Hummus is a delicious and nutritious creamy spread made with chickpeas and other ingredients but can you freeze hummus to keep it longer? Find the answer below!
While Middle Eastern in origin, it has received world-wide acceptance thanks not only to its delicious, earthy taste that goes well with pretty much everything, but also due to its health properties, as this fantastic spread can help you lower your cholesterol levels as well as to reduce the symptoms of certain diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
It’s definitely no surprise that this dish is eaten with almost every meal in the Mediterranean.
Because of this, it’s tempting to want to buy a huge container of hummus or even make large quantities of it on your own (it’s actually quite easy) but the downside is that, unless you really love hummus, chances are it’s going to go bad before you finish it.
After all, it’s not like you can freeze hummus…right?
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Can You Freeze Hummus?
As it turns out, you can!
Freezing hummus is the best way of making sure your hummus stays fresh for a long, long time. This way, you can make a lot in advance and eat it through the week or you can purchase in bulk and do the same.
How to Freeze Hummus?
Freezing hummus is easy and perfectly safe, as long as you stick to the following steps:
Step 1: Planning
Decide whether you’re going to eat your hummus in one go or you’d rather portion it.
Remember, you can’t freeze something you’ve already thawed so planning ahead is the best way of ensuring food safety.
Step 2: Place Hummus in Containers
Scoop out your hummus and place it in airtight, freezer safe containers.
While plastic bags might be tempting and more convenient, they won’t do the trick so you need to use lidded containers for this.
Make sure not to fill them all the way and leaving some space at the top, as hummus will expand once it’s frozen.
Step 3: Add Olive Oil
In order to keep your hummus from losing moisture, add a bit of olive oil to the top of it. You don’t have to use a lot, but make sure it covers the entire surface of your hummus.
Step 4: Freeze
Cover your containers and place in the freezer, where they’ll be able to stay for up to 4 months.
It may last for longer than that without going bad, but the texture and flavor will change so we recommend eating it before the 4 months are over.
For security purposes, labeling your containers with a “better by” date is recommended.
Step 5: Thawing
When you’re ready to thaw your hummus, take out your freezer safe container and transfer it to the fridge at least one day before you plan to use it.
Step 6: Stir and Serve
Once your hummus has thawed completely, stir with a spoon to make sure the oils and the ingredients are mixed properly.
If you’ve noticed the flavor has changed, feel free to add extra spices.
For improved taste, add fresh onions, garlic or peppers, which will add more flavor.
If the texture has changed, add a bit of olive oil, stir and see if it improves.
And there you have it. That’s how you freeze hummus!
Tips To Freeze And Thaw Hummus
Remember, for safety purposes you should never re-freeze food that you’ve already thawed, as it increases the risk of bacterial contamination, which can be very dangerous.
Thawed hummus will go bad within 7 days after freezing it so make sure to eat it before that happens.
If you’ve purchased or made a large quantity of hummus we highly recommend not freezing it all in a single batch and portioning instead to avoid any health risks.
If you don't know how to make hummus, see below video:
Did you enjoy our tutorial? Was it easy to understand? Do you have any tips and tricks for freezing hummus? Any hummus recipes you’d like to share?
Leave a comment and thank you for reaching out!