What does pesto taste like? (and how do you know if it's gone bad?)

Made with just a few ingredients, pesto is one of the tastiest and most versatile sauces. But since it is often mixed with other dishes, identifying the true flavor of pesto is difficult.

What does the pesto taste like?

The pesto sauce has hints of pepper thanks to the basil leaves used to make it. It is also creamy and nutty due to the crushed pine nuts. Olive oil, garlic and cheese complete the sauce and enrich the flavor of the pesto. 

In this article, we will tell you all about the taste and texture of this Italian sauce. You’ll also learn all about pesto’s storage conditions, shelf life, and signs of spoilage.

What is pesto and how is it made?

Pesto is one of the most popular sauces that you either love or hate.  This Italian sauce takes its name from the word pestare, which means “to crush” . The pesto is called like this because its preparation includes the grinding of all the ingredients.

Although there are numerous recipes and variations of pesto, the traditional way to make this green sauce is using basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, olive oil, and salt.

The traditional way of making pesto consists of pounding all the ingredients with a marble mortar and a wooden pestle. Garlic and pine nuts are the first ingredients that are introduced into the mortar. Once crushed to form a paste, add the basil leaves and salt.

Cheese is the last ingredient that goes into the mix along with virgin olive oil that helps improve the texture of the sauce.

But making pesto is much faster if you have a blender or a food processor. You can also buy pesto if you don’t have time to make it yourself.

How do you use pesto?

The most common use of pesto is with pasta. However, there are many other ways to use this Italian green sauce. Being spicy, buttery, and salty at the same time, pesto sauce is a great flavor enhancer to use in many dishes.

Here are some ideas for using pesto.

• Make breakfast eggs with pesto
• Bake pesto bread
• Use the pesto sauce as a pizza topping
• Make a Vegetable Pesto Galette
• Use pesto as a topping for roasted vegetables 
• Make Pesto Crusted Salmon
• Use the pesto as a sauce for chicken, steak, pork chops, etc.

As you can see, there are many ways to use pesto sauce. In addition to being versatile, pesto is also healthy. Although it’s high in calories, it’s packed with nutrients, and you usually don’t have to use a lot of it.

What does the pesto taste like?

The taste of pesto is quite complex. Although it does not contain too many ingredients, all of them have a pronounced flavor that makes the overall taste of the sauce very unique.

Pesto has hints of pepper thanks to the basil leaves that are used to make it. It also has a buttery, nutty flavor thanks to the pine nuts used in it. 

Garlic is another key ingredient that brings the traditional flavor of pesto. So even if you don’t like garlic very much, we recommend that you do not omit it in the pesto.

Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Sardo cheeses added to the sauce give it a richer flavor.

It is important not to over-salt the sauce, as the cheeses are already salty.  Adding a small amount of salt is all you need to balance out the overall flavor of the pesto. 

It is also important to use high-quality olive oil when making the pesto sauce, as it is what gives the sauce the necessary grassy flavor.

Don’t be surprised if the pesto you buy at the store doesn’t have grassy notes. Many manufacturers substitute high-quality olive oil for other cheap oils to reduce production costs.

As stated, there are many variations of pesto. You can substitute other nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, and Brazil nuts, in the pesto.

Non-traditional pesto recipes can also include ingredients like parsley, avocado, ginger, coconut, etc.

The flavor of the pesto sauce will change depending on the ingredients you use to make it.

What is the texture of the pesto?

The true texture of pesto sauce is somewhere in between smooth and chunky. Making pesto evenly smooth is an easy mistake to make when using a blender or food processor.

So if you want to get the right texture, using a mortar and pestle is a good idea. 

Your pesto can be thick and creamy or thinner. In any case, you must make sure that you have added all the components in the right proportions so that the flavor is balanced and rich.

The texture of the sauce can be changed depending on the amount of nuts, basil, and liquid ingredients you add. The more liquid (olive oil, lemon juice) you add to the sauce, the finer its texture will be. 

But regardless of how much liquid you add to the pasta, we recommend that you do it slowly, as it helps to finer the texture of the sauce, whether it’s thick or thin.

Can pesto go bad?

Pesto, like any other sauce, has a limited shelf life. Whether you made your own or bought a can at your local supermarket, pesto sauce will eventually go bad.

And before other commonly used sauces and condiments, such as ketchup and mayonnaise.

The main ingredients of pesto - basil and pine nuts - are quite perishable. One of the reasons pesto goes bad is that the oils in it go rancid.

How to preserve pesto

The conservation rules for pesto differ depending on whether it is a homemade product or bought in a store, and depending on whether or not the jar has been opened. 

Commercially manufactured pesto sauce is more stable compared to its homemade version, since it contains preservatives. But even then, how quickly the sauce goes bad ultimately depends on the storage conditions.

Store-bought pesto

If you go to the nearest supermarket to buy pesto, you’ll find it in a can or jar in the non-refrigerated section, as well as in jars in the refrigerated section.

If you haven’t opened the jar yet, store it in the same condition as in the store. When you store a jar of pesto at room temperature, be sure to keep it away from heat sources and direct sunlight.

A cool, dry pantry or kitchen cabinet will work well for storing non-refrigerated pesto sauce.

Once the pesto jar is open, close the lid tightly after each use. Store it in the fridge whenever you don’t use it. 

