SusieQOH

The other night I made Pesto. I used a ton of garlic because that's how we like it. However, I didn't saute the garlic first. I just put the cloves in the processor. It tasted great but that night I had the worst stomachache! And my throat felt "hot". Can't explain it. My husband was mildly uncomfortable but not like me. Most foods never bother me.,
I told my son who's a great cook, and he said next time lightly saute the garlic before I add it. Lesson learned. I was so uncomfortable after eating something I love! We had beautiful basil plants (had- they got frost a few days later).

A little aside- the first time I had Pesto was years ago in NY. We had dinner with friends before a show and I thought I died and went to heaven it was so good! My whole family is Italian but nobody made Pesto.

Tartan

And that’s why they call it heartburn.🧯

tropit

I love pesto. I made it the other night using almonds instead of pine nuts. It was really good! Too much garlic will do that to me too.

Watson

Another garlic trick is to start them in a cold pan with Olive oil and turnup the heat while stirring until they are just golden. Gets rid of some of the suplhur and they won't burn this way like they do if you throw them in hot oil.

Ever made roasted red pepper pesto? Mmmm...My favourite.

Watson

SusieQOH

Watson, that sounds wonderful. However, as much as I love peppers, they don't agree with me. I still eat them though. Only 2 things bother me as a rule: peppers and cucumbers, especially Bell peppers.
As for the garlic that's what my son told me (what you said). But thanks!

rjwilder

I love making my own pesto, definitely cook the garlic and I use any nuts I have and sometimes its a blend of what I have. As far as peppers, the green are the worse, they are not ripe. Red are fully ripe the orange and yellow are not fully ripe. Once they are ripe the "burp" factor is gone. In my opinion they taste better too.

tropit

Roasted, red pepper pesto. I may have to make that tonight. Thanks Watson!

Onebyone

Living rural growing up, I remember my grandmother making pesto but we didn't call it that. She called it pine dressing. I had no idea it was what others called pesto until I was a young adult. LOL We used it to mix with plain spaghetti or spread on sandwiches. Everyone had a bed of basil and garlic growing. We use to have to collect pine cones from certain pine trees and spend lots of times getting the nuts. It was very time consuming. But fun climbing the trees. No dropped one would do only the fresh picked off the tree. All the ingredients but the olive oil were free and back then kid time was spent being useful. I can't see a fat pine cone without wanting to gather up a lot.

Cheshirepat

Pinon pine trees, I think, Onebyone! I once stopped with a friend on the way back from N.Mexico to AZ and came across a bunch of Pinon pine trees in full fruit! We spent time picking them up, then *forever* getting the nuts out, picking them from the shell and roasting them. Then, forever removing the pine tar from everything, ha! I love pine nut pesto though!

Good to know about the garlic, I've hesitated to make fresh pesto just because of this 'burn' factor. I love the sharpness of fresh garlic, but it doesn't love me!

tropit

I wonder if garlic powder, or granules, would be gentler on the system?