The farm.
BASE OF PESTO: P.D.O. GENOESE BASIL, EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL AND SALT
From more than 16 years Ca' Messighi's Farm produces a base for pesto made of P.D.O. Genoese Basil that uses to realize his Pesto for Italian and foreign industries.
Early morning, in our fields, fresh basil is cut, refrigerated and brought in the factory.
PROCESSING'S PHASES
Here it is washed three times, dried and fed into the cutter where it is blended together with the oil and salt.
The product obtained is filtered through the holes of three mm. in diameter.
Then it is packaged in polyethylene bags inside neutral inserted and sealed in special plastic buckets for food of different capacity.
In a few quick steps, not to spoil the plants and keep as much as possible the aroma of basil, the semifinished product is ready to be filled with oil and stored in our cold storage between 0 and 3 degrees, where it is kept for 24 months.
With this base we make a great pesto.
Years of research and analysis allowed us to achieve a safe and very good product.
the cultivation.
Basil is a very exigent plant and requires great care and attention.
Soil preparation is important: it must be soft, well-ventilated and rich in organic substances.
The seed used by our company is strictly selected to ensure the quality of the final product.
The cultivation is done only in the summer to avoid heating of greenhouses in winter.
To ensure a good harvest, is required minimum temperature of 20 degrees.
The plants must be watered daily, to maintain soft tissues of leaves.
Basil harvesting is made daily by qualified staff and handpicked, to guarantee product integrity.
P.d.o.
The P.D.O. is an european Community recognition (Law No. 2081/92) which protects the typical production and their quality.
This process is used to define the geographic area productions and regulates the cultivation.
So the production of the P.D.O. Genoese Basil should be done only in Liguria.
The Chamber of Commerce and the Repression of Fraud are responsible for production control.
The request of P.D.O. is submitted initially to the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and further to consideration of a special committee of the European Community in Brussels.
Our area has also received this special hallmark for "Taggiasca Olive Oil" which allows to protect the precious and famous condiment.
During 2006 also the ligurian Basil obtained the brand: P.D.O. Genoese Basil.
Our company was a P.D.O. Promoting Committee member and contribuited to join this important recognition.
Our fresh Basil we use to make Pesto is P.D.O. certified.
inthe history.
Basil (Ocimum Basilicum) derives from the greek `Basilikos` which means `grass worthy of kings`, as mentioned by Theophrastus in the third century BC.
It is known by the ancient Egyptians, who used it along with other aromatic essences for sacrificial offerings.
In the Middle Ages it was believed to have powers of defense against the Basilisk, a monster with great powers of evil.
Basil has always been associated with sacredness, it is said to be born at the foot of the cross of Christ and collected by the Empress Helena, mother of Constantine, who spread all over the world.
In antiquity, and still, it is used in herbal medicine for therapeutic remedies, especially in the kitchen where it finds its highest expression.
Basil produced in Western Liguria is particularly valuable, it is defined Genoese Basil, and has unique characteristics: intense aroma without hint of mint, pale and bright green leaf color, mild taste.
