The Cheap Grocery Store Sauce That Customers Rave About — 'Best Premade Pesto You Can Buy!'

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Store-bought pesto is one of those products that's hit or miss. It's never quite as fresh-tasting as the homemade variety, it almost exclusively comes in small jars, and, perhaps the least appealing of all, it's expensive for what you get. Fortunately, there's one version that's a hit with quite a few shoppers, and it comes from the house brand of an extremely popular store: Costco. The Kirkland Signature pesto is something that Reddit users really enjoy, and in one thread dedicated to the store's basil-based condiment, nearly everyone sang its praises for the parmesan-forward flavor, value, and versatility.

One commenter said, "The BEST premade pesto out there." Another user wrote, "It was gone from our costco for a year and when my husband saw it again he bought 10 jars." According to Costco's website, it retails for $9.99 for a 22-ounce jar, which means it's just $0.45 per ounce. For perspective, a 6.7-ounce jar of Rao's brand pesto costs $5.99, which works out to a significantly more expensive $0.90 per ounce. The Kirkland product also holds an impressive 4.7-star rating from more than 240 reviews.

Better still, Costco's pesto even happens to be an authentic product. If you don't believe me, just look at the label. Kirkland's pesto is certified D.O.P., which indicates that it's a verified Italian product that meets specially designated standards for sourcing and production. This pesto has genuine D.O.P. Genovese basil and Pecorino Romano cheese.

As much as we sing Costco's praises, it does come with one unyielding fact: Everything comes in bulk. That's the tradeoff when shopping at the cheapest grocery store chain in the United States. And yes, 22 ounces of pesto is quite a bit, since all you generally need is a heaping spoonful for a single serving. So it may be inevitably difficult for some households to eat all of it before the taste starts to decline. Fortunately, users in that Reddit thread have a solution.

One said, "Kirkland pesto slaps. I'm just one person at home so I freeze it in little cubes to use as single servings." Another commenter replied with a suggestion for a slightly different tactic, saying, "I put the whole jar in the freezer. I use a spoon to scrape/carve out what I need." Our preferred method for keeping pesto fresh for longer is using a simple ice cube tray to freeze it in small portions. 

By the way, if you haven't tried Kirkland's pesto yet and want to give it a try, you won't find it in any of the shelf-stable aisles — you'll have to head to the refrigerated section. It's one of the few pesto products at any chain grocery store that you'll find in the cooler.