How to Freeze Pesto for Long-Term Storage

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Freezing is the method that the sources in this guide recommend for storing pesto for the long term. This guide explains how to freeze pesto, how long it can wait in the refrigerator before it goes into the freezer, and why it should not be canned. It draws on the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s freezing guidance and on extension expert answers about herb pesto. The steps are written for a cook who has a batch ready and wants to store portions for weeks or months.

Quick answer

• Freeze pesto for long-term storage. The NCHFP says it may be frozen for long-term storage.
• Make the pesto fresh and keep it in the refrigerator no more than 3 days before freezing. One extension expert gives 4 days, so use the shorter period.
• Package it in freezer jars or freezer boxes with 1/2-inch headspace, or freeze it in portions.
• Do not can pesto. An extension expert states there is no safe recipe for home canned pesto.

Why freezing is the recommended method

Pesto is a mixture of herbs, oil, and other ingredients, and extension guidance treats it as a food that needs cold storage. The NCHFP’s pesto page says that the mixture may be frozen for long-term storage, and it describes the container and headspace steps that follow from that method. Freezing is the option that the sources return to again and again when they discuss storing pesto past a few days.

The reason is that canning does not offer a tested route for this mixture. An extension expert answer on home canned pesto states that there is no safe recipe for it. The same answer notes that the newer sealing compound on canning lids does not hold up well for storage with oil inside the jars. Canned pesto is therefore not a method this guide covers.

Before you freeze: the refrigerator window

The NCHFP recommends that pesto be made fresh and stored in the refrigerator no more than 3 days before it is frozen. A separate extension expert answer gives a refrigerator storage time of up to four days. Because the two sources differ by one day, the shorter figure is the safer guide, and a batch that has been in the refrigerator for three days should go into the freezer rather than wait.

Keep the batch cold while you prepare the containers. A batch that is left at room temperature while you fill jars has used part of its safe window before it reaches the freezer.

Freezing pesto in jars or boxes

The NCHFP method uses glass freezer jars or plastic freezer boxes. Pack the pesto into the container and leave 1/2-inch headspace at the top, because the mixture expands as it freezes. Seal the container, label it with the date, and place it in the freezer. Glass jars need enough room for expansion, so the headspace is important for this container type.

Freezing pesto in portions

Many cooks prefer to freeze pesto in small portions. An extension expert describes a method of freezing pesto in ice cube trays. In that answer, the expert says they freeze the pesto in ice cube trays, then transfer the frozen cubes to freezer containers or bags. Each cube becomes a single serving that can be added to a dish without thawing the whole batch.

A second method uses freezer film. The Ask Extension answer on freezing basil describes wrapping a few spoonfuls or leaves in freezer film and placing them in plastic freezer bags. The answer also says to avoid blanching when freezing fresh basil leaves. Whichever portion method you use, label the bag and remove as much air as you can before sealing.

Cheese in the pesto

A reader question on freezing pesto with cheese has a direct answer from an extension expert: you can make the pesto with cheese and freeze it. The same expert describes freezing in ice cube trays and then moving the cubes into freezer containers or bags. That is a single expert’s practice, and the NCHFP page does not address cheese in pesto.

Thawing and using frozen pesto

Thaw frozen pesto in the refrigerator. An extension expert says to thaw pesto in the refrigerator and use it within 4 days. The sources do not describe a thawing method for a cooked dish, and they do not describe refreezing a thawed portion, so this guide does not give one.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Canning pesto in jars, which the cited expert answer says has no safe recipe behind it.
• Leaving the batch in the refrigerator longer than the 3-day NCHFP limit before freezing.
• Filling glass jars to the top. The NCHFP method calls for 1/2-inch headspace.
• Refreezing pesto after it has been thawed. The sources recommend thawing in the refrigerator and using within 4 days, and they do not describe refreezing.

Labeling

Label each container with the date and the form of the pesto, such as jar, box, or cube bag. The NCHFP freezing pesto page places the freezing step within its long-term storage method, and the labeling step follows from that method.

For a companion guide to drying herbs without a freezer, see how to dry herbs in the oven. For a basil or herb plant in the garden, see how to grow dill from seed for a related herb that cooks often freeze or dry.

How we chose

The sources used here are the NCHFP pesto page and three extension expert answers. Each was opened on 2026-10-27 and each contains text on freezing or storing pesto or basil. Commercial product pages were not used, and this article makes no product recommendations. The NCHFP page is the reference for container, headspace, and freezing; the expert answers supply the refrigerator timing, the canning warning, and the portion methods.

What we could not verify

The sources do not give a tested freezer storage time for pesto. The University of Minnesota basil guidance, which suggests using frozen basil within a year, was seen only in a search result and was not opened, so this article does not cite it.

What the sources do not say

The sources do not state whether pesto with cheese stores differently from pesto without cheese, beyond the expert’s own practice. They do not give a maximum freezer period, and they do not describe a thawing method for dishes that will be cooked. The NCHFP freezing pointers page, which was linked for headspace and labeling, did not contain that text when opened, so those steps are described from the pesto page only.

Frequently asked questions

How long can pesto stay in the refrigerator before freezing?

The NCHFP says no more than 3 days, and an extension expert gives up to 4 days. Use the 3-day figure as the safer limit.

Can I freeze pesto in an ice cube tray?

Yes. An extension expert describes freezing pesto in ice cube trays and then moving the frozen cubes into freezer containers or bags.

Does pesto with cheese freeze well?

An extension expert says you can make pesto with cheese and freeze it. The NCHFP page does not address cheese, so cooks who prefer a conservative method can add cheese after thawing.

Can I can pesto instead of freezing it?

No. An extension expert states there is no safe recipe for home canned pesto, and the sealing compound on canning lids does not hold up well with oil inside the jars.

How long does frozen pesto keep after thawing?

Thaw it in the refrigerator and use it within 4 days, according to the extension expert answer on thawing pesto.

Sources

• National Center for Home Food Preservation, “Freezing Pesto,” https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/vegetable/freezing-pesto/ (opened 2026-10-27)
• Ask Extension, “Pesto,” https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=766998 (opened 2026-10-27)
• Ask Extension, “Pesto preparation and botulism,” https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=456266 (opened 2026-10-27)
• Ask Extension, “Freezing Pesto w/ cheese?,” https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=880948 (opened 2026-10-27)