The Best Way To Defrost Pesto

Microwave oven

The Food Standards Agency states that the preferred way to defrost all food, including pesto, is to plan ahead and let it thaw naturally in the fridge. However, because that is not always practical, placing frozen food under cold running water or using the "defrost" setting on your microwave is also considered acceptable.

Pesto is no different to any other food when it comes to defrosting.

Freezing leftover pesto is the perfect way to ensure you always have some on hand to spruce up any weeknight meal. However, this raises the issue of how to defrost it. The Food Standards Agency recommends three methods: fridge, water, and microwave. Here, we're looking at them one by one.

Defrosting pesto in your fridge

Placing your frozen pesto in the fridge is the simplest way to defrost it. However, depending on how much sauce you have and how it is packaged, it can take as long as 24 hours to thaw. That requires unrealistic planning when you just want to get food on the table fast.

Defrosting pesto under cold running water

Running cold water is a great way to defrost a steak or chicken breast, provided it is well sealed in a ziplock bag to prevent splashes of uncooked meat from contaminating your kitchen. If you freeze your pesto in ice cube trays, the cold water method won't work, as the sauce will be directly exposed. However, if you have a vacuum sealer, freezing your pesto flat means the cold water trick works perfectly. This is our preferred method.

Defrosting pesto in the microwave

Realistically, most households want to devour their pesto as quickly as possible, so the microwave is their go-to method. Not only is this method speedy and convenient, but it is also perfectly safe, provided you use your microwave's defrost setting. There is one downside to using a microwave, though. If you leave the pesto in the microwave for too long, even on the gentlest "defrost" setting, it can start to heat the sauce. The sauce can begin cooking if left unregulated, destroying all its wonderful fresh flavours.