Can Baba Ganoush be frozen?

Dips and spreads are the perfect complements to many items: toasted baguettes, pita chips, sandwiches and wraps, crudites and much more.

Hummus is one of the most popular creations in the Middle East, but don’t forget the baba ganoush. It is creamy, rich and full of flavor. Plus, it’s remarkably easy to prepare for surprise visitors who need a snack.

If you’ve made or bought a little more baba ganoush than you’re willing to eat immediately, you’ll want to find a way to increase its shelf life. But is there an easy way to do it?

Can baba ganoush be frozen?  Yes, you can freeze the baba ganoush. Although there is a chance of ice crystals forming or separating, baba ganoush will be almost identical to its original state if properly prepared and frozen. It can be kept frozen for up to three months.

There are a few tricks to get the best results from your frozen baba ganoush, which we carefully detail in the following article. You’ll also learn what baba ganoush is, how to use it, and why you should add it to your list of new favorite foods.

What is baba ganoush?

Baba ganoush is a very popular sauce or spread in the Middle East and Mediterranean countries. Its place of origin is Lebanon, although it has spread throughout the world to be almost as popular as its cousin, hummus.

A good baba ganoush is velvety smooth and full of rich, savory flavors. Tahini and cumin give it an almost smoky flavor, and lemon, fresh parsley, and olive oil brighten it up, creating a torrent of subtle flavor combinations.

What does the Baba Ganoush wear?

Traditional Lebanese baba ganoush will likely include the following ingredients

• Eggplant, cooked and mashed
• tahini
• Garlic
• freshly squeezed lemon
• Cumin
• Fresh parsley
• olive oil, and
• Salt

Eggplant is often roasted to caramelize some of the sugars and add a smoky, sweet touch to the sauce. The rest of the ingredients are mashed into the brinjal until smooth, thick and surprisingly creamy.

How to freeze Baba Ganoush

To reduce the chance of ice crystals forming in the sauce separating, here are a few steps to follow to ensure successful freezing of baba ganoush:

1. Make sure the baba ganoush has cooled to room temperature after cooking.
2. Strain sauce through cheesecloth when transferring to a Ziploc bag or freezer-safe Tupperware container. This will reduce the water content and prevent the sauce from being too watery when thawed.
3. Remove as much air as possible from the bag or container. If you store it in a glass jar, be sure to leave at least 1 inch of headroom at the top of the container to allow for some expansion. If you want to better protect the surface, you can spread a layer of plastic wrap on top of your sauce before sealing the container.
4. Let the baba ganoush chill in the fridge overnight before transferring it to the freezer. The less the temperature shocks, the better the sauce will preserve its color and texture.
5. Date your container or bag and use the sauce within 3 months of freezing.

What to expect from pre-frozen Baba Ganoush

Raw eggplant has a high water content that breaks down the structural integrity of the vegetable when frozen. If you freeze just the purple squash by itself, it will defrost much softer than it came in the freezer.

By the time you’ve cooked the eggplant and combined it with other ingredients to make a velvety, rich and creamy sauce, the water content will have cooked through and it will freeze much more consistently.

The lemon juice will even help prevent discoloration. In general, you should expect your baba ganoush to be nearly identical to its original state after freezing.

How to thaw frozen baba ganoush

To thaw baba ganoush, simply take it out of the freezer and leave it at room temperature until it’s thawed enough to beat vigorously. You will have to mix all the ingredients well again.

If you see that it is too watery for your liking, you can strain it again with cheesecloth to remove some of the liquid. Then give it another good stir or even puree it for a few seconds in the food processor to restore its luxurious smoothness.

How to eat Baba Ganoush

Baba ganoush is made with cooked brinjal, so when you first make it, it will probably be hot. It’s much more common served cold from the fridge, but it’s uniquely creamy and satisfying when eaten hot, so try that too.

You can even take your baba ganoush and bake it to enhance the delicate smoky flavor of cumin. For an even smokier flavor, add some nutritional yeast or smoked paprika.

