Can tahini be frozen?

Tahini is probably best known for its contribution of earthy, nutty flavor to hummus, but it’s a lot more versatile than you might know.

There are few sauces that measure up to the deep, rich flavor of a great tahini sauce, and it’s a great alternative to nut butter to spread on your toast, to name just a few.

If you now decide to go out and buy yourself a huge container of tahini, do so with the full confidence that anything you don’t use immediately can be stored long-term without much trouble.

Can tahini be frozen?

You can freeze the tahini and keep it indefinitely. You should freeze it overnight before freezing it forever in smaller portions to make it easier to thaw. It’s relatively sensitive to temperature fluctuations, but freezing tahini is a great way to maintain quality long-term without risking spoilage.

This article will walk you through the best practices for freezing tahini effectively, along with other interesting and important facts about tahini.

What is tahini?

Tahini is a paste made with sesame seeds, usually shelled and raw, although you can also find unshelled and/or roasted options.

The raw, shelled version of tahini is light and creamy. Shelled tahini has a more bitter taste because it is made from the whole seed. The bitterness makes it less popular, although more nutritious, since much of the fiber and other minerals are found in the shell of the seed.

Raw sesame seeds have a fairly neutral flavor, offering nothing more than a light, unobtrusive seed flavor. By roasting the seeds, the flavor is intensified and takes on an intense nutty and smoky flavor. It is more obvious in recipes and is less popular for this reason.

It is very common in Middle Eastern cuisine, as well as Mediterranean and North African foods. It’s a condiment you’ll find on tables as often as butter or margarine in North America.

Does tahini need to be refrigerated?

Yes, it’s a good idea to keep tahini in a cool place once opened to prevent the oils from going rancid. As with all seeds and nuts, that can happen over time.

If your tahini is refrigerated, it will keep for many months, although if you freeze it carefully, it will keep almost indefinitely.

freeze the tahini

If you’re relatively new to using tahini in your recipes, a 16-ounce jar can seem a bit intimidating, especially when you only need a couple of tablespoons to make a full batch of hummus.

Freezing the tahini is the perfect solution, especially if you divide it into individual portions first. We don’t recommend freezing the entire container of tahini, whether it’s glass or plastic, because when you want to use some, you’ll need to thaw the entire container.

As we’ve already said, tahini is sensitive to temperature fluctuations, so the more stable you keep it, the longer it will last. If you freeze it in individual servings, you won’t have to thaw the entire batch of tahini just to get what you need for a single recipe.

How to Create Individual Serving Sizes for Freezing Tahini

If you have one or more specific recipes that you use tahini for, separate your tahini into portions appropriate to those recipes. For example, if your favorite hummus recipe calls for ¼ cup of tahini, freeze the tahini in ¼ cup portions.

The tahini is thick and sticks well. So you should follow these steps when freezing it:

1. First, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make balls with the portions and distribute them evenly on the baking tray.
2. Put it in the freezer uncovered and leave it until it is well frozen. 1-2 hours should be enough, but you can also leave it overnight.
3. When the tahini balls are completely frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or Tupperware container. Do your best to remove as much air as possible.

Ice cube trays can also work great for freezing individual servings. Usually about 2 tablespoons fit in each ice tray.

Using this method, it’s even easier to freeze small portions of tahini:

1. Before adding the tahini, line the entire tray with plastic wrap, with one extra hanging down each side and one extra raised in the center.
2. This way, once the holes in the cubes are filled, you can simply cut the plastic wrap and create little tahini packets perfect for freezing.
3. As long as they’re individually wrapped, you don’t have to freeze them first, but can add all the individual packets into a freezer-safe Ziploc bag or Tupperware container.

The extra wrapping will add even more protection, preserving the tahini indefinitely as long as it is kept completely frozen.

Defrost frozen tahini

Defrosting the tahini is the easiest.

Take the amount you need out of the freezer and put it in a small bowl. Cover it with a plate or towel and set it on the counter to thaw. It will probably take 10-15 minutes to fully thaw, but you can stir occasionally to speed up the process.

Once the tahini is completely thawed, you’ll need to mix it well with a fork or whisk to bring it back to its original consistency. You can then add it to your recipe or use it however you like.

If you do not want everything that you have defrosted, transfer it to a container that closes hermetically and store it in the fridge. It’s not a good idea to refreeze anything, especially tahini, but it will last a week or more in your fridge.

Alternative methods for preserving tahini

Most of the time, you will see people store tahini in their fridge. It will last a long time this way, especially if it is kept well sealed and does not cross-contaminate with other spreads or outside ingredients.

One of the advantages of storing tahini in the fridge is that the oil does not separate when it cools, as it does if it is kept at room temperature. Before putting it in the fridge for the first time, give it a good stir to make sure the oil is evenly distributed.

When you are going to use it, take out the amount you need and return the main container to the refrigerator as soon as possible to prevent the oil from rising to the surface again.

tahini benefits

Tahini is made from sesame seeds, so the benefits are the same as eating the seeds themselves raw or roasted.

The most notable benefit is its high fat content. In a 15-gram serving, you’ll get about 8 grams of fat, most of it of the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated variety.

This type of fat has been shown to have potent anti-inflammatory power, lowering the risk of developing almost all chronic diseases, including heart disease.

Tahini is also a good source of antioxidants and various vitamins and minerals.

The specific type of antioxidants in sesame seeds have been found to have the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, providing very specific nutrition to your brain that could help protect against neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

In some alternative medicine techniques, tahini is even used as an antibacterial agent.

Tahini Nutrition Facts

Related questions

What are the best vegan tahini recipes?

Many of the recipes that feature tahini are naturally vegan. Some of the most popular, hummus and baba ganoush, are plant-based dips or spreads. You can also make dressings for salads or roasted vegetables, or sauces to soak up your mashed potatoes or add to a wrap.

Tahina also appears in falafel, which is another traditionally vegan food. Tahini is also a delicious ingredient for a variety of baked goods, though you’ll need to adapt your recipes as needed to ensure they’re vegan friendly.

Where do you find tahini in a grocery store?

There is nothing more frustrating than planning a recipe and not being able to find the key ingredients. Tahini can be found in most grocery stores if you know where to look.

Start with the aisles of oils and seasonings. If you can’t find it there, look in the ethnic or international foods aisle. If you still can’t find it, look for an aisle or section that has trendy, all-natural, or healthy foods.

What is a good substitute for tahini?

If you don’t have tahini in the freezer and want to make a batch of your favorite hummus or baba ganoush, you can make your own tahini as long as you have sesame seeds.

Add some seeds to your food processor or blender and process until smooth. You may want to add a touch of olive oil or another oil with a neutral flavor to help soften it.

You can also use sesame paste, sesame oil, or even a nut or seed butter if you need to.