Tested by Conor Pope

Excellent ***** Great **** Fine *** Below par ** Awful *

Jamie Oliver Classic and Lovely Green Pesto, €3.42 for 190g, €18 per kg

Highs:Given that the chap on the front of this jar is always banging on about high-quality food and only using the best ingredients, we had high hopes for this comparatively cheap pesto. It had a sharp tangy, flavour which was oddly reminiscent of mint sauce. The garlic and basil flavours were also very prominent in this thick-set sauce.

Lows:It is made with sunflower oil rather than olive oil, and is very salty – one serving has just under a quarter of an adult's GDA of salt and nearly a third of the fat. The chumminess on the jar is just a little wearing; the serving suggestion advises us to mix this with parmesan and a "good lug of olive oil" – frankly, Jamie, we'd prefer you to be adding the lug of olive oil before you sell it to us.

Verdict:Dear and below par

Star rating:**

Tesco Green Pesto, €3.20 for 150g, €21.33 per kg

Highs: This is a very cheesy, fresh pesto that is full of strong flavours. All the ingredients have been roughly chopped, lending it a pleasingly homemade appearance and texture. While the cheese and nut flavours are pronounced, it has a subtle basil aftertaste which creeps up on you.

Lows:There is a lot of olive oil in the mix, but the sunflower oil which is also present strips it of some of its authenticity and makes it a little more greasy than we would have liked. While all the other products (with the exception of the homemade option) were produced in Italy, this travelled from no further than the UK.

Verdict:Pretty good

Star rating: ***

Homemade Pesto, €4.24 (approx) for 120g, €21.16 per kg

Highs:When Pricewatch said it was considering reviewing pestos, a surprising number of folk we spoke to boasted about making their own. So we gave it a whirl. The basil was €3.58 (for two bags), the pine nuts cost 60 cent, the splash of olive oil cost no more than 10 cent while the clove of garlic set us back five cent, taking the total cost to around €4.24 for enough pesto to serve four people. It is very simple to make (assuming you have either a pestle and mortar or a food processing device) and tastes a whole lot better than the store-bought alternatives.

Lows:While it is simple to make, assembling the ingredients is a lot more complicated and a lot more expensive than going into a supermarket and picking a jar off the shelves. It also involved a whole lot more washing-up.

Verdict: Great, but not for your wallet

Star rating: ****

Buitoni Pesto Genovese, €3.19 for 140g, €22.78 per kg

Highs:This is a very smooth-textured and pleasant-tasting fresh pesto which is to be found everywhere from the largest supermarket to the smallest convenience store. It has been produced in Italy and made with extra virgin olive oil. Although there is a lot of basil in the mix, the flavours are nicely balanced with no single ingredient taking over.

Lows:Except, maybe, the salt, of which there seemed to be a lot. It is undoubtedly on the pricey side, although we presume we are paying a premium for its freshness. And the packaging seemed to us to be oddly designed and prone to leaking.

Verdict:Nice and simple

Star rating: ***

Baresa Pesto Alla Genovese, €0.99 for 185g, €5.35 per kg

Highs:In pure price terms, this is almost impossible to beat and is not that bad in taste terms either. When we bought it in the middle of last week, it was on special offer, but even at the full price of €1.29 it is still remarkably cheap. It has been made with 38 per cent basil which has been very finely pureed. It tastes okay – not amazingly good or anything, but absolutely fine. It has a decent garlic kick and a nice nutty texture.

Lows:How do they make it for so little? Well, they use sunflower oil instead of olive oil and cashews instead of pine nuts (although there are a small amount of pine nuts in the mix), which presumably helps them cut costs quite significantly.

Verdict:Great value

Star rating: ****