Hummus is a mouth-watering, healthy Middle Eastern dip made from chickpeas – ‘hummus’ is Arabic for chickpeas.
You might enjoy it straight out of the fridge with some cucumber sticks or spread on a sandwich.
However, traditionally, it’s served at room temperature or warmed and eaten with pita bread.
The only downside about this delicious snack?
It doesn’t last too long in your refrigerator – only about a week.
Therefore, you might be wondering: can you freeze hummus?
The short answer is yes!
Here’s the lowdown: Freezing hummus will extend its storage life to a healthy six months. Plus, the texture won’t change a huge amount!
Is It A Good Idea To Freeze Hummus?
Let’s clear this up first. Freezing hummus is a great idea if you’d like to extend its storage life.
The only thing you may notice is that your hummus is a bit thinner after it has been thawed.
Apart from that, frozen and defrosted hummus can be used just like normal hummus!
One last thing: you should never refreeze hummus – it could make you sick!
Instructions For Freezing Hummus
When it comes to freezing hummus, you’ve got options. But don’t worry – they’re both pretty simple.
Freeze Hummus The Easy Way
Freeze hummus the easy way if you’re confident you have plenty of fridge space or if you only need to freeze a tub or two of hummus.
- Portion out your hummus into freezer-safe airtight containers. Make sure you put no more than 12 ounces in each container. Any more, and your hummus will thaw on the outside and stay solid on the inside!
- Pour a thin layer of olive oil over each container of hummus. This isn’t essential, but it will help prevent moisture loss.
- Close the container and pop it in the freezer.
To thaw, take a container and place it in the refrigerator overnight. You might need to give it a quick mix to fix the separation, and then you’re good to go!
Freeze Hummus And Save On Freezer Space
This option might take a little more time in the short run, but it’s well worth it!
- Portion out hummus into ice cube trays or deep muffin trays – ice cube trays if you prefer to have a little hummus on your sandwich and muffin trays if you like to enjoy more of your hummus at a time.
- Coat your hummus with a small amount of olive oil. One drop will do for each portion of hummus in an ice cube tray, while three is good for a muffin tray.
- Cover the tray in aluminum foil or cling film to protect it from freezer burn.
- Flash freeze for 2 hours.
- Great – now your chunks of hummus won’t stick together! Pop them out of the trays and transfer the hummus to an airtight container. Place that back in the freezer.
This one’s a great option if you want your hummus to defrost faster in easy, snack-sized portions.
How Long Frozen Hummus Will Last
Here’s where the benefits of freezing hummus really come to light.
Frozen hummus lasts up to six months! That said, your frozen hummus will be at its best quality if you thaw and consume it within four months. Think less texture change and dryness.
Once you’ve thawed your hummus, make sure you consume it within 3-5 days. And store it in your refrigerator!
How To Store Hummus In Other Ways
Let’s cover alternative ways to store hummus so you’re sure you’re making the right choice.
If you’ve got a few tubs of hummus you haven’t opened yet, they will last 3-7 days past their best-before date (which will likely be 5-7 days after purchase). That’s provided you store your hummus in the refrigerator as soon as you’re home from the grocery store.
Here’s another advice: avoid placing your hummus in the refrigerator door. The refrigerator door is usually warmer and can experience sudden changes in temperature.
Therefore, it may not be necessary to freeze your hummus – think about when you plan to consume it.
Once you’ve opened your tub of hummus, it will last about 4-6 days, or more if your hummus contains preservatives.
You should reseal your tub of hummus or transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. Make sure you practice proper food hygiene: no double dipping and only clean utensils!
This will help prevent cross-contamination and the spread of bacteria.
You can use the olive oil trick to stop your hummus from drying out in the refrigerator. Just be super sparing – the fridge will dry out your hummus a lot less, and you don’t want your hummus turning into an oily mess!
The Round-Up On Freezing Hummus
Here’s our final tip: whether you have thawed hummus or regular hummus, leave your portion in an airtight container on the counter for 30 minutes before consuming. It will be nicer that way!
Here’s a rundown on freezing hummus:
- Hummus lasts 3-7 days after its best-before date if it has been stored in the refrigerator and is yet to be opened.
- Hummus lasts up to six months in the freezer, but it is at its best before four months.
- Flash-freeze your hummus in ice cube trays before transferring them to an airtight container for easy portioning and fast thawing.
- Don’t freeze portions of hummus over 12 ounces. It will thaw unevenly and slowly. Plus, you probably won’t be able to eat it all in time!
- Consume thawed hummus within 3-5 days and store it in the refrigerator.
