With zhoug being such a punchy hot sauce that only lasts for a few days in the fridge, what do you do with leftover zhoug that you don’t want to throw out?
Can You Freeze Zhoug?
Yes, you can freeze zhoug for up to 3 months. The best way to do this is to transfer the fresh zhoug into a rigid container and tap out any bubbles in the sauce. Then, seal the container tightly, and place it at the edge of your freezer.
Do Does Zhoug freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Zhoug? Yes
How to Freeze Zhoug
Freezing zhoug isnāt too tricky at all, but make sure to follow our steps to avoid removing flavour.
- Cool: Making sure that the zhoug youāre dealing with is cool will ensure that it doesnāt develop condensation while in the freezer. Therefore, it will be much less likely to succumb to freezer burn since no water is in the container.
- Tap: Place the cooled zhoug into a rigid container, and press it into the extremes of each corner as you go. Then, tap the container on the countertop a few times to ensure that any bubbles in there are removed.
- Seal: Seal the container tightly. Ideally, use an airtight container to ensure that no volatile aromatic or flavour-containing compounds can evaporate as the zhoug sits in the freezer.
- Freeze: Freeze the zhoug at the edge of your freezer. As itās not typically used for its texture, it can be frozen solid without concern for the texture changing over time.
3 Tips for Freezing Zhoug
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing zhoug to have the best results:
Wrap in Cling Film
Wrapping the container that youāre using in cling film is a great way to make sure that you minimize the risk of spills while the sauce is in your freezer. For something as staining and intense as zhoug, this is a very wise choice to make.Ā
Freeze As Little As Possible
Freeze the zhoug in your freezer for as little time as possible. The majority of the sauce’s flavour comes from the herbs within it, and they tend to lose flavour rapidly when frozen in this way. Therefore, avoid keeping it in the freezer for a very long time.Ā
Allow Little Excess Space
Having very little excess space in the container is a great way to ensure that the flavour is maintained for as long as possible. If thereās very little air into which the aromatic chemicals in your food can evaporate, then thereās less chance of that happening altogether.Ā
How Long Can You Freeze Zhoug?
You can freeze zhoug for around 3 months, the maximum we give to most food.
After those 3 months have passed, the zhoug will still be safe to eat, but it will not be as intensely flavorful.
Once prepared, zhoug will