Blanching basil leaves before making pesto??

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larry_stewart

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I recently saw a recipe that called for blanching the basil leaves ( then dunking them in cold water to stop the cooking process and draining) when making pesto.

Just curious if anyone does this or has done this, and what the result was.

I've only used fresh basil ( unblanched) in the past.
 
Interesting question. I think of myself as just too lazy to blanch basil. So I searched out some info.
Here:Does Blanching the Basil Really Make Pesto Stay Green for Longer? — Putting Tips to the Test in The Kitchen | The Kitchn
Final Notes

While the blanched pesto was definitely greener and smoother, how the two pestos tasted mattered more to me. The winner here? Unblanched pesto by a mile. It tasted herbaceous, fresher, and well, like fresh basil. The blanched pesto's flavors were muted, and to be honest, didn't really taste like basil anymore. While the green color of the blanched basil was definitely more eye-appealing, I'll trade some color for vibrant flavors instead.
That is just one opinion, but I liked it.
 
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