Homemade Pesto
Stop buying store bought pesto... you're better than that.
Pesto is a beautiful ingredient. It’s fresh, versatile, and super easy to make at home. Whether you’re putting it in a pasta, on a sandwich, or just dipping some fresh veggies into it, good homemade pesto ALWAYS hits the spot.
It also falls under “things that are so easy to make, we shouldn’t spend money on them at the store.” For starters, homegrown basil is SO MUCH CHEAPER than buying a new basil plant every time you go to the grocer. I’m not saying you have to plant it from a seed (although you’d be spending pennies to grow multiple basil plants), but even if you plant a baby basil plant and take care of it, by mid-summer you will have a plethora of fresh basil.
We live in a time now where we expect everything immediately. Instant satisfaction. Blame social media. But regardless, we are left with attention spans that last all of 5 seconds. As a result, simple kitchen techniques that so many should be capable of have fallen by the wayside. People will literally respond to “make your own” with “I’d rather spend $5 and buy it.” That’s how you lose money. If the goal is saving, then this is the perfect example of how a little bit of savings goes a long way.
Let’s break it down. Buying a small package of fresh basil at the store costs OVER $5 in my area. The baby basil plant I planted in my garden last year was $3.99. The amount of basil that plant produced would have cost me easily over $50 if I purchased it at the store. Good store-bought basil is expensive. So if you add up all the times you purchase that vs. making your own… now the cost is really starting to add up.
Stop letting your brain get in the way of learning a new technique. Learning a new way to save money. “It takes too long” should not be in your vocabulary if you are trying to save money in your kitchen.
Let’s get to work.
Estimated Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 12-16 oz of pesto
Tools:
Food Processor or Mortar and Pestle
Ingredients:
2 cups of fresh basil
1/2 cup fresh pine nuts
1/4 cup fresh grated parm
1 clove of garlic
Pinch of salt and pepper
From here, you’ll get the full directions, complete with helpful tricks and techniques to make you dangerous in the kitchen. Subscribe and let’s get to work.