If the original sauce container is damaged or you can’t close the lid properly, it’s best to transfer the sauce to another jar or container.

Homemade pesto

Homemade pesto should always be stored in the refrigerator. Once the sauce is made, transfer it to a jar or a container with a tight-fitting lid. 

Do not transfer the pesto to a container that is too large for it, since the sauce’s contact with a lot of air will cause it to deteriorate sooner.

Unlike store-bought pesto, homemade pesto does not contain preservatives, so it has a shorter shelf life.

So if you don’t need a lot for a particular recipe or you know you won’t be using it in a few days, make a small batch of pesto. Fresh pesto always tastes better than the one that has been in the fridge for a few days.

How long does the pesto last?

You can find the expiration date for unopened pesto sauce printed on the jar. If you store the jar in proper conditions, the pesto sold in the non-refrigerated section can keep a few weeks longer than the date indicated on the container.

This is because the latter is the manufacturer’s estimate of how long the product will retain its best qualities.

Pesto sold in the refrigerated section has a shorter shelf life. It can be kept for only a few days longer than the date on the package indicates.

Once opened, the pesto will keep well for 5-7 days. 

Homemade pesto has a shelf life of about 5 days in the fridge. If your homemade pesto goes bad before then, either you left it out for too long at room temperature or the ingredients you used weren’t fresh.

Can pesto be frozen?

Luckily, pesto freezes quite well. Of course, it undergoes some texture changes after freezing and thawing the sauce.

For some dishes, thawed pesto sauce may not work well due to its texture changes. But in dishes where you mix it with other ingredients, the sauce will work just as well as the fresh variety.

As far as flavor goes, pesto sauce will undergo minimal flavor changes if you freeze it properly and while the sauce is still fresh.

How to freeze pesto

Freezing pesto is easy. Before doing so, however, be sure to portion the sauce in a way that is convenient for future use.

If you know you’ll be using the sauce for sandwiches, individual servings of soup, pasta, etc., freeze it in small amounts.

But if you’re going to need a larger amount for a pot of pasta or for recipes like stuffed chicken breasts, it’s best to freeze the pesto in larger batches.

To freeze pesto in larger quantities, transfer 1/2 cup of sauce to airtight containers or heavy-duty zip-top bags.

When you freeze the sauce in a container, add a small amount of olive oil to coat the surface of the sauce. The oil will help prevent oxidation of the sauce.

As for freezing pesto sauce in small batches, the ice cube tray method is best. Put a few tablespoons of pesto in each compartment of the ice tray and put it in the freezer.

After a few hours, when the sauce is frozen, remove the pesto cubes from the tray and place them in a resealable plastic bag.

When you need to use the sauce, thaw it in the fridge or thaw it in the microwave. Small pesto cubes can also go directly on the hot plate, as they will only take a few minutes to defrost.

How long does pesto last in the freezer?

Pesto can last up to 6 months in the freezer. If the freezer temperature is stable, the sauce may still be safe to eat after that time as well.

However, the longer the sauce sits in the freezer, the more its flavor and texture will deteriorate.

How to know if pesto is bad

If you’ve had the sauce for a few days, we recommend that you inspect it closely for any signs of spoilage before consuming it. Here we explain how to know if the pesto sauce is bad.

• Color changes . If the sauce has lost its attractive green color and turned brown, it’s time to throw it away.
• mold . Mold is one of the most obvious signs of deterioration. If you see specks of mold on the sauce or in the jar, don’t eat it.
• Unpleasant smell.  Discard the pesto if it smells funny. Because pesto contains a lot of oil, it’s also common for it to smell musty when it goes bad.

If the sauce doesn’t have any obvious signs of spoilage and it smells good, taste it to make sure it’s okay. If the sauce looks good, but you’ve had it for too many days, err on the safe side and discard it.

What happens if you eat bad pesto?

Eating pesto that has gone rancid will not cause any health problems. And since it doesn’t taste very good, it’s unlikely you’ll eat enough to feel sick.

As for accidentally eating moldy pesto, you never know if the mold you’ve eaten is harmful or harmless.

In either case, the chances of serious health problems from moldy foods, including pesto, are very low unless eaten in large quantities. 

What to do with leftover pesto

If you have pesto left over, the best thing to do with it is to freeze it.

However, as much as pesto freezes well, some people don’t like the taste and texture of thawed pesto. Or they just don’t have more space in their cold room.

In these cases, it is better to use the pesto in recipes that require a lot of it. This is not the typical case with pesto recipes, as a small amount of this sauce does the job.

You can also use the pesto in more than one recipe if you don’t mind having the sauce appear multiple times on your table.

If you have half a jar of pesto sauce left over, the easiest thing you can do is spread it on a piece of puff pastry.

The best thing about this recipe is that you don’t have to spend time making the dough, since you can find puff pastry in any grocery store.

Once you’ve spread the sauce over the dough, roll it up, cut into slices, and bake. What is easy? And your leftover pesto sauce is gone and you don’t have to waste it.

If recipes that call for a lot of pesto aren’t your thing, you can incorporate the sauce into various dishes and any meal of the day.

Make pesto sandwiches for breakfast, salad with a pesto dressing for lunch, and marinate chicken with pesto for dinner. After a meal plan so rich in pesto, you will hardly have any pesto left!