If taco night has left you with more leftovers than you could possibly eat in a week, you may be wondering what to do with all that uneaten guacamole. Throwing it away borders on blasphemy, but can you freeze it alongside your leftover ground beef? You can freeze halved avocados but the texture of a thawed avocado tends to be disappointing. Freezing guacamole, however, whether homemade or store-bought, can be done with much more satisfying results, as long as you take a few necessary precautions.
To ensure that your guacamole maintains its rich green color throughout the freezing and defrosting process, the first thing youll have to do is add some lemon juice to it. Avocados are chock full of an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase that, when exposed to oxygen, causes the flesh of the fruit to turn brown. However, with lemon juice added to the mix, the ascorbic acid from the lemons creates a barrier that protects the organic compounds in the avocado, allowing it to remain green. Use a tablespoon of lemon juice for every two avocados.
Next, youll need to transfer the guacamole to a freezer-friendly airtight container. While mason jars can be a good option for storing frozen foods, freezing guacamole in a freezer-safe ziplock bag allows you to spread the guacamole into a thin layer, free of air pockets that could lend to oxidative stress. Ziplock bags also allow you to portion the guacamole so you dont have to defrost the whole batch at once.
When youre ready to defrost your frozen guacamole, simply transfer the ziplock bag from the freezer to the fridge and allow it to sit overnight. By morning, your famous guacamole will be returned to its former glory. When youre pressed for time, placing the frozen bag of guac in a bowl of cold water — much the same way you would with frozen meat — can expedite the thawing process. However, it is important that you avoid leaving frozen guacamole to thaw at room temperature, as this could encourage the growth of harmful bacteria that could ruin taco night faster than you can say, “Extra guac, please!”
Whats more, to ensure that your frozen guacamole maintains its integrity after thawing, its essential that you freeze the right kind of guacamole. While everyone loves a good chunky guac, a dip that contains hunks of tomato, onion, and jalapeno is not optimal for freezing. Not only will the vegetables fail to maintain their texture, but their high water content will likely create an excess of moisture during the thawing process, which can cause the guacamole to separate. Instead, its better to freeze a simplified version of the avocado mash, adding fresh vegetables after its thawed. Its also worth noting that guacamole loses much of its fresh flavor after being frozen. As such, it works better as a topping on a taco or burrito than it does as a stand-alone dip.
In the refrigerator. If you thaw guacamole overnight, it should be soft by the next day. If you need the guacamole sooner, place the package in a bowl of cold water for 30-40 minutes. Do not thaw guacamole at room temperature.
Pureed avocado can be used directly in recipes like smoothies, dips, and sauces. Blend diced avocados with lemon or lime juice in a blender. 2 teaspoons per large avocado will work perfectly. Place in a freezer bag and squeeze out as much air as possible. Another amazing idea: ice cube trays. After they’ve frozen, take them out and place them in your freezer bag.
With diced avocados, you can go two ways, either you can just freeze them with the avo dice coated in a bit of lemon or lime juice or make guacamole with your favorite recipe.
We have come across a time when our trees have produced so many avocados that we needed an alternative. We came up with all of the standard go-to ideas. As always, we made dips and sauces. We had salads and nachos. But when your harvest is THAT good, you must be able to preserve some. With freezing, you get to enjoy all your avocado dips and other avocado recipes a bit later, when avocado season has come and gone.
The key is lemon or lime juice, so the avocado does not go brown. If you opt to freeze your avocados by just cutting them in half and peeling them, lather them well with lemon or lime juice. Put them in a sealable bag or container and pop them in the freezer.
These avos will stay fresh in your freezer for 3–6 months. To thaw your frozen avocado, take it out of the freezer and leave it overnight in the fridge.
Next, youll need to transfer the guacamole to a freezer-friendly airtight container. While mason jars can be a good option for storing frozen foods, freezing guacamole in a freezer-safe ziplock bag allows you to spread the guacamole into a thin layer, free of air pockets that could lend to oxidative stress. Ziplock bags also allow you to portion the guacamole so you dont have to defrost the whole batch at once.
Whats more, to ensure that your frozen guacamole maintains its integrity after thawing, its essential that you freeze the right kind of guacamole. While everyone loves a good chunky guac, a dip that contains hunks of tomato, onion, and jalapeno is not optimal for freezing. Not only will the vegetables fail to maintain their texture, but their high water content will likely create an excess of moisture during the thawing process, which can cause the guacamole to separate. Instead, its better to freeze a simplified version of the avocado mash, adding fresh vegetables after its thawed. Its also worth noting that guacamole loses much of its fresh flavor after being frozen. As such, it works better as a topping on a taco or burrito than it does as a stand-alone dip.
When youre ready to defrost your frozen guacamole, simply transfer the ziplock bag from the freezer to the fridge and allow it to sit overnight. By morning, your famous guacamole will be returned to its former glory. When youre pressed for time, placing the frozen bag of guac in a bowl of cold water — much the same way you would with frozen meat — can expedite the thawing process. However, it is important that you avoid leaving frozen guacamole to thaw at room temperature, as this could encourage the growth of harmful bacteria that could ruin taco night faster than you can say, “Extra guac, please!”
To ensure that your guacamole maintains its rich green color throughout the freezing and defrosting process, the first thing youll have to do is add some lemon juice to it. Avocados are chock full of an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase that, when exposed to oxygen, causes the flesh of the fruit to turn brown. However, with lemon juice added to the mix, the ascorbic acid from the lemons creates a barrier that protects the organic compounds in the avocado, allowing it to remain green. Use a tablespoon of lemon juice for every two avocados.
If taco night has left you with more leftovers than you could possibly eat in a week, you may be wondering what to do with all that uneaten guacamole. Throwing it away borders on blasphemy, but can you freeze it alongside your leftover ground beef? You can freeze halved avocados but the texture of a thawed avocado tends to be disappointing. Freezing guacamole, however, whether homemade or store-bought, can be done with much more satisfying results, as long as you take a few necessary precautions.
Easy & Freezable Guacamole
FAQ
How do you defrost frozen guacamole?
How do you defrost an avocado quickly?
Is guacamole good after being frozen?
Can you microwave frozen guacamole?
How do you defrost guacamole?
Label the container with the contents and date to keep track of when it was placed in the freezer. There are a couple of ways in which you can defrost guacamole, depending on the amount of time you have. Place the guacamole straight into the refrigerator to defrost. This will take a few hours or can be left in the fridge overnight.
Is it good to have guacamole?
Guacamole is a paste made from avocado and sea salt. It is used as a topping or eaten with chips. Due to the presence of polyphenol oxidase and oxidation process it develops melanoidin a browning reaction. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats phytosterols, carotenoids, zeaxanthin, vitamin K, E, B complex and potassium. It is healthy but not recommended to hypertensive and cardiac patients because of its high salt content.
Can You defrost guacamole in the microwave?
There are pretty much only three ways that you should ever defrost guacamole. In order from best to worst, they are: in the fridge, in cool water and in the microwave. While they are all pretty easy and straightforward let’s see how each method works. Defrosting guacamole in the microwave is certainly not recommended.
How to freeze guacamole?
Add a small amount of lemon or lime juice to the top. Again, squeeze as much air out as possible and seal. Label the bag or container and lay it flat in the freezer. Store it in the freezer for up to four months. This is pretty much all you need to know about how to freeze guacamole.