Hummus has reached wide popularity in Europe and all over the world today. It is a tasty, healthy and nutritious product that is made fast and fits any dinner or event.
As long as hummus is foreign food and it has come to us from the Middle East, many people may wonder how to keep it correctly and whether there are any special storage nuances they have to follow.
The dish has already won our hearts and its popularity is spreading. This tasty and simple dish is perfect with bread, crackers, raw veggies, as a salad dressing or marinade, a part of any cream sauces, for example cream of tartar. The dip is surprisingly often added to brownies!
And, How Long Does Hummus Last? Packed hummus last for 3 to 10 days on the lowest shelf in the refrigerator at 40°F. Unpacked store-bought hummus lasts for 5 days in the fridge. Homemade hummus lasts for 3 to 5 days in the proper glass or plastic airtight container on the same lowest shelf.
How long does hummus keep its qualities? How long can hummus stay out?
We’ll do our best to answer these questions.
Should hummus be refrigerated? How long does opened hummus last? In this article, we will give answers to many other questions.
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Let’s Store Hummus Right. Storage Nuances
Hummus is made of cooked, mashed chickpeas mixed with tahini, garlic, and lemon juice. It has a smooth puree-like consistency and can be used as a dip or savory dish.
Hummus has a light consistency and a low level of fat, also, it has a very low cholesterol level, too which makes this food perfect for dietary eating.
Nowadays, everyone can buy hummus in a store but this dish is also very easy to make at home.
Respectively, the storage rules for homemade and bought in a store hummus will be somewhat different.
Does hummus need to be refrigerated? Yes, hummus needs to be refrigerated. You should store your hummus in the lowest fridge shelf for up to 14days unopened and 5 days in the opened pack. Unopened hummus in the airtight container must be store at 40°F or lower. The same rules are for homemade hummus.
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With the proper hummus refrigeration, the dip can remain eatable for several days.
How long can hummus stay out? Opened hummus or freshly made hummus can stay out no longer than 2 hours at the 86°F. No more than 3 hours at the 77°F and no more than 4 hours 68°F. So never leave your hummus in the warm room for more than 2 hours after that time, the toxic bacteria starts to grow.
As you may have already guessed, your hummus left out overnight will be completely bad in the morning.
To have hummus eatable longer, refrigerate it or simply freeze it for later use.
How Long Is Hummus Good For? Hummus Shelf Life and Term of Expiration
Now we have come closer to the interesting part of our discussion! There are so many questions regarding how and where the Middle East dip can be preserved that it would be better to answer them one by one.
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How long does homemade hummus last?
Everything depends on whether you store it under the impact of the low temperature or tossed to the freezer. If the dip is refrigerated, it will last for approximately four days or a week at most when being stored correctly in proper hummus containers.
On the contrary, when being frozen, the dip will last much longer, for three to four months.
How long does hummus last after opening?
In this situation, its durability will only depend on how well and where you will be keeping it.
If you decide to refrigerate the dip, be sure that it will be possible to enjoy it even after four days after you opened it.
On the other hand, if you choose to freeze the hummus paste, it will still be eatable even after four months without losing its taste and qualities!
So how long does homemade hummus last? Hummus will last after opening from 4 to 5 days. Keep in at the proper airtight container in the lowest shelf in the refrigerator. Hummus without preservatives will last for 3 days at 40°F or lower. Store-bought hummus will last up to 5 days when opened.
How long does fresh hummus last?
Freshly prepared homemade dip, when being kept outside the fridge or freezer, can last for not such a long time. You will have to use it within four hours, otherwise, the product will have to be discarded. And you have to keep it in the refrigerator.
So how long does fresh hummus last? Fresh hummus lasts for 3 days after you made it. Store your fresh hummus in the proper glass or plastic airtight container at the lowest refrigerator shelf at 40°F. Fresh hummus does not contain any preservatives, so its shelf life is relatively short.
How long does hummus last in the fridge?
When being stored refrigerated properly in a correct container, the dip can stay eatable for three to a maximum of four days.
Does hummus go bad if not refrigerated?
Unfortunately, any hummus will get spoiled if being left without the impact of the low temperature or frost for a long time. To be precise, for more than four hours because this is the longest time dip can remain consumable when being kept not refrigerated.
For keeping hummus consumable when refrigerated, ensure that the temperature is below 40 degrees and the dip is kept in a tightly closed tank to prevent the moisture and the odors to get inside.
To store hummus, one mustn’t work as a qualified cook. Nevertheless, certain nuances must anyway be taken into account.
How long can hummus sit out?
An unsealed dish is OK to leave out for four hours. The worst that can happen is that the spread may start spoiling.
Does hummus expire?
Of course, it does. When improperly stored and/or packed, this dip tends to spoil faster than under the correct conditions of storage.
So does hummus expire? Hummus would expire after 4 for days when opened and after 7 days if it was properly stored in the refrigerator. Keep the hummus on the lowest shelf in the fridge at a temperature of 40°F or even lower. Store homemade hummus in a plastic or glass container to avoid spoilage.
How long does hummus last in the fridge once opened?
After the container was unsealed, the dip remains edible for 4 to 7 days if refrigerated.
How long does hummus keep its freshness in the fridge?
