Homemade Pistachio Paste

Pistachio paste is one of those pastes we hardly ever try to make at home. The default is to go to the local store or buy on the net. The downside is that it's usually quite expensive, and the amount in a jar looks more like a sample than an actual paste — not nearly enough for multiple recipes. I researched the web a bit and opened a few cookbooks. Turns out making this paste is not such a big deal and takes no more than 30 minutes of work. So I made it, and guess what — it's far superior to the store-bought one.

How to make a homemade pistachio paste

First rule: start with good-quality pistachios. I always say, if the original ingredient is good, you'll have to work hard to ruin its taste. I like to roast the pistachios before grinding. The heat releases the aromas of the nuts and intensifies the flavor of the paste. The sweetness comes from a sugar syrup — just like we make in candy recipes — by boiling sugar and water to a temperature of 120°C / 250°F. At this temperature, most of the water evaporates and the sugar loses most of its moisture, causing it to crystallize when it hits a cooler surface. In our case, that's the pistachios.

In candy-making, you can do the water test — drop the liquid sugar into a water bath and watch it form a solid ball of sugar that crystallizes and turns stiff within a few more seconds.

Homemade pistachio paste can be stored for a few months in the fridge. As long as it's in a humidity-free environment, it'll last quite a while. Bear in mind that the flavor does get milder over time, so the best time to use it is within 2–3 months. For one of the best uses for homemade pistachio paste, check out our Sicilian pistachio gelato recipe — it calls for a large amount of pistachio paste, so if I had to buy it, it would cost a lot more than just picking up a quart of ice cream.