I want to freeze a half batch of cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans. Do I freeze them in the cooking water or drained and dry? Thanks.
9 Comments
anniebJune 6, 2011
I froze my beans to use later, without the water, just in a bag and they have been fine! I used them once so far fried and in a salad and they were great! Now they are waiting to be falafal this week and I hope they will be fine!
yespleaseMarch 11, 2011
If I want to freeze beans in liquid, I use the same bean-liquid ratio that HelloKitchen describes. If I'm not planning to use my beans in something soupy or stewy, I like to spread the beans in a single layer on a cookie sheet and par-freeze them. After they're mostly frozen, I transfer them to a plastic zip-top bag (be sure to force out all air). This method preserves the structure and shape of the bean -- perfect for salads, quesadillas and the like.
Helen's A.March 11, 2011
More notes: if you freeze them without liquid for any length of time, you run the risk of freezer burn.
susan G.March 11, 2011
I freeze them with the liquid, as HellonKitchen does, leaving them in my pint containers. If I drained the liquid, I think they might become dry or pick up those off smells from the freezer -- I may leave them for months.
I have maybe 3 kinds of beans in the freezer at a time, so I feel ready to go.
I have maybe 3 kinds of beans in the freezer at a time, so I feel ready to go.
ChefDaddyMarch 10, 2011
Good advice here but look upwards and you'll see a smoky fried chickpea recipe. Thats what i'm going to do A.S.A.P.
Helen's A.March 10, 2011
I freeze all sorts of beans frequently. I follow Lorna Sass' directions for making them in the pressure cooker. After cooling I measure out 1 1/2 cups of beans into those inexpensive plastic containers, then I add just enough of the bean cooking liquid to cover. I toss them in the freezer and when solid I remove them from the container. At that point you have a block of beans. Then I repackage them with my FoodSaver, mark type of bean and date, store in deep freeze. I thaw at room temperature or in the microwave which only takes moments. You could also thaw by putting the packet in a bowl of warm water. The bean liquid doesn't seem to get too thick & I save it for use in soups, stews, etc rather than stock. Hope this helps.
AnitalectricMarch 10, 2011
I agree. They will cook faster and be easy to portion out for your recipe.
sarah@twotartsMarch 10, 2011
I also freeze the cooked chickpeas without water. Much easier to just throw the lump of frozen chickpeas into a soup or whatever, rather than having to thaw them and get rid of the water before using.
PanfusineMarch 10, 2011
I usually freeze my extra boiled chickpeas without the water, this way its easier to thaw out & cook. (thats a personal choice since I'm not too crazy about the thick glutinous texture of the water that develops due to the leached proteins)
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