurements? How long does it keep?

Pesky pesto snobs....

I have better things to do with my time and it's bloody expensive to make it from scratch. Pine nuts ar not cheap, but a jar of sacla lasts forever...

nkf, I never use measurements, just chuck it all in. It takes literally 5 mins to start from scratch. I buy the pine nuts and parmesan from the market and I reckon 500g of home made pesto costs me around £6.00 which is enough for 3 meals for 5 people (served with other stuff of course). It is cheaper than any meat based dish I can think of.

OMDB, surely it more accurate to say that you have different priorities rather than you have "better" things to do with your time?

i don't like the jar kind.. it tasts awful.. and fresh is so easy to make... the best cheat I have found is the squeezie basil and garlic tubes in the veg section... not quite as good as fresh but not badd once you have added some fresh parmesan and glug of olive oil... I don't always use pine nuts though as DH dosent like them... if I didn't make pasta last night with lemon chicken I would be tempted to make some pesto tonight.. mmmm

thanks to THIS thread
i bought M& S PEsto and made some for family.
included fried bacon.
despite my misgivings kids loved it
so will defo be making it again.

some chopped up tomatoes at the last minute in with the bacon ups the fruit/veg content. oh, and some frozen peas. it's dd's favourite.