Baba ganoush is a smoky and delicious vegetarian dip that is similar in some respects to hummus. With its roots in the Middle East, baba ganoush is now enjoyed all around the world and is a delicious addition to nachos, wraps, and a range of other tasty meals. But what’s the best way to store it?
Can You Freeze Baba Ganoush?
Yes, you can freeze baba ganoush for up to 3 months. While you might find that it separates slightly due to the ice crystals that form, providing you have wrapped it tightly and thaw it slowly, you shouldn’t have any issues when you come to enjoy it in the future.
Does Baba Ganoush Freeze Well? Yes
Can You Refreeze Baba Ganoush? No
How to Freeze Baba Ganoush
Freezing baba ganoush is relatively simple. But to ensure its consistency doesn’t change during the freezing process, you will need to strain it before you freeze it, as this will stop it from becoming too watery once it has been thawed.
Here are the steps you need to follow to freeze baba ganoush the right way:Â
- Cool
After making your baba ganoush, leave it sitting at room temperature until it has cooled completely. You should never add warm food to the freezer. - Strain
Using a cheesecloth or something similar, strain your baba ganoush over the sink before you bag it up. This removes excess water from the dip and ensures it is less likely to change consistency during the freezing process. - Bag Up
Decide on your desired portion sizes and place your baba ganoush into suitably sized freezer-safe bags. We’d advise you not to freeze it all in one batch, as this means you would need to defrost it all at the same time.
Before you seal the bags, remove as much air as possible to protect the baba ganoush from freezer burn. - Label and Freeze
Write today’s date and the use-by date on the front of each of the bags and place them in a container before adding them to the freezer.
3 Tips for Freezing Baba Ganoush
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing baba ganoush to have the best results:
Refrigerate First
Although not essential, refrigerating baba ganoush before freezing may help to preserve it at its desired consistency. This is because the dip won’t be shocked as much by the change in temperature, which will help it preserve its taste, colour, and consistency.
Add Lemon Juice
If your recipe doesn’t call for lemon juice, we would add it to your baba ganoush anyway. Lemon juice plays an important role in the structure of baba ganoush and prevents discolouration. If you want your baba ganoush to taste delicious when you come to enjoy it in the future, lemon juice is an important ingredient.
Whisk After Thawing
Once you have thawed the baba ganoush, you will need to whisk it to bring it back to life. You might even need to touch it up with oil or even more lemon juice, depending on how it looks and whether it has split.
How Long Can You Freeze Baba Ganoush?
You can freeze baba ganoush for around three months. Leaving it in the freezer for any longer than this will likely affect its consistency and will result in a far from perfect dip once you have thawed it.
You need to be a little bit careful with the length of time you freeze baba ganoush due to its high water content, and leaving it in the freezer for too long will cause it to become too watery.
You Can Freeze Baba Ganoush for up to 3 Months
How Do You Defrost Baba Ganoush?
The best way to defrost baba ganoush is to transfer it from the freezer to the fridge the night before you plan to use it.
While you can thaw baba ganoush at room temperature, doing so isn’t advised, as it can alter its consistency. You shouldn’t thaw baba ganoush in the microwave, either.
Although it takes a bit more time, thawing baba ganoush in the fridge will leave you with a delicious dip that hasn’t spoiled.
Can You Refreeze Baba Ganoush?
While there’s nothing dangerous about refreezing baba ganoush that has been thawed in the fridge, doing so will likely affect its taste and consistency.
As such, we would only recommend freezing it once. If you have made a particularly big batch of this delicious dip, it’s better to freeze it in individual portion sizes before adding them to the freezer.
This makes it easier to defrost whatever you need at any given time and reduces the need to freeze it for a second time.
Does Baba Ganoush Freeze Well?
Overall, baba ganoush freezes reasonably well. You might notice a change in its consistency when you have thawed it, but if you have followed the steps above, simply whisking it should be enough to return it to its desired texture.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing baba ganoush or dips in general, then these may help:
Baba ganoush will last for around 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Once opened, it must be kept in an airtight container or covered with clingfilm to avoid it drying out and losing its flavour.
The core ingredient in any baba ganoush is smokey, roasted aubergine. But can you freeze this instead? Yes, you can! Simply place it into an airtight container, seal and then freeze. It will lose some of its smokey flavour over time, however.
