View Full Version : Pesto??? How to bring pesto on the trail?
ShelterLeopard
12-10-2009, 23:19
So, I LOVE pesto. Pesto makes everything good. Pesto pasta, pesto on bread, etc... But how can I bring it on the trail? Is there any such thing as dried pesto? And I know you can buy things like AlpineAire pesto pasta, but I just want the pesto. So I could buy just the pesto anywhere? I've been looking, with no luck yet.
Honestly, this is one of the easiest things to make on the trail. I do it all the time. It was one of my favorites during my PCT hike.
Buy normal pasta noodles, and cook as much as like. Then buy Knorr brand pesto packets. They're probably a buck or two each, and can be found in just about every grocery store on the face of the planet. One is perfect for a meal. Heat up some olive oil (just carry a container with olive oil in it), mix in the pesto mix, mix that with the pasta. Or, just mix the pesto packet and the oil with the pasta directly if you're like me and a lazy cooker. Either way, it's delicious.
Hope this helps!
And just so you know what they look like, here's a link to the Knorr pesto packets...
http://www.amazon.com/Knorr-Pesto-Sauce-0-5-Ounce-Packages/dp/B000FA7PBC
No need to order them though... you really can find them in just about any grocery store.
ShelterLeopard
12-10-2009, 23:34
Oh my goodness, I CAN'T BELIEVE that I forgot about the Korr's pesto!!! Wow, never mind about this thread, mods, please delete.
Thanks so much for reminding me Ender!
Tuckahoe
12-10-2009, 23:50
If you are not inclined to use the Knorr stuff my question is this --
What is there in pesto that would cause it to go bad after opening one of those small jars? All pesto is is a paste of herbs, pinenuts, maybe garlic and olive oil. It would seem to me that one of those small containers would be used up pretty quickly, before there would be any sort of concern for food safety.
Jack Tarlin
12-11-2009, 00:10
There's a company called Amore which sells pesto in a tube, like toothpaste.
You can get it at the Outfitter at Hot Springs, as well as on line. The Knorr stuff works well also, and it's easy to carry real olive oil, spices, etc.
You and jack are gonna get along I can tell. He bathes everything liberally in pesto. He also puts it on all his food....
ShelterLeopard
12-11-2009, 02:25
'Cause pesto is amazing!
Don't you mean Pesto is the besto?
bigcranky
12-11-2009, 08:00
Pesto in a Tube. (http://www.amazon.com/Napoleon-Pesto-Paste-2-8-Ounce-Tube/dp/B001EO5O7K)
Cookerhiker
12-11-2009, 08:20
Honestly, this is one of the easiest things to make on the trail. I do it all the time. It was one of my favorites during my PCT hike.
Buy normal pasta noodles, and cook as much as like. Then buy Knorr brand pesto packets. They're probably a buck or two each, and can be found in just about every grocery store on the face of the planet. One is perfect for a meal. Heat up some olive oil (just carry a container with olive oil in it), mix in the pesto mix, mix that with the pasta. Or, just mix the pesto packet and the oil with the pasta directly if you're like me and a lazy cooker. Either way, it's delicious.
Hope this helps!
That's what I do.
mister krabs
12-11-2009, 10:01
Just make it and bring it or buy it along the way. Like Tuckahoe said, it will last longer than it takes to eat it, no refrigeration necessary. Don't bother with the knorr stuff, fresh is ridiculously easy to make, so much better than instant and more calorie dense for weight than anything other than straight oil.
mister krabs
12-11-2009, 10:03
Pesto in a Tube. (http://www.amazon.com/Napoleon-Pesto-Paste-2-8-Ounce-Tube/dp/B001EO5O7K)
Cilantro in a tube is pretty darn good too.
warraghiyagey
12-11-2009, 10:10
You and jack are gonna get along I can tell. He bathes everything liberally in pesto. He also puts it on all his food....
He could save a step and just eat while he bathes. . . .
brooklynkayak
12-11-2009, 10:12
I mix dried basil, powder garlic, parmesan and olive oil. It's better than the Knorr pesto and way cheaper.
ShelterLeopard
12-11-2009, 11:14
Thanks all! The advice has been most helpful and much appreciated. I may try the pesto in a tube as well.
Cheers is right, pesto is the besto!
