I just buy my pesto even though I grow basils.
I sneak spinach and kale into there and mix it all together. It's not enough to notice the difference. Usually only adults can tell the difference.

I use a mixture of basil and parsley. A tiny bit cheaper and has really good results… the parsley imparts a fresh taste.

I also leave out the pine nuts due to an allergy, so that probably cuts down on the cost too. I’ve used pumpkin seeds in the past with decent results. But usually I just leave out the nuts altogether.

Buy basil from the Asian store. It’s cheaper in large quantities. Or grow your own, in multiples.

We have so much basil growing we can't make enough pesto.

Buy 2 potted sweet basil plants, and you’ll have basil all summer. Skip the pine nuts, you won’t even know it’s missing. Basil, Parmesan and raw garlic dominate the flavor.

I buy three pots at Trader Joe’s and use one now. I break the others up and plant it and I have basil the rest of the summer.

We have 3-4 different plants and I trim them regularly to make them bush out. We clean and freeze basil all summer per Kenji Lopez Alt’s recipe. I have more pesto than we can eat and my kids put it on everything.

If you make it often buy some basil plants (if you have outdoor space). They grow easily - And I kill a lot of plants.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you making it at home instead of buying it at costco? Food allergy?

I dont have a membership and I like to cook.

A 22 oz jar of good pesto is like $10 at Costco, so when you make it at home you are just paying $$ for the experience of making it. Which is fine! But hobby cooking (or gardening) is not cheap.
I've heard the Wegmans pesto is good too: 6 oz for $4. Maybe somebody here has done a taste comparison.

Costco is my favorite of the commercially-made pestos. But none compare to homemade. Not even restaurants. Even many Italians will tell you that of their own restaurants. Good pesto requires fresh ingredients freshly prepared.

Go to the Farmers' Market and pay $15!

Anonymous wrote:Why are you making it at home instead of buying it at costco? Food allergy?

Because Costco’s is disgusting

I also sometimes do kale or broccoli pesto.

Grow your own basil (super easy - we also have like 3-4 plants), and definitely use walnuts, the pine nuts are way to $$$

I also make huge batches of pesto and freeze in ice cube trays!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you making it at home instead of buying it at costco? Food allergy?

I dont have a membership and I like to cook.

A 22 oz jar of good pesto is like $10 at Costco, so when you make it at home you are just paying $$ for the experience of making it. Which is fine! But hobby cooking (or gardening) is not cheap.
I've heard the Wegmans pesto is good too: 6 oz for $4. Maybe somebody here has done a taste comparison.

Trader Joe's. You can get a huge container of basil for $2.99