Many people question, “Can I freeze hummus?” Yes, you can freeze hummus. You just have to follow simple instructions and you will have hummus frozen well. This article will make you aware of everything you need to know about freezing hummus.
Made primarily from cooked mashed chickpeas and combined with a scrumptious blend of garlic, extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, sea salt and tahini. Hummus is a creamy dish that can be used as an appetizer, dip as well as a spread for toasts. Hummus well-known in the culinary cultures of the Middle East and the Mediterranean Regions. It is a dish bit on the savoury side. You can either prepare hummus at home or buy it from stores. Now hummus is commercially prepared with exciting new flavours different from the original recipe. Hummus is not only used as a delicious dip for chips, pita bread, tacos and vegetables. But also consumed alongside with pastas, macaroni dishes, vegetable and egg salads and baked goods.
With the widespread consumption of hummus in the world. The next question that will come to your mind is whether you can freeze and preserve hummus for later use. Once you open a container of hummus, it can stay good only for a week or so. Many people who don’t like the taste of store-bought hummus tend to prepare it at home in large batches and think of a way to freeze them.
Health Benefits of Eating Hummus
Hummus as a good source of plant-based proteins is a great option for vegetarians and vegans to obtain the protein essential for their survival. Chickpeas which are the main ingredient in hummus contribute to keep your digestive system healthy because of their high fiber content. In addition to that, eating hummus makes your bowel movements regular. The healthy fats in this dish are good for the health of your heart. Those who are concerned about their body weight can even eat hummus regularly as a spread for toast. Hummus is a healthy alternative for unhealthy and high calorie varieties of butter and different types of spreads. Gluten, nut and dairy free hummus is also ideal for those who are with allergic conditions.
How Can You Freeze Hummus?
Freezing hummus is not a difficult task at all. If you have unopened cans of store-bought hummus, you can directly put them in the freezer. But, if you have already opened the container of hummus or you have made huge batches of hummus at home, you need to follow a special set of instructions when freezing it.
First, you need to transfer hummus to an airtight container. If you want to portion out the hummus to ensure your convenience when using it later, choose several airtight containers for this purpose of storing. Fill the containers with hummus, but leave a little space for hummus to expand. Since hummus is liquid based, it expands as it freezes.
Therefore to avoid any spilling, you need to leave extra space at the top of the container. After that, apply a thin layer of olive oil on top of the surface of hummus in order to prevent your delicious hummus from losing its moisture in the process of freezing.
Some people who prefer to portion out the ingredients required to prepare their food tend to freeze hummus in small portions. For this purpose, you need to take a parchment-lined baking tray and place scoops of hummus on it, each scoop sufficient enough for one serving. After keeping them for a while in the freezer, transfer the frozen hummus to a Ziploc bag or an airtight container.
As the final step, make sure to label your containers or Ziploc bags with the date.
Hummus frozen in this manner can be kept good for about four months.
Is Hummus As Good and Fresh As It Was Before After Freezing?
After freezing for a long period, slight changes in the flavor and the texture can be noticed in hummus. The longer hummus is kept in the freezer, the higher the probability to change its texture and flavour. There are certain tips you can follow to enhance the taste of frozen and thawed hummus.
How to Thaw Frozen Hummus and Make It As Delicious As It Was Before?
When you decide it’s time to eat your hummus, take it out from the freezer and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight. As a result of freezing, oil can separate from the rest. Therefore, after it is fully thawed, take it out from the refrigerator and stir well in order to ensure the even dispersion of ingredients. Instead of stirring, you can also mix thawed hummus well using a food processor or a blender and add a little bit of water to make the mixture smooth. Here is a tip to enhance the flavor of thawed hummus. You can add some additional spices to make your frozen hummus more flavourful. Some chopped garlic, diced onions and peppers, a little bit of olive oil will revitalize frozen and thawed hummus.
And, avoid putting once frozen hummus back into the freezer because repeated freezing and thawing can make hummus tasteless.
Conclusion
Hummus is a delicious and versatile dish used as a starter, a dip and spread. It is also a dish high in nutritious value. You can either buy store-made hummus or make hummus at home. If you prepare a large batch of hummus at home or want to preserve your store-bought hummus, you can freeze and save it for later use. Freezing hummus is super easy. You can just store the unopened containers in the freezer or transfer hummus to an airtight container or several containers and freeze. You can thaw frozen hummus by keeping it in the refrigerator overnight. To make it more delicious after thawing, you can season it with some spices. This article will help you gain a clear knowledge on freezing hummus.
