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10 Oct 2020
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Make a delicious pesto yourself

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In this article, you will learn how to make an excellent pesto yourself.

It is impossible to imagine our kitchens without this green spice plant. Whether fresh on a pizza, in a salad or simply with mozzarella and tomatoes and a little balsamic vinegar, the possibilities are endless. For this reason, we grow four different varieties of basil in the garden. When some types of basil are harvested, the sweet, peppery scent is so intense that it takes away our senses. The sun is important for the basil plant and the more sunlight it receives, the more intense the flavor and aroma will be. Ha! As you know, we have enough sun here in Israel – all year round.

But back to the pesto…


We always make a large portion of it because our children and we love it. Purchased food no longer goes in the fridge.

Reasons why we prefer to do it ourselves:

  1. Many store-bought pestos contain additives.
  2. We do not process stems, only leaves. It is therefore of higher quality.
  3. We have an influence on the taste.
  4. We no longer like the store-bought pesto.

The recipe is so simple and so good at the same time:


Ingredients: 50 g basil leaves
40-50 g pine nuts
50 g Parmesan
0.5 tsp coarse sea salt
2-3 garlic cloves
130 ml extra virgin olive oil

Simply make your own pesto. RecipePreparation:


Let’s start with the most elaborate ingredient: basil. 50 grams may not sound like much, but it’s quite a lot because we don’t want to use the stems. Sure, you can also use these if it’s not enough, but the consistency will change.

1.) Pick, wash and drain the basil.
2.) Finely grate the Parmesan with a grater/cheese grater and add to the basil, as well as the pine nuts.
Tip: Sometimes we lightly toast them in a pan. They should only become slightly yellowish, as roasting aromas can have a negative effect on the taste. We rarely do this, as we like our pesto milder and prefer the basil to be more prominent in the flavor.
3.) Add the coarse sea salt and the garlic cloves. 4) Olive oil follows. Attention, it has a great influence on the taste. We prefer oil that is slightly more acidic (not bitter).
5.) Now use a stirrer or process everything together in the food processor. If you prefer it chunky, don’t puree it so finely.
6.) Sterilize jars with lids in hot water and then pour in the pesto.
The pesto can be kept well chilled and sealed in the fridge for a few weeks.

We hope you’ve worked up an appetite and your pesto will be even better. Feel free to share your experiences with us. Alex and Benjamin

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