While hummus is a very versatile component to have in your kitchen, it can be difficult to use it up within the allotted time frame.
Making it yourself also presents problems, as fresh hummus doesn’t have as many preservatives than its store-bought counterpart, so it has a much shorter shelf life.
It’s much easier to make hummus in big batches, and time-consuming to only make small amounts.
Your local grocery store may also have offers on hummus regularly, but you’re not sure whether it’s a good idea to take advantage. How much hummus can you really eat in a week?
Luckily, you can freeze hummus.
How Do You Freeze Hummus?
There are different ways to freeze hummus, and it depends on your requirements and how much hummus you actually get through as to which one you might choose.
One rule that does apply to all of these methods is that you should not freeze hummus for more than a few months.
After this time, the quality of your hummus will plummet, and it won’t really have a decent flavor or even texture anymore.
Freezing Hummus In The Original Packaging
If you’ve bought ready-made hummus, one of the easiest ways to freeze it is to use the original container. This only works if you haven’t opened it, of course.
If you have opened it, you could wrap it in foil or put the whole container into a freezer bag, but you might risk some freezer burn.
How To Freeze Hummus In Small Portions
If you don’t use a lot of hummus at once, it’s a good idea to portion it and freeze these servings individually.
This way, it will take less time to thaw, and you only need to defrost as much as you want to use at any time.
There are two ways of doing this. If the hummus has a fairly thick consistency (you’d hope so, but some are thicker than others), you can use a baking sheet.
Divide the hummus into scoops, large enough for a single portion, and put the baking sheet into the freezer.
Once they are frozen solid, you should put them into a freezer bag or a suitable container and keep them in the freezer.
Or, you may have several smaller containers to hand which are airtight, in which case, you can divide the hummus between them and pop them into the freezer.
Both methods end well, as you can thaw as much as you need and no more.
How To Freeze Large Amounts of Hummus
If you have a lot of hummus to freeze, but the original container isn’t suitable, or if you’ve made it from scratch, you’ll need a bigger airtight container.
Put all the hummus into this single container. You can also add a tablespoon of olive oil on top, in order to help keep the texture and moisture during the freezing and thawing process.
Just allow a little room at the top of the container for the hummus to expand. If it’s going to be awhile before you defrost the hummus, you can also put the container into a freezer bag, and this will help stop fierce freezer burn.
Thawing Frozen Hummus
The best way to defrost frozen hummus is to transfer it into the fridge and let it thaw for as long as it needs.
Depending on the temperatures of your freezer and fridge, this will most likely take most of the day, so overnight is best.
You’ll notice that hummus changes texture and consistency once it has thawed. It may go watery, or much thinner, and you should be able to reconstitute it by stirring it.
If that doesn’t fix it, you should add some olive oil to help hydrate the hummus. Even after adding the oil, it may be noticeably different from before it was frozen, and that’s normal.
The extent to which the hummus changes after it’s been frozen and defrosted largely depends on the ingredients it has been made with. If it’s a specific brand, and you’re not impressed, try another.
If it’s a homemade hummus, you can also try a different recipe, and you’ll end up with a different result.
Thawed hummus should be eaten within a week of defrosting it, at the very least. You shouldn’t refreeze hummus, as freezing it a second time will dramatically reduce its quality.
Freezing Hummus: Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Freeze Shop Bought Hummus?
Store-bought hummus will freeze without a disaster, although a lot of manufacturers will not recommend doing so because of the change in texture and taste, as it can alter significantly.
Sometimes the shop-bought hummus can freeze better than its homemade counterpart, because the shop-bought version has already got preservatives in it.
You will need to ensure that it’s in a suitable container in order to freeze it.
You may also want to divide it into smaller portions, especially if the reason you’re freezing it is that there’s too much for you to use within its expiry date, once opened.
Can You Freeze Hummus You’ve Made Yourself?
Yes, you can freeze homemade hummus. You’ll need to freeze it as soon as possible once you’ve made it, as the fresher it is, the better it will be after it defrosts.
Divide it into portions as you need, and put into a freezer-safe container. Make sure to leave at least an inch between the top of the container and the hummus, and wrap with cling film before putting on the lid.
Label appropriately and then freeze.
An easier way to portion homemade hummus is to use a muffin tray. Just make sure to coat each mold with a little olive oil, and then divide the hummus into the molds.
Be careful not to overfill the molds, or you risk getting hummus all over the freezer as it expands.
Leave the hummus for about 4 hours or until it has frozen solid, and have a large, resealable freezer bag handy. Take each portion of hummus from the muffin tray, place them in the bag, seal, and label appropriately.
With this method, the individual portions won’t stick to each other, making it easier to only defrost what you need, when you need it.
What Happens To Hummus If You Freeze It?
Hummus can be frozen without much fuss, but it does change noticeably. This applies to both store-bought hummus and homemade hummus.
Both will alter, but it depends on the recipe and ingredients as to how much.
There is also a difference between the way shop-bought hummus is affected by freezing and how homemade hummus changes.
As shop-bought hummus contains added preservatives, it may change less dramatically than homemade hummus, as these ingredients can stop the structure of the hummus from breaking down.
It depends on personal preference when it comes to freezing hummus. Some people don’t mind the thawed version, while others prefer only fresh hummus.
It’s all about the texture, and the sooner you use up your frozen hummus, the better quality it will be.
Can You Freeze Chickpea Hummus?
Yes. Chickpea hummus (see also Can You Freeze Chickpeas?) is suitable for freezing. It doesn’t matter if you’ve bought it in the shop, or if you’ve made it from scratch, both versions will freeze, and so long as you freeze them correctly, there’s no reason why not.
Like other forms of hummus, the consistency will change after it’s been frozen and thawed. It may become thinner, or the liquids may separate, but stir them back in, and that should help a great deal.
Hummus that’s made with chickpeas can turn gritty, or it can dry out. To prevent this, you can cover the top of the hummus with olive oil (see also Freezing Olive Oil) before you freeze it.
The oil stops a significant amount of moisture from being lost, helping to preserve the integrity of the hummus. Only use enough to cover the top.
When you take it out of the freezer, you can remove the oil you added earlier to prevent the hummus from becoming too oily or runny.
Simply transfer the hummus into the fridge and let it thaw overnight. After you’ve stirred it, it’s ready to use.
Conclusion
While hummus is a satisfying dip (see also ‘Can You Freeze Tzatziki?‘), it is usually sold in too-large quantities. While this makes sense for the manufacturers, it can be tricky to use it all before it goes off.
You can freeze hummus in several ways, but all result in a texture change to some extent. This is a trade-off that you need to consider.
Depending on how you froze it and what the hummus is made of, it shouldn’t change too much to be unpalatable. You can always try a different recipe or brand, and you’ll probably get different results.
It may be worth experimenting to see what type of hummus would be best for freezing. Finding a solution or a compromise would be beneficial in the long run, as not only will you save money, but you’ll also prevent food waste, as well as prep time, if you make the hummus yourself.