Pesto is one of my favorite trail dinners. I make a batch, using basil that I grow. Then I cook a box of pasta, usually elbow macaroni or other small pasta. When it's done, I pour the pesto over the pasta, mix thoroughly, let cook, and spread in my dehydrator for several hours, until thoroughly dry. I then pack into portion-sized plastic bags. Easy, light in weight, and delicious.
I had a similar product to the Knorr stuff*, and in interest of "saving time" I re-hydrated the pesto with water from my pasta, than added the olive oil after, stirring gently a few times. After the first bite, I have no memory of how it tasted I ate so fast. I do remember it had large pieces of pine nuts, surprised me they held up to being processed.
*No idea of the brand, got it at Big Lots, haven't seen it there since.
http://www.trailcooking.com/recipes/dehydrated-pesto
This is for a DIY instant mix :)
Ingredients
3 T dried basil, crumbled
3 T shelf stable Parmesan cheese
1 T dried garlic, powder or diced
2 T olive oil (or 2 packets)
1⁄4 c water
Instructions
At home pack the dry ingredients in a snack size bag and seal tightly. Pack the oil in a leak proof bottle or take packets.
Depending on your use for the pesto sauce, add the oil and up to 1/4 cup water (hot or cool) slowly, mixing till blended. If using on trail sammies, you may want to use less water for a thicker spread. Let sit for a couple minutes to blend the flavors.
Notes
Perfect for pasta: Add a couple of diced sun-dried tomatoes, a handful of pine nuts and you have a sauce worthy of any type of pasta.
Try with Potato: make mashed potatoes and pesto in two seperate bags, use pesto and olive oil and red pepper flakes as condiments for mashers.
Wraps: smear on a tortillas! Really good with chicken, shrimp, turkey, tuna, dandelion greens, even makes shoe leather taste good ;-)
dzierzak
12-14-2009, 15:38
Inna tube....
http://www.amazon.com/Napoleon-Pesto-Paste-2-8-Ounce-Tube/dp/B001EO5O7K
http://www.amazon.com/Amore-Pesto-Paste-2-8-Ounce-Tubes/dp/B001ET5XWG
I've seen the second one at Whole Foods.
Some good tomato paste in a tube too, if you're too lazy to dehydrate.:p
Adding sunflower seeds (which you might have in your trail mix) is a great substitute for pine nuts too. So are walnuts. The additional of these seeds/nuts provides not only great taste but the crunchy texture is excellent.
Best thread ever!
I love you. I mean I love pesto.
sheepdog
12-14-2009, 22:38
I don't like pesto
here or there
I don't like pesto
anywhere
I would not eat it
at my house
or in a shelter
with a mouse
I won't eat it
with does or bucks
I don't eat pesto
pesto sucks
I won't eat pesto
give me spam
I won't eat pesto
Shlep I am
drastic_quench
12-15-2009, 00:43
Knorr? Tubes!?
Just take a jar of the good stuff! It won't go bad. Nalgene sells some handy little bottles that are perfect; you don't have to worry about glass breaking. I use two for olive oil myself.
mkmangold
12-15-2009, 01:24
Inna tube....http://www.amazon.com/Amore-Pesto-Paste-2-8-Ounce-Tubes/dp/B001ET5XWG
I've seen the second one at Whole Foods.:p
$20 for a tube of pesto? How about using dried herbs, and tallow instead of olive oil? Just a thought since tallow keeps well.
Oh, and my best friend in grade school was the son of a governor of West Virginia who ended up on Skid Row in Chicago of all places.
ShelterLeopard
12-15-2009, 12:01
Knorr? Tubes!?
Just take a jar of the good stuff! It won't go bad. Nalgene sells some handy little bottles that are perfect; you don't have to worry about glass breaking. I use two for olive oil myself.
Yeah, but I need it for a thru- how am I going to get fresh pesto with no blender? (I know, some hostels have kitchen facilities, but it isn't easy that way) I may just reserve real, fresh pesto for section hikes. Thanks!
And SheepDog, BLASPHEMY!!! (Good rhyming though)
dzierzak
12-15-2009, 15:04
Yep, one of our govs did end up a cab driver in Chicago. The $20 was for 6 tubes, the only way I found it at Amazon. At Whole Foods, the price was $3 or $4.
Farr Away
12-16-2009, 10:08
Yeah, but I need it for a thru- how am I going to get fresh pesto with no blender? (I know, some hostels have kitchen facilities, but it isn't easy that way) I may just reserve real, fresh pesto for section hikes. Thanks!
...
