How long will pesto keep in the fridge?

Question

Homemade. Basil, garlic, mint, oil,s&amp;amp;p, lemon juice. How long will it stay in a jar in my fridge?

bigpan · Answer

I freeze without the cheese.  Thaw and add fresh cheese when you serve.  I have no problems with that method after a year in the freezer (no air in the freezer bag).

CanadaDan · Answer

Freezing. Great call. Thanks

Susan W. · Answer

Daniel, it's fine to add the thin layer of oil now. Pesto freezes beautifully. If you freeze it flat in a zip lock bag, you can break off pieces when you need them.

lem M. · Answer

you absolutely can. I believe the oil acts like an extra seal keeping away air and possible bacteria. if you plan on using the pesto in the next few days, it’s not really necessary, but otherwise it certainly helps keeping it fresh.

CanadaDan · Answer

layer of oil on top eh? Can I do that now, about 18 hours later? Jar was clean so I'm not too worried about spoilage but I thought I'd check

lem M. · Answer

if the jar was clean and the pesto covered with a thin layer of oil, it should easily keep in the fridge for many weeks.
but to be safe, always check before you use it: did the colour change significantly, does smell rancid or sour, is there any mold? if none of that is the case, try a little bit to see if it still tastes good. luckily, our senses are pretty good at detecting if food is bad for us!

How long will pesto keep in the fridge?

6 Comments

Popular on Food52