Seven days that’s the longest term for any hummus to last refrigerated. After this time expires, the dip starts spoiling gradually.
Freezing Hummus. Yes Or No?
Definitely yes. It may surprise you but hummus gets frozen pretty well and – what is even more important – can be easily defrosted.
Moreover, freezing hummus is not a big deal! Simply take an airtight freezer-friendly tank, put the dip in it leaving some empty space on the top and pour the olive oil to cover the paste with a thin layer. It will help the dip to preserve its moisture under the impact of frost.
Now it can be tossed to the freezer!
What about the store-bought dips? Can you freeze hummus Sabra? Any hummus, no matter whether it is a homemade dip or the one that was bought in a store, can be frozen using the same method as described above. It will not affect its taste or nutritious qualities, however, the texture may change a bit after defrosting.
By the way, to unfreeze the dip, simply remove it to the fridge the day before you are going to consume it and keep in mind that the texture of the dip will slightly change after freezing.
How to Tell If Hummus Is Bad Or Not
Does hummus go bad? This question bothers so many consumers of this tasty product! Unfortunately, like any natural and organic food, hummus can get rotten or spoiled, too.
So what is the hummus expiration date then? Depending on the storage conditions, it can vary from several hours to several days. Only frozen hummus won’t turn bad.
To define the expired hummus, search for any traces of mold on its surface and also smell it: if you sense a bad or off odor, the hummus must be discarded instantly.
What happens if you eat bad hummus? Well, the worse that can happen is that you get severe food poisoning (how bad it will depend on how badly spoiled the hummus was). If it wasn’t too spoiled, you can have light nausea or stomach ache.
Top Recipes That Use Hummus
Most of us see hummus as a condiment only whereas in fact, this simple and tasty foodstuff can be used as a part of the content in many more interesting and yummy ways! So if this chickpeas’ paste is safe for you to eat, don’t hesitate to try something new in your kitchen!
We have prepared the most simple and delicious recipes that will display hummus from the completely other side!
Beef burgers
Cook ½ red onion with olive oil, mix in 1 lb ground beef and inject ½ cup hummus. Shape this blend into burger cutlets and fry.
Serve on a toasted brioche bun with tomatoes and more hummus!
Hummus noodles
We can’t find hummus in pasta recipes that much, however, as a part of spaghetti sauce, this dip is just perfect!
Mix together ¼ cup chickpeas’ dip, ¼ cup chicken broth, and 2 tbsp soy sauce, and pour this delicious sauce over the freshly cooked spaghetti adding some sesame oil.
Fowl salad cups
Hummus pair wonderfully with the poultry foods. For this particular one, blend this dip with the Greek yogurt and some lemon juice. And then blend together minced onion, shredded rotisserie chicken, feta, tomatoes, and olives. Find a deep dish to serve this foodstuff, and enjoy it.
Brown rice casserole
Want to find an unusual area of use for hummus? Then use it as a topping for brown rice mixed with poultry, tomatoes, and onions to broil.
Romaine veggie mix
Eating salads can become boring. So why not try something new?! Create a dressing of orange juice, hummus, and olive oil, add some salt and pepper, and sprinkle it over the fresh greens! The taste will be awesome!
Devilish eggs
Sounds scary? In fact, it’s only hard-boiled eggs stuffed with a mix of yolks, hummus, chili, and oil! Unusual taste for the well-known dish.
These recipes are only few of many others that use chickpeas’ paste. And if this dip is safe for you (meaning you’re not allergic to it), we strongly recommend trying at least some of these to see how unexpectedly tasty some common foods can be!
Frequent Questions About Hummus
Even though hummus is quite an unpretentious product, it doesn’t mean the spread is OK to store carelessly without following the simplest requirements to allow it to extend the lifespan.
To double-check all the nuances are taken into account, check out the common issues regarding this Eastern dip.
How long does hummus last after opening?
Normally, the average duration of storage consists of 96 hours. The maximum period is one week. Afterward, the spread will start spoiling slowly.
What does use-by-date on hummus mean?
Many people assume that it means the food must not be consumed after the indicated date.
That’s not true. Hummus best-before date means the spread will stay at its best and top quality until the indicated date. Nevertheless, the dish will remain edible beyond the date expires.
And, Does Sabra hummus have to be refrigerated? Yes, you can keep Sabra hummus on the lowest shelf in the fridge below 40°F. In a proper airtight container or in the glass jar. Opened Sabra hummus will last up to 7 days because of preservatives in it.
Does sealed hummus go bad?
Yes, sealed dip tends to spoil if kept under improper conditions including exposure of direct light, excess heat, and moisture.
Can bad hummus make you sick? Indeed, certain symptoms may occur, for instance, nausea, headache, and others common for food poisoning.
Does unopened homemade hummus go bad?
Does hummus expire if unopened at all? Unfortunately, it does. All the same, homemade or not, the spread will turn bad if we expose it to an excessively hot or too moist surrounding or subject to direct light.
Now you are knowledgeable about the basic hummus storage tips and specifics so, whenever you purchase or make some dip, it will be easier to follow the required conditions and extend its lifespan together with preserving the quality.
These simple rules and tips will help you not only to keep hummus at the proper conditions but also they will allow you to enjoy the taste of this easy and very delicious dip longer without any harm to your health.
Take care!
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