Can chickpeas be frozen? - Storage Guide

Chickpeas are incredibly versatile, being the star ingredient in everything from creamy hummus dips to crunchy roast appetizers, and the most filling, never-soggy ingredients in soups, stews, and stews, to name just a few.

In addition, they are very cheap and have a very high nutritional value, so buying in bulk is a very wise decision. If you don’t have pantry space, but you do have freezer space, what can you do?

Can you freeze chickpeas? Yes, chickpeas are very freezer friendly and thaw with very little structural damage, making them just as delicious for any future dish.

In this article we will look at the best ways to freeze chickpeas, as well as the different options for preparing them and the reasons to eat them whenever possible.

What are chickpeas?

Chickpeas have been a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine for millennia, but in recent years they have found their way into all other corners of the earth as well.

You may also know them as chickpeas , but in any case, they are a member of the legume family.

Dried Versus Canned Chickpeas

As a general rule of thumb, if you can buy your chickpeas dried instead of canned, it’s the best option. When you buy them dry you have more control over how they cook. You’ll know there are no additives or preservatives, not even salt added, unless you add it yourself.

There are also some health concerns associated with eating foods that have been sitting too long in a can, so you take that worry away as well when you buy them dry.

Dried chickpeas are also very cheap.  When you buy them canned, you’re basically paying a premium to have someone else do the soaking and cooking work for you, which is convenient but comes at a price.

That being said, most canned chickpeas are just as nutritious as dried and actually have no additives in the can, so if convenience is top of mind in your house, opt for the canned variety and enjoy. If you’re more focused on frugality, dried chickpeas will be your staple.

How to cook chickpeas

Dried chickpeas are very easy to cook, but they do require some time, even before you heat the water.

Before you start cooking, you must prepare the chickpeas by soaking them. The most convenient thing is to add the chickpeas to a container with water and leave them to soak overnight the day before cooking.

This will allow them to cook in half the time and, more importantly, makes them easier to digest. If you’ve ever heard the funny children’s song about beans, you know what I mean.

Soaking beans and then rinsing them well before cooking them in fresh water helps break down a unique type of complex sugar that your body can’t digest.

Instead of letting it ferment in your gut, soak it in your beans to make the journey through your digestive tract that much easier.

Once soaked and rinsed , the chickpeas will still take a while to cook. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the drained chickpeas, and reduce the heat to a simmer.

They will need at least an hour, but if you want them very soft, continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.

How to cook canned chickpeas

Canned chickpeas are already cooked, so all you have to do with them is add them to your recipe.

If you’re making hummus or another type of dish that requires mashing or pureeing, pour it directly into the blender.

If they are going to be part of a soup or stew , you can add them to the recipe about 15 minutes before the rest of the dish is fully cooked.

This will give them enough time to heat to the same temperature as the rest of the food, but will not overcook.

How to freeze chickpeas

If you want to freeze the chickpeas, you have two ways to do it:

1. Freeze them after they have been soaked and drained.
2. Cook them fully first and then freeze them

Chickpeas freeze very well, but may split.

Aside from roasted chickpeas, there aren’t many dishes that are compromised by split chickpeas, and in fact they may be more enjoyable to eat in smaller sizes, but it’s worth mentioning because it’s a common side effect of the freezing process.

Freeze the soaked chickpeas

Once the chickpeas are soaked , rinse them well in cold water.

Spread them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and let them dry as much as possible. You can even let them sit overnight if you want. This will prevent them from being damaged by ice crystals when they freeze.

Once dry , transfer them to a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and squeeze out as much air as possible. Pop them in the freezer and they’ll be ready to cook when you need them. Try to use them within 2-3 months.

How to freeze cooked chickpeas

If you prefer to finish cooking before freezing, you can drain them of their cooking liquid before freezing them, or you can freeze them in their cooking liquid.

This will depend on whether you want to use the cooking liquid in your future recipe or not.

If not, we recommend that you keep the cooking liquid, also known as aquafaba , and freeze it separately or use it immediately in your pastries.

In any case, when you cook the chickpeas, remove them from the heat 15 minutes before so that they do not overcook when you go to defrost and reheat them later.

Another very important step is to make sure that the chickpeas have completely cooled before freezing them. 

To freeze cooked chickpeas , simply transfer the cooled chickpeas, with or without their cooking water, to a Ziploc bag or freezer-safe Tupperware container. Remove as much air as possible and label the container with the date.

It is best to use the frozen cooked beans within 2-3 months.

Freeze Cooked Chickpea Plates

While chickpeas are easy to freeze on their own, they also freeze just as well in a chickpea stew, curry, or other ready-made dish . In these cases, the other ingredients will be the deciding factor.

For example, you never want to freeze a pasta dish, as the noodles will be a mushy mess when thawed.

If the other ingredients are safe to freeze, simply transfer the cooled food to a freezer-safe Tupperware container and place in it. We always recommend dating your meals in the freezer and consuming them within 3 months, if possible , to preserve freshness and texture.

You can also freeze mashed or pureed chickpeas . Whenever you are freezing a spread or sauce, make sure there is an inch of headroom in the container to allow for expansion while it freezes.

Freeze canned chickpeas

First things first: safety. Whether you make the preserve yourself or bought a can of chickpeas, you should never put preserves in the freezer.

They are pressurized and the liquid inside will expand when frozen. With nowhere to go, the best case scenario is that the can or glass canning jar breaks. In the worst case, you will have to clean up a small explosion in the freezer.

That said, if you have more freezer space than your pantry, you can open the canned chickpeas, transfer them to a freezer-safe Ziploc brand bag, squeeze out all the air, and freeze them that way.

Your chickpeas will freeze and thaw just as if you had cooked them from dried beans and frozen them in the simmering liquid.

Chickpeas benefits and side effects

As plant-based diets increase in popularity, so does chickpeas. They have a high protein content, like most legumes, so they are a filling and satisfying alternative to meat.

Being a plant, they are also high in fiber , which is something that is missing from the diet of over 90% of Americans.

Although chickpeas are high in carbohydrates, as they are also packed with protein and fiber, your body has to work to convert complex carbohydrates into sugar, which reduces the impact on your blood sugar level and improves insulin sensitivity.

They have been shown to aid weight loss programs by helping dieters feel full and satiated longer between meals, as well as reduce risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol. and blood pressure.

Chickpea Nutrition

Related questions

Can black beans be frozen?

Yes, the process for freezing black beans is the same as for soaking, cooking and freezing chickpeas, so read the article above and you’ll be ready to freeze any type of bean you like to eat.

Can canned green beans be frozen?

As with any canned product, you should not put them in the freezer while they are still inside their sealed and pressurized can or jar.

If you feel the need to freeze them instead of storing them in the pantry or basement, you should first open the can, transfer them to a Ziploc bag or freezer-safe Tupperware container, and then freeze them.

Can uncooked beans be frozen?

Yes, if you have a lot of dried beans you can store them in the freezer and they will last more or less forever.

However, dried beans will last almost indefinitely in any cool, dry storage situation, so there isn’t much reason to freeze them. If you decide to do it, make sure they are well sealed so that moisture does not get in.

They will defrost quickly, but you will need to soak them as usual with dry beans before cooking.