I want to make a huge batch of pesto and freeze it. Should I leave out the cheese? Nuts?

I read that some kind of weird bacteria will form if you freeze the pesto with the garlic in it and that you should only add garlic to the unthawed pesto that you are ready to use.

You should probably leave out the cheese it doesn't keep as well if you add it

I always freeze it without cheese. I think it gives me more options when I decide to use it - for instance I combine the pesto with more olive oil to drizzle on a caprese salad where I wouldn't want the additional parmesan.

I freeze it as-is. Some would argue that when the pesto thaws, the basil will "weep," and while this may be the case, I've found that the taste is still true after freezing and thawing. There's absolutely nothing like homemade pesto in the middle of winter to wake up your tastebuds!

The advantage of leaving out the cheese and/or nuts is that you can use it in recipes where you just want the basil flavor.

I've frozen it without cheese - as I'd always heard it was preferable - and with cheese. Honestly never noticed a difference. So I just freeze the whole shebang.

I used to freeze the whole thing, but these days I preserve the basil and garlic in olive oil and freeze that. I like it better, think it tastes fresher, when the cheese is stirred in after the pesto is thawed. And as for the nuts -- many times I prefer Pistou -- the French version that has no nuts.

'Tis the season, isn't it. I've come to freeze it without the cheese, as cheese, even grated, tends not to freeze and thaw without a significant change in texture, and not for the better. I add the cheese as I'm tossing the pesto with hot pasta and a ladle of its cooking water.

Agree! I always freeze with a little extra film of oil on top, as well!

Agree! I always freeze with a little extra film of oil on top, as well!

Agree! I always freeze with a little extra film of oil on top, as well!

Hey Erinbdm! Save yourself some work with no worries. The whole kit-n-caboodle can be frozen and defrosted beautifully. Enjoy fresh summer taste in the fall or winter. Have fun!

You can freeze it completely made. Here's a great piece by Melissa Clark about doing just that
http://www.melissaclark.net/blog/2012/10/kitchen-hip-tip-freezing-pesto.html