I think they were recommending that you buy a jar of good pesto and then transfer the contents to a plastic container.
ShelterLeopard
12-16-2009, 11:06
Oh, I thought they meant make it- that makes sense. This is a crazy question, but do they sell jars of fully made pesto? I've never seen 'em. (Or is it basically pesto paste, like in the tubes?)
do they sell jars of fully made pesto? I've never seen 'em.
They do. Some brands are better than others, but they're all usually at least decent. Check near the fresh cheese section of the grocery store (where the non- American and cheddar cheeses are kept, like brie and cambanzola)... that's where I always seem to find it.
I've tried these for hiking. They're good, but I find the Knorr packages to taste almost as good, and for much less weight, so I usually just stick with the Knorr packages.
ShelterLeopard
12-16-2009, 11:44
I've been looking for the Korr packets, and I didn't find them in two grocery stores so far. (Found Spinach, found Spinach and vegetables, etc...) Going to try Wegman's, they may have it.
mister pooh
12-16-2009, 12:04
I've found jarred pesto with the Ragu style pasta sauces. Classico is pretty good.
And pesto is much better when made the old fashioned way without a blender/food processor. Think pesto = paste = pestle. With the back of a spoon and a pot it is possible on the trail, but a mortar and pestle is the preferred method:
Get about 3-4 cloves of garlic, sprinkle with salt (coarser the better). Grind with pestle/spoon until it gets good and mushy. Add pine nuts and grind more, then the basil and Parmesan, again grinding the whole time. Then whisk/mix in the olive oil to desired consistency.
Don't forget pesto's Argentinian cousin chimichurri (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimichurri). That stuff is awesome, especially on grilled meat! :)
I've been looking for the Korr packets, and I didn't find them in two grocery stores so far. (Found Spinach, found Spinach and vegetables, etc...) Going to try Wegman's, they may have it.
I would be shocked if they didn't have it. Ask the manager at the stores... it's not always where you think it would be, and they'll know where it actually is.
ShelterLeopard
12-16-2009, 12:19
I'll ask when I go today- I was shocked that they didn't have it, because I remember seeing it- maybe it is somewhere unexpected, you're right.
You can find Knorr pasta sauce packets in 2 places usually:
In the pasta aisle up high with the more gourmet items or with the "packet aisle" - yes, that aisle where all the packets for gravy and sauces are sold. In many stores look there first. Knorr makes an extensive line of sauce mixes.
As for the comment on Tallow vs. Olive Oil? Olive oil has a very long shelf life and is highly shelf stable. Tallow to last must be rendered from its original state (a block of white fat with bits and pieces in it.) Rendering isn't hard but is extremely messy. Once rendered you have to scrape off any residual "gelatin" on the bottom (usually with any missed bits). Tallow can still spoil as it is meat based - it will eventually go rancid.
The best long term fat for carrying though is hard coconut oil. That stuff is again highly shelf stable.
Animal base: less shelf life.
Vegetable base: much longer shelf life.
bigcranky
12-16-2009, 13:01
Costco sells a very good pre-made Pesto in a plastic jar. We freeze it in 2-person quantities. (It's a Costco-size jar.) It may require refrigeration, though, so it might not work on a hike.
brooklynkayak
12-16-2009, 19:12
I've been looking for the Korr packets, and I didn't find them in two grocery stores so far. (Found Spinach, found Spinach and vegetables, etc...) Going to try Wegman's, they may have it.
The Knorr pesto is not very good and doesn't really even taste as close to real pesto as you can make with few ingredients that were mentioned by Sarbar and I.
The Knorr pesto has a strange ingredient list. I think the main ingredient was sugar, the second was dried spinach, followed by salt and MSG. The parmeson and basil were near the bottom of the list.
And that is what it tastes like as well.
In all honesty I prefer making my own DIY as the Knorr packet gives me righteous heartburn. And that I can tell ya is not pleasant :p
ShelterLeopard
12-17-2009, 11:41
Wow- thanks everyone. I think I'll get some of the Korr's stuff, and some of the Ragu. (Sarbar, I'd love to have fresh homeade pesto, but I don't know how I'd do it on trail. If I was in a hostel with a blender, maybe.)
And Cranky, we don't really have any Costcos here- I've seen 'em, but never been inside, and I can't remember where I've seen 'em. Not near here though. We do have a BJ's, probably similar. But I think I'll get a couple smaller jars, and hope to find them along the trail in groceries.