Chilling baba ganoush and serving it or using it as a dip or spread is more conventional, but there are many other creative ways to enjoy it.

The best Baba Ganoush recipes

We’ve already shared the ingredients that go into making baba ganoush, but in this section we wanted to give you some more specific ways to use your sauce, whether fresh or previously frozen.

Here are some of our favorite things to do with baba ganoush:

• Serve it as a trio of dips alongside hummus and tzatziki, plus a colorful array of chopped raw vegetables.
• Spread a healthy amount on sandwiches or wraps, especially with falafel, lots of crunchy veggies, and maybe some skewered meat or grilled mushrooms.
• Whip up some toasted pita wedges or grab some crackers and dive in.
• Mix it into cold pasta or potato salads for a delicious alternative to mayonnaise.
• Mix it into grain dishes, such as tabbouleh or quinoa, for added rich flavor.
• Add it to bean salads or warm green beans as a garnish.
• Scoop a dollop into a potato pancake or vegetable fritter, or use as a dip for your French fries.
• Top the stuffed vegetables with baba ganoush for a creamy, smoky touch.
• Make a mashed chickpea salad using baba ganoush instead of yogurt or mayonnaise.

If all else fails, don’t be shy in your own home. Get out a spoon and dig right into the container. Of course, you must be prepared to eat the entire container that same day, since double immersion can cause the proliferation of bacteria if it is refrigerated again.

Is baba ganoush healthy?

The individual ingredients of baba ganoush are considered quite healthy, yes. Of course, if you make it yourself at home you can better control what goes into your recipe.

A store-bought version may or may not have added flavors, colors, and preservatives that reduce the health benefits, not to mention more salt than necessary.

As a sauce, it’s low in calories compared to most alternatives, and all the heart-healthy fats come from the tahini and olive oil. It’s even a decent source of protein, with about 4 grams in a ¼-cup serving.

As a snack, it’s a pretty good macronutrient content.

At the micronutrient level, eggplants are a great source of rich antioxidants , which is perhaps obvious from their deep purple coloration.

Lemon, garlic, and fresh parsley are also packed with vitamins and antioxidants that support your immune system and promote overall health . Tahini and olive oil are rich sources of healthy fats.

Is Baba Ganoush keto?

Baba ganoush can be a keto-friendly addition to your diet, especially as an alternative to hummus, which is high in carbohydrates. It all depends on what you serve it with.

Serving it with a regular pita or spreading it on a toasted baguette can be delicious, but it will break your keto carb limits.

Instead, try eating it with low-carb crudits, like cucumber or carrot sticks. You can also mix in some avocado to enrich your sauce with more healthy fat.

Related questions

Can hummus be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze hummus (and tahini , too ). The most important thing to remember is that everything, not just hummus, expands when frozen, so you’ll want to make sure you leave enough room in the container to allow for this expansion.

It’s also a good idea to freeze in individual servings. When you’re ready to defrost and eat, you’ll need to stir it well to bring it back to its consistency.

Can Eggplant Parmigiana be frozen?

You can freeze the eggplant Parmigiana, but you’ll get better results if you freeze it before cooking. Prepare as usual in a baking dish and cover carefully with plastic wrap or an airtight freezer-safe lid.

It will keep safely in the freezer for up to 3 months without losing quality. Let it thaw in the fridge and then bake as normal.

If you are freezing the leftover eggplant parmigiana, separate them into individual portions and wrap them carefully. It will be almost as good as fresh, but freezing and reheating will make it softer and slightly mushy.

Can eggplant be frozen?

If you plan to cook it, you can freeze the eggplant. Not many people eat it raw because it has a slight bitterness to it, so this probably isn’t a problem.

Freezing the eggplant will alter its consistency and it will lose much of its structural integrity, meaning it will be soft when thawed. If you’re making baba ganoush or turning it into a sauce, spread, or any kind of food that disguises texture, this won’t matter.