When added to pork chops, chicken or beef steak, or even pasta, Pesto sauce greatly enhances its flavor. You can easily prepare pesto in a large quantity. However, if you have accidentally defrosted more pesto than required, the best way to save it from spoilage is by refreezing it. So, you might think, can you safely refreeze pesto
Refreezing pesto, whether homemade or store-bought, is entirely safe. It can be kept refrozen for up to 3-6 months. Before refreezing pesto, it is vital to check whether the ingredients used in it freeze well or not. If the refrozen pesto has gone brown or gives out a rotten smell, it is advised to discard it immediately.
Refreezing pesto isn’t always recommended; however, if you use freezer-friendly ingredients and follow the refreezing instructions properly, you can successfully refreeze pesto.
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Is It Safe To Refreeze Pesto?
Contrary to popular opinion, refreezing pesto is safe. As long as you defrost it in a refrigerator, you can achieve successful refreezing of pesto.
Defrosting pesto on the counter isn’t recommended as it exposes the pesto to air for a long time, resulting in contamination. Therefore, it’s recommended not to leave the pesto at a room temperature greater than 40°F for more than 30 minutes.
Another thing to keep in mind before refreezing pesto sauce is to check if the ingredients you are using in pesto refreeze well or not. The chances of pesto going bad in which you have used cheese or meat are relatively high. So how well pesto refreezes depends upon what ingredients you have used.
Other than that, how well you sealed the pesto before refreezing also determines the refreezing process.
Though refreezing pesto is safe, you should remember that each time you defrost and refreeze the pesto, the quality will decrease a little.
How to refreeze pesto?
You can ensure successful refreezing of pesto if you carefully follow the refreezing instructions mentioned below.
- Reheat the pesto and let it cool down a little before you proceed. It is because refreezing hot items is not recommended.
- If you want to refreeze pesto in a jar or container, you can divide the cooled-down pesto into portions, put it inside a container, and seal it properly. Afterward, you can safely put the freezer-safe container in the freezer and let it refreeze.
- For refreezing pesto in an ice cube tray, pour the cooled-down pesto sauce into an ice cube tray. Most people prefer using the ice cube tray method for refreezing as it allows them to consume the required pesto quite easily.
- Next, apply a layer of olive oil on top of the pesto. Do not stir the olive oil with pesto because applying olive oil seals the mixture and seizes it further, turning brown.
- Once the pesto has cooled down completely, wrap it tightly in a plastic sheet or cling film and pop it inside the freezer.
- After the pesto has frozen solid, take out the ice cube tray and put the frozen pesto in an airtight or freezer-safe bag.
- You can go ahead and label the date of refreezing on the bag so that you don’t forget how long you can safely use pesto.
- Lastly, put the airtight bag into the freezer and let the pesto refreeze.
How Long Can You Keep Pesto Refrozen?
Homemade pesto can be kept refrozen for up to 3-6 months. After this time limit has crossed, you’ll notice that there has been a massive degradation in the quality and taste of pesto. It is advised to use pesto as soon as possible or within the 6-month limit.
The longer you store pesto sauce, the more its texture will be affected. If you refreeze the pesto in an ice cube tray without coating it with olive oil, it’ll reduce the refreezing time to a maximum of 3-months.
Another thing that helps you know whether the pesto is safe for use or not is the color and smell of pesto. If the pesto has turned color from green to brown, it indicates that the pesto has gone bad.
Similarly, if the pesto sauce gives out a sour smell, it has most likely spoiled.
Store-bought pesto can be kept refrozen for as long as the expiration date isn’t crossed. Even if you don’t notice a huge change in appearance, consuming expired pesto is still not safe.
Conclusion
Refreezing pesto is safe as long as you follow the refreezing steps cautiously and defrost it in the refrigerator. Properly refrozen pesto will last for an about longer duration of 6 months in the freezer.
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