Freeze a batch of pesto and, presto, it’s ready

Every summer when my back yard crop of basil is at its fluffiest and local garlic has become moist and plump enough to be pulled from the earth, I ready-up the blender. It’s time to make the pesto.

One of summer’s most treasured flavors, pesto, that exquisite merging of basil, garlic, olive oil, cheese and pine nuts, brings goodness to so many of the foods I love: fresh pasta and salads, grilled chicken, hot and gooey panini, juicy tomatoes, roasted sweet onions and elegant bisques.

Indeed, I’m keenly aware that all of these vegetables are short-term treasures. So it’s a race to satisfy my flavor hankerings before I’m back in the produce aisle, gazing dejectedly at imported tomatoes, road-weary corn and basil priced in the stratosphere.

Which is where my favorite summer extender comes in. As long as I have pesto lurking in my freezer, I’m able to give my winter meals a dose of sunny day flavor.

It’s a concept that the United States Department of Agriculture supports. From a food safety standpoint, freezing pesto is fine with them.

On the other hand, storing pesto at room temperature or longer than three weeks in the refrigerator is something that makes them nervous. In fact, they plain and simply say: Don’t do it. You could be courting botulism poisoning.

Certainly, it’s not a widespread problem. But the USDA stresses that once you’ve introduced moist, low-acid ingredients such as fresh basil or other herbs and garlic into an anaerobic environment (no oxygen), such as olive oil stored at room temperature, the potential is there.

The species of bacteria called Clostridium botulinum thrives in a low acid, anaerobic environment when the temperature is within its comfort zone of 40 to 120 degrees.

Keeping things cold makes all the difference. So freezing is the perfect solution.

In light of all the elegant recipes that have spun off from the simple act of uniting a fine-quality oil with a fistful of fresh herbs and garlic, the USDA established some storage guidelines:

Pesto: Do not store at room temperature; can be safely refrigerated for a maximum of 3 weeks, or frozen indefinitely (until quality suffers, which is usually within 12 to 18 months).

Flavored oils (oils containing fresh, low-acid ingredients such as fresh herbs, fresh garlic, or fresh chilies): Do not store at room temperature; can be safely refrigerated for a maximum of 3 weeks.

Infused oils (oils that are combined with low-acid foods such as fresh herbs, fresh garlic, or fresh chilies, and then strained to remove all of the solids): May be stored safely at room temperature indefinitely (until the oil turns rancid); quality keeps even longer when refrigerated.

I make several batches of this while basil is at its peak and freeze it in small quantities of 1/2-cup or 1-cup containers, which, when thawed, can be used within a few days.

I also freeze it by the heaping tablespoon on baking sheets covered with parchment or waxed paper. When the dollops of pesto are firm, place the chunks in a plastic bag and store in the freezer.

2cups packed fresh basil leaves

5-6cloves garlic, peeled

2tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/4cup pine nuts

1/2cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2cup olive oil

About 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Freshly ground black pepper

Combine the basil, garlic and parsley in a blender and process until finely chopped. Add the pine nuts and Parmesan and process just until blended. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil and process until a smooth paste is formed. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and stir in salt and pepper to taste.

Dried tomato variation: After you have made the pesto, add 16 oil-packed dried tomatoes (drained of the oil), and 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, and continue processing just until the tomatoes are finely chopped, but flecks are still visible. (Note: if you want to keep half of the batch of pesto unflavored with the tomatoes, then scrape out half of the mixture after you’ve made it and to the remaining half of pesto in the blender, add 8 dried tomatoes and only 2 to 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar; process until the tomatoes are finely chopped).

This gorgeous, emerald-toned oil has a natural affinity for fresh tomatoes. It holds its color and flavor for several months, particularly when refrigerated. But because all of the low-acid solids are strained off, it can be stored in the refrigerator.

Makes about 3 cups.

Basil-infused oil

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2cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves

1cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil

Prepare a large bowl of ice water.

Drop the basil leaves into a large pot of rapidly boiling water, pushing the leaves under with a spoon so they heat through very quickly and evenly. Count to three, then immediately strain the leaves from the water and plunge them into the large pot of ice water to stop the cooking process and set the color.

Remove the chilled basil leaves from the water, squeezing out all of the liquid (use your hands and squeeze and press vigorously until no more liquid can be extracted under pressure).