Can You Freeze Hummus

With its subtle Mediterranean flavor, hummus is a versatile and delicious spread that can be eaten in many different ways. Made from pulverized chickpeas and other beans, blended with tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and garlic. A popular dish throughout the Middle East, hummus has become a staple of the fiber of the American culinary encyclopedia. Perfect for dipping with pita bread, crackers, or various veggies, adding to salads, and using as a sandwich spread, hummus is a versatile ingredient that is both delicious and healthy. Packed with vitamins and minerals, hummus is an excellent source of vitamins B and C, fiber, and protein while at the same time being low in sodium and cholesterol. The question is can you freeze hummus?

Top Tips for Freezing Hummus

You can save time and money by preparing or buying hummus in bulk, no matter whether you prefer pre-made versions of making your own. While you might not be able to finish all of that hummus, it is perfectly fine to freeze hummus in small portions to extend its life of freshness. Freezing hummus is as easy as freezing any other foods, however there are a few guidelines to keep in mind when doing so to prevent any sort of spoilage.

Make sure to use proper airtight, freezer-safe containers to store your hummus in. Using freezer-safe plastic bags or Tupperware containers are both viable options; just make sure that they can be sealed airtight as this seal is essential in ensuring that your hummus remains safe and tasty whilst frozen. Make sure you don’t fill the container all the way to the top with hummus. Since hummus expands as it freezes, this little bit of space will safeguard the seal from breaking.

Depending on how you plan on portioning the hummus, you may seal it in both small and large quantities. If you plan to eat it as part of a singular meal, freezing hummus in small quantities is a perfect way of portioning. If you plan on hosting a party in the coming weeks, maybe freezing a large quantity is a better idea.

Here are some additional tips on how to freeze different foods and how to make sure your frozen food lasts:

How Long Will My Frozen Hummus Last?

A good practice in freezing hummus is to pour a small amount of olive oil into the container you plan on using. Olive oil on top of the hummus will help it retain its moisture while frozen. You don’t need to use much; enough to coat the hummus is plenty.

Now that the hummus is in the freezer, you can keep it frozen for up to four months. After four months, the hummus won’t necessarily go bad, but its taste and texture will begin to abate over time. This is to be expected, though, as freezing something “liquidy” such as hummus tends to change the texture and make it “grainier.”

Serving Your Frozen Hummus

Defrosting time

When you are ready to eat your hummus, take it out from the freezer and thaw it in the refrigerator. Make sure you do this at least a day in advance, as it takes several hours to thaw. When you open the container, you may notice that there is some liquid at the top. Don’t be alarmed, as this is normal and is just caused by the hummus separating during the freezing process. Stir the hummus up thoroughly and it should be ready for immediate consumption.

Boost the flavor

If the hummus seems to have lost some of its flavor, do not hesitate to add additional spices and/or olive oil to the spread. Doing so might improve both the flavor and consistency of the hummus. Some brands and flavors of hummus freeze well, while others do not. Many find that traditional chickpea hummus freezes better than flavored hummus. Other ways of improving the hummus could be the addition of minced onion or garlic, as well as tomatoes, fresh peppers, or even hot sauce. Some people prefer their hummus to be a bit warm, so a short amount of time in the microwave can do wonders, as well as improve the consistency.

Once you’ve thawed your hummus and modified it as your taste dictates, make sure you eat it within four to seven days. Additionally, make sure that you do not re-freeze hummus that has already been frozen, as thawing and re-freezing food in general increases risk on contamination and spoilage, which could in turn make the food unsafe for consumption. If there is any hummus left over, make sure it is properly discarded of.

Does Hummus Go Bad and Expire?

When you’re in your local supermarket and you see a big sale on packages of hummus, what should you do? Would it be worth the savings in time and money to have extra hummus containers around for family parties or social gatherings? Will you be able to store the hummus for the long-term without too much trouble? The ultimate question remains; does hummus go bad?

Unfortunately, hummus does go bad especially if it is not stored in the correct manner. Hummus also has an expiration date, it depends on the brand but commercial unopened hummus best buy date usually is about one month. Steps and procedures have to be taken in order to make sure that the hummus won’t go bad prematurely. There is a lot of information out there that will help you to store your hummus in the right ways for the long-term which will allow you to get the most bang for your buck with this product. The shelf life of the hummus will grow dramatically if you’re able to follow these steps and tips that will be outlined in this article. Follow along if you wish to get the most out of this delicious dip from the Middle East.

Storing the Hummus

When it comes to hummus, the most important thing to keep in mind is that this product has to be stored in a cool, dark, and dry place above all else. In addition, it’s important to realize that hummus would be best stored for the long-term in the refrigerator. This is especially true if the hummus has been opened already but it’s important in both cases of opened and unopened to err on the side of caution and place it in the refrigerator right after purchase. If you have opened your package of hummus already and used it, it’s very important to tightly re-seal the container for long-term storage.

The last thing that you would want for your hummus is for it to go bad prematurely just because you didn’t re-seal the contents after opening. Leaving the hummus vulnerable to oxidation, sunlight, heat, and other outside elements is something that you always want to avoid as a responsible customer. If you feel more comfortable moving the package of hummus to a new container that can be tightly sealed, I would recommend doing just that. You can also use aluminum or plastic foil to completely cover the hummus after it has been tightly sealed in the container. If you want to store your hummus for a really long time or aren’t sure when you’ll use it again in the future, I also recommend storing the contents in the freezer. All you have to do is make sure that all excess air has been let out of the container of hummus and that it is tightly sealed before freezing it.

Lastly, it’s important to note that regardless of whether the hummus is being stored in the freezer or refrigerator, you should always label with a permanent marker the date of first freezing to keep track of how long the product has been stored for.

The Shelf Life of Hummus

Because of the fact that hummus doesn’t have any preservatives in its contents, then it’s quite natural that the product will go bad faster than other types of foods. Overall, the shelf life won’t be as long even if you take the right steps and precautions. At most, if you store the hummus in the refrigerator, the product will last for up to an entire week. If you decide to place the hummus in the freezer, it could last for up to an extra few weeks but you have to remember to thaw it out carefully before eating. If you leave the hummus out on the kitchen counter at room temperature for many hours or even an entire day, chances are good that the shelf life will be cut short by quite a bit of time. Homemade hummus that one makes may last for longer or shorter than the average store-bought hummus depending on the ingredients that were used and the method of storage.

If you haven’t opened up the hummus package yet, you’ll be happy to know that the contents will last from two to four weeks. However, this is only true if you decide to store the unopened hummus in the refrigerator as recommended. You also shouldn’t follow the “best by” or “use by” date on the hummus package because it still should be good for a week or more after that date passes if its’ been stored correctly. Usually, you’ll want to eat and use the hummus a few days after opening. While it may be good to eat a week after first opening, you don’t want to risk it too much by waiting too long. The sooner you eat the hummus after initial opening, the better the product will taste.

Signs of Bad Hummus

The major thing to pay attention to when it comes to hummus is if its’ texture has changed to become moldy, clumpy or if the liquid has been separating from the solid. You should also look to see if there’s any noticeable change to the color of the hummus. These are both notable signs that the hummus has gone bad. If you’re still not convinced, it would be best to smell the hummus to see if a bad odor has developed or to do a small taste test to see if it has the same flavor as originally advertised. If the hummus has shown all of these signs, it has definitely gone bad and should be thrown out immediately. If not, you have some more time left to use the rest of the contents as its’ still good to use and eat.

Conclusion

Hummus is an extremely popular topping and dip that originated in the Middle East and has spread across the world in terms of its’ availability and its’ customers. While the origins of this delicious and useful spread are hotly debated to this day, it is considered to be most popular and widely found in Israel and Lebanon. Also, it is quite common to see it in stores and restaurants from Jordan to Saudi Arabia to Egypt. It’s only been in recent years where the popularity of hummus has spread from just in the Middle East to Europe, North America and elsewhere. Truly, it can be said that hummus is becoming a world favorite. It is a dip or spread, which is a favorite with vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.

Hummus, while most will agree is more tasteful and delicious fresh, can most certainly go bad so if you want it to last longer, it’s best to freeze it. Some even go as far as to say that the flavors of the hummus tend to meld and improve while frozen. Hummus can be frozen quite easily and thawed and consumed just the same. Adding new ingredients and spices to a thawed hummus can even make for a more delicious recipe! So, if you find yourself with a surplus of hummus, don’t throw it out!