Whether you've made hummus from scratch or bought a large amount from the grocery store, it's helpful to know how to freeze it. This sauce can be stored in the freezer, although the texture and flavor undergo alterations. Hummus should be stored in an airtight container while freezing, as it must retain its own moisture.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Hummus for the Freezer
Step 1. Transfer it to an airtight container
Regardless of whether it's homemade or commercial, you need to freeze it in a sealed container. Use a spoon or spatula to scrape the sauce off the entire bowl or package it is in; compact it well by squeezing it into the corners of the container to optimize the quantity you can freeze.
- Most Tupperware containers are airtight, as do other generic brand plastic containers.
- Avoid freezing hummus in plastic bags as it could get crushed or mangled; do not even use glass containers, as they could fall when you take them out of the freezer and break into a thousand pieces.
Step 2. Leave room for product expansion
Do not compact it by filling the jar completely; hummus contains water and therefore increases a little in volume. If you take up all the available space, the product can pop the cork off.
For example, if you have enough hummus to fill two large Tupperware containers, use three with 2-3 cm of space at the top
Step 3. Sprinkle the surface with some olive oil
A light layer helps the sauce retain its own moisture and not dry out during freezing. You can pour it directly from the bottle or, if you are afraid of using too much, you can first measure the dose in a graduated cup; however, great precision is not required at this stage, just add the oil you need to create a thin layer.
If the frozen gravy dries up, its texture becomes grainy and the taste becomes bad from freeze burns
Part 2 of 3: Freezing the Hummus
Step 1. Prepare small batches
To avoid wasting hummus, place it in the freezer in small portions. This trick also allows you to defrost it more easily when you want to consume it; you can bring back to room temperature only the dose you need instead of all the large package you have placed in the freezer.
For this purpose, you need to choose small plastic containers
Step 2. Add a label showing the date and content
Whatever container you have chosen, you must use a permanent marker to write down the main information. Remember to write the word "hummus" and the date you put everything in the freezer; this way, you know how long the sauce has been in the freezer and how long it can stay there.
If you used a plastic container that you would like to reuse after you have finished all the hummus, apply a strip of duct tape to the lid and write the date on it; once all the sauce has been used up, remove the label and throw it away
Step 3. Consume it within 6-8 months
If you leave it in the freezer for a month, it could take cold damage and lose much of its flavor. consider eating it all before 6 months, otherwise you'll have to throw some away.
If you think you won't be able to eat it all within this time, ask friends and family if they want some; in the future you should avoid buying or preparing more than you can eat in six months
Part 3 of 3: Thaw the hummus
Step 1. Put the frozen one in the refrigerator for 24 hours
This way, it defrosts slowly and evenly instead of quickly and unevenly like in the microwave. By allowing it time to return to its original state, it slowly softens and retains most of the original flavor and texture.
Once completely thawed, you have to mix it with a spoon if it is not well homogeneous; there may still be some olive oil on the surface
Step 2. The flavor and texture are slightly different
Since the water in it expands during freezing, you may find that the sauce is a bit grainier; the general flavor and compactness undergo some alterations due to the conservation process.
The longer it stays in the freezer, the more noticeable these changes are
Step 3. Enhance the flavor with spices
If you don't like the new flavor of the thawed hummus as much as the original one or it is slightly unpleasant, you can add some ingredients; sprinkle it with paprika, cumin or black pepper to make it more appetizing.
- You can also finely chop an onion, a sweet pepper and even a clove and incorporate them into the thawed hummus.
- You can find all of these spices in grocery stores, but you can also look for them in organic food stores or drugstores, for a greater variety of fresher products or spices.
