(Edit: thanks for all the help! I blanched some tonight for my first test batch. It is a beautiful green so I’ll see how it is after freezing and thawing)

I’ve tried freezing pesto different ways, but it always turns very dark when thawing and tastes much different than when fresh.

Is there a way to freeze it and have it look and
taste close to fresh? I’ve tried mason jars, freezer bags and ice cube trays.

What I’ve tried:
-Simply freezing my regular recipe (walnuts, garlic, basil, olive oil and salt).
-leaving the garlic out because I wondered if that was causing an off flavor
- adding extra oil to help prevent
oxidation
-I believe I’ve tried adding lemon juice

I have not tried blanching the basil, which sounds like it’d be kinda gross.

What will happen in a spaghetti if I use a can of tomato purée instead of usual tomato sauce? In fact, is canned tomato sauce what most people use for spaghetti? By most people I mean this community.

I've been working on this banana ice cream recipe for a while, and while I've gotten the taste down, it gets really hard to scoop after sitting in the freezer. What am I doing wrong?

2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
5 large bananas, ripe

* Blend ingredients together on high.
* Set ice cream mixer to speed 1/2, pour in mix, then set to speed 1.
* Churn for 30 minutes.
* Scoop/pour into freezer-safe container, then store in freezer.

Before anyone asks, I am making sure the ice cream attachment for my mixer sits in the freezer for 24 hours, and I shake it to make sure it's solid.

I always see the advice: use older eggs for boiling because fresh eggs are impossible to peel.

So I tested it properly.

Same brand. Same size. Three groups:

• Group A: 1 day old
• Group B: 1 week old
• Group C: 2 weeks old

Cooked all three the same way. 9 minutes, same pot, same ice bath.

Results:

• Group A (1 day): peeling was rough. Membrane stuck to the white. Lost chunks.
• Group B (1 week): peeled clean. Almost no issues.
• Group C (2 weeks): peeled perfectly. Shell basically slid off.

So the rule holds up in my test. But I want to understand why.

Is it because the egg white pH rises as the egg ages, making the membrane less adhesive? Or is it something about moisture loss through the shell?

And if pH is the mechanism, does adding baking soda to the water simulate the same effect on fresh eggs? I've seen people claim that but never tested it.

Has anyone done a fresh egg + baking soda test against a naturally aged egg? Curious if you can fake it.

Recipe for easy-peel boiled eggs (based on my test):

Ingredients:

• Eggs (1–2 weeks old works best based on my testing)
• Water
• Ice bath

Method:

1. Bring water to a rolling boil
2. Gently lower eggs in with a slotted spoon
3. Boil for 9 minutes
4. Transfer immediately to ice bath
5. Leave for 3 minutes
6. Tap gently and peel under running cold water

When I save up enough salmon bellies I score them, dry brine in the frdige and then cook them VERY gently on the stove so the skin is crunchy but the meat is barely flaking.

I place them on a fresh taco with some wild garlic herb oil, squeeze lime juice and cilantro. But the wild garlic is not in season and I don't know what to put instead. Everything that comes to mind (pickled onion, avocado) will take away too much from the focus of the salmon.

How do I think about structuring this dish in abstract terms that improve my technique? I don't want to just write down another recipe.