Thanks everyone!
sheepdog
12-17-2009, 14:17
did I mention I don't like pesto?
did I mention I don't like pesto?
I have had several versions that were below good.
Olive oil, basil, parmesan cheese. That is good.
I have had several versions that were below good.
Olive oil, basil, parmesan cheese. That is good.
Don't forget the pine nuts... thems yummy.
sheepdog
12-17-2009, 14:34
I have had several versions that were below good.
Olive oil, basil, parmesan cheese. That is good.
Maybe add some bacon
an peperoni
Don't forget the pine nuts... thems yummy.
I ate half a bag of those once without shelling them. Not my favorite thing now. Yes I was.
On Pine Nuts....while tasty and good for you, be sure to NOT buy any imported in from China! There was a a number of nasty batches imported in this past year that caused some people to get "metal mouth" where everything tasted like metal for days and weeks after...how gross would that have been? Yech!
Anyhow, the US and European grown ones were fine and never caused the issue.
XCskiNYC
12-18-2009, 00:23
If you are not inclined to use the Knorr stuff my question is this --
What is there in pesto that would cause it to go bad after opening one of those small jars? All pesto is is a paste of herbs, pinenuts, maybe garlic and olive oil. It would seem to me that one of those small containers would be used up pretty quickly, before there would be any sort of concern for food safety.
They probably go with the Knorr because the packets are very light. A glass jar you'd have to pack out (versus most plastic/aluminum empty packets will burn up readily in a campfire). I guess one could put pre-made pesto in a nalgene jar but that might still be heavier than bringing a little olive oil and dried pesto mix such as the Knorr.
Mountain Maiden
12-18-2009, 10:31
I love pesto, as well. I suffered thru Knorr's on my thru. It was just 'okay.' LOVE the fresh stuff the most. "Flame" ga-me 02' makes the best fresh I've ever had!
In planning for your thru--why not put it on your "what to send a thru-hiker' list for friends and family that want to send care packages? A little jar at each maildrop would be such a welcome addition to your everyday meals! Good calories, good nutrition and YUMMY, too!
Gotta go eat some pesto---- (bought some at Sam's--pretty darn good!)
:sun
Thanks to this thread, I found pesto in tubes on sale at Whole Foods, and a "gourmet" package of pesto. I will read the ingredients, thank you, for the warning. I usually purchase Marie's frozen pesto in a tub, near the ricotta, in the grocery store.
I make pesto pizza: bubbly yeast crust, Colvita Extra Virgin olive oil, pesto, small crumbles of feta cheese. I add fresh basil leaves from the farmer's market and drizzle more olive oil on top.
yum.
On the trail, I make Backpacker's Pantry pesto pizza. I have a small pan, so it becomes calzone.
yum.
Since I found a focaccia recipe (http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/03/focaccia-the-easiest-homemade-bread.html) online, I make focaccia pan bread topped with pesto.
yum.
pesto pizza, pesto calzone, pesto focaccia, pesto fettucini, pesto alfredo, pesto biscuits?
http://www.trailcooking.com/recipes/dehydrated-pesto
This is for a DIY instant mix :)
Ingredients
3 T dried basil, crumbled
3 T shelf stable Parmesan cheese
1 T dried garlic, powder or diced
2 T olive oil (or 2 packets)
1⁄4 c water
Instructions
At home pack the dry ingredients in a snack size bag and seal tightly. Pack the oil in a leak proof bottle or take packets.
Depending on your use for the pesto sauce, add the oil and up to 1/4 cup water (hot or cool) slowly, mixing till blended. If using on trail sammies, you may want to use less water for a thicker spread. Let sit for a couple minutes to blend the flavors.
Notes
Perfect for pasta: Add a couple of diced sun-dried tomatoes, a handful of pine nuts and you have a sauce worthy of any type of pasta.
Try with Potato: make mashed potatoes and pesto in two seperate bags, use pesto and olive oil and red pepper flakes as condiments for mashers.
Wraps: smear on a tortillas! Really good with chicken, shrimp, turkey, tuna, dandelion greens, even makes shoe leather taste good ;-)
This by far the wisest trail version. I've made a similar concoction for years. It is basically an obvious trail version of the kind of pesta home gardeners make, except most of us when using fresh leaves leave out most of the water.
It's cheap, lightweight, and simple.
Weary
Weary, it definitely is an easy "gourmet" recipe :) Nothing hard to find or to make!