True confessions: I have never made pesto by hand, just with a machine. Does a mortar and pestle

Joe, Michael Chiarello says to blanch the basil first, then it doesn't chsnge color...

I have never tried it tho....sorry!

 
Using cold olive oil when making it helps. Olive oil varies in acidity and the more acid the oil,

the better. I often combine pesto with pasta and I read in a Fine Cooking magazine to add lemon juice to the water the pasta was cooked in. That really helped. There was an explanation for this I can't remember, but I can look it up if anyone is interested.

I think freezing the pesto helps, it seems to stay greener when used than it does when fresh, at least for me.

Another suggestion I've seen, but not sure if it works,is to add a bit of a crushed vitamin C tablet to the pesto when making it.

 
And on Barbara's same line with Michael Chiarello...he says adding

some parsley keeps it from turning dark. I've tried it and it worked. I just remembered it so dang, I'll do it again next time. Michael C. is pretty clever with tips like that.

 
Thanks Curious. Do you add lemon to the whole pot of pasta water or just to the bit

that you save to toss with the pasta. (Almost every pesto recipe suggests loosening up the tossed pasta with reserved cooking water)

I know acidity helps because basil stays green in tomato sauce. I've tried adding lemon directly to pesto though and it didn't help.

 
But have none of you tried a mortar and pestle either? I thought I would be the only one. Steve,

you were my last hope.

I might be willing to buy a big one if I knew it meant bright green pesto.

 
Mortar and pestle is not the variable.

Are you keeping pesto covered with oil? Oxidization can cause it to turn on you.

The other thing I've read is that blackness can be caused by bruising the basil as it's chopped (is the blade on your Cuisinart super sharp?)Have you tried making it by hand (with a knife) in comparison?

 
Good points. I had thought the contact with the metal blade was what caused the darkening.

For instance, torn basil doesn't discolor, but chopped basil does, no matter how sharp my knives are. (No, my cheapo Costco Cuisinart blade is not super-sharp, lol.)

But I'm not quite willing to order a big mortar with a wooden pestle to prove the point. All I see in stores are cute little ones for grinding spices.

 
Joe, here's the article from FC. It may not be what you're asking, it is about pesto turning

brown when tossed with pasta. That was my problem, and a half lemon squeezed into the pasta water seems to help.

I tried putting a bit of crushed vit C in the pesto, too. Mixed results on that.

I spoke to a grower at a farmers market about the problem and he told me that the acidic level of the olive oil could be problem. I guess the extra virgin oil is less acidic which could cause the problem.

I read somewhere that some varieties of basil will have a tendency to turn more than others.

I thought blanching kind of mellowed out the flavor of the basil, not in a good way. Perhaps I blanched too long.

I do sometimes blanch the garlic before throwing it in, definitely mellows out the garlic and I like the result. I think that tip came from Cook's Illustrated.

I love, love, love pesto. It was one of the first things that went into my freezer here in my new home because I was able to buy lots of basil at a farmer's market.

* Exported for MasterCook 4 by Living Cookbook *

Keeping Pesto Green with Lemon Juice

Recipe By : Shirley Cornher
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time: 0:00
Categories : Sauce Tips & Technique


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method


Cooking Tip: Shirley Corriher replies: Basil bas a natural tendency to brown
when it is snipped or cut, but when it comes to pesto and pasta, basil has
to fight an enemy outside itself: flour. Just a few minutes after being
combined, the compounds in basil and the flour in the pasta will react and
cause the basil's color to shift from green to brown. There are several
approaches that fight this chemical reaction, but they all rely on one agent
- acid, as found in vinegar or lemon juice.

The simplest solution is to put lemon juice in the water you
use to boil the pasta. When this pasta is tossed with the pesto, you'll note
that the tendency to brown is greatly reduced. Lemon juice can also be added
to the pesto, or you can put lemon juice on the basil leaves before you chop
them. Some chefs combine this technique with mixing other herbs into the
pesto. Flat-leaf parsley and cilantro don't brown when cut.

As a measure of last resort, put the pasta on the plate and,
just before serving, put a dollop of pesto in the middle of the pasta. Toss
together and serve immediately. This way, your guests will have finished
eating the dish before it has a chance to turn brown.


Recipe Author: Shirley Cornher

Recipe Source: Fine Cooking

Author Note: Shirley Cornher of Atlanta, Georgia, teaches food science and
cooking classes around the country. She is a contributing editor to Fine
Cooking.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 
This is interesting. I've usually used Genovese basil, but also Mammoth and the

old regular if I could get lots of it. I've never ever had pesto turn brown at any point. The oil I used was always a combination of Bertolli regular and some good quality EV. So I'm wondering, like you, if it is the oil that makes the difference.

I always make lots and lots and do it by blender. But now you've got me thinking that I have not seen one of my mezzalunas. (would that be mezzaluni ?)

Fun discussion.

 
Very interesting! Who'da thought the pesto was reacting to the starch? It's so disappointing

if there is any wait at all in serving the pasta looks unappetizing. And if there are leftovers, forget it. They look awful.

I will absolutely try lemon in the pasta water!

 
Now I really want to know what causes this. I've never used lemon, neither in the pesto nor in

pasta water. I can imagine how delectable brown pesto looks. I'm wondering if is just the exposure to air as pesto is being made by hand. Mine is always quickly submerged in oil in the blender.

 
But isn't this heresy? Not using a pestle for pesto? LOL, looks very interesting. Maybe I need

to keep my knives sharper.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top