Can You Freeze Aquafaba?

5 minutes

Simply put, aquafaba is the water that accompanies a can of chickpeas. Yes, the stuff you normally toss down the sink. You might not think it, but it works perfectly as a substitute for egg whites. But that’s not why you’re here…

How To Freeze Aquafaba

There are many ways in which aquafaba can be frozen for storage. When you freeze aquafaba, make sure that all of the liquid is completely cooled down to room temperature.

This will usually be the case but if it has been stored in the fridge, for example, then give it a chance to get to room temperature.

Before getting started, figure out what portion sizes you will be using in the future. For the most part, this liquid is used as a substitute for eggs in several baking recipes. Hence, separating your aquafaba into egg-sized portions may be an ideal option for freezing.

If your desserts mostly involve egg whites, then 1 egg white is equal to roughly 2 tablespoons of aquafaba.

1. Portion: Portion 2tbsp of aquafaba into ice cube trays. This way you know one cube is the equivalent of one egg white.
2. Wrap: Wrap the tray in a layer of cling film to protect it before placing it into the freezer. Allow it to freeze for several hours.
3. Bag Up: Once the cubes have frozen, you can pop them out and place them into an airtight container or zip-lock bag and return them to the freezer.

When you use the aquafaba, you can take out just the portion you need for all your baking and cooking needs.

How to Freeze Aquafaba Dishes

Freezing aquafaba in its raw state is a great way to preserve it for the long term. But you can actually knock together a few dishes which can then be frozen which we’ve covered below:

How to Freeze Aquafaba Meringues

Aquafaba is an excellent substitute for eggs in meringues and pavlovas. You may have just made a little too many meringues and may want to save it for later. So how do you go about freezing aquafaba meringues?

Freezing aquafaba meringues is just as easy as freezing regular meringues.

1. Layer: Line an airtight container with greaseproof paper and place as many meringues in a single layer as possible.
2. Repeat: Following this, you can add another layer of greaseproof paper over which you can line any remaining meringues. Keep repeating the process until you have all your meringues in the box. Cover the final layer with greaseproof paper.
3. Seal: Seal the box. You can wrap another layer of cling film around the box to prevent any air from seeping in. This will keep the meringues away from any freezer aromas.
4. Freeze: Label the box and place it into the freezer.

How to Freeze Aquafaba Mayo

Mayonnaise is not something we recommend freezing and aquafaba mayo is not different. When frozen, it splits and becomes oily which is unpalatable. You can give it a vigorous whisk to get it to incorporate again but it’s never the same.

Instead, using the method above, freeze aquafaba on its own and make aquafaba mayo fresh.

3 Tips for Freezing Aquafaba

Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing aquafaba to have the best results:

Remember Quantities
Two tablespoons of aquafaba are the equivalent of 1 egg white. It’s far easier to freeze it in relevant quantities which is why we recommend freezing 2tbsp at a time so you know one ice cube is one egg white.

Keep it Raw
Aquafaba freezes really well… But mainly when it is just aquafaba. Aquafaba mayo, whipped aquafaba and aquafaba mousse do not freeze well. The only exception is meringue which does work well.

Label It
Aquafaba, unsurprisingly, looks like egg whites when frozen. That’s why it’s vital you label it so you know which is vegan and which is not.

How Long Can You Freeze Aquafaba?

If you are freezing cooled down aquafaba, you can go ahead and freeze it for three to four months. Try consuming it as early as possible as they tend to absorb the freezer’s smell and retain it.

Aquafaba meringue, on the other hand, can be frozen for about a month without any odd taste development. You may want to check if the meringue tastes foul each time you defrost it to eat it.

If you have raw meringue batter made with aquafaba, it should stay good in an airtight container for a couple of months.

How Do You Defrost Aquafaba?

Defrosting frozen aquafaba is a fairly easy job.

You can simply take the needed frozen cubes out from the freezer and place it in a bowl. Put the bowl on your countertop, and it will naturally unfreeze.

You may want to avoid using a microwave or stove to defrost your aquafaba. This may change the key properties of the aquafaba and give different results when it is used.

With meringues, however, it is a good idea to let them thaw in the fridge. You can pull out just the number of meringues you need and place them in the fridge overnight.

Some of you may want quicker defrosting. In this case, you can place the aquafaba meringues on the counter, and they will naturally defrost in about 3 hours. You can also microwave them if you prefer them like that.

Can You Refreeze Aquafaba?

Yes, you can refreeze aquafaba once you have thawed it. It does refreeze well. However, we would always recommend not refreezing anything if it can be helped.

For this reason, it is recommended that you freeze aquafaba in egg-sized portions so that it can be used completely without refreezing.

Does Aquafaba Freeze Well?

Yes, aquafaba does freeze very well. It freezes in a couple of hours and stays fresh for a long time when frozen.

When you remove it from the freezer, its properties remain unchanged. This is extremely important if it is used for baking. Even aquafaba meringue freezes very well.

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing aquafaba or aquafaba in general, then these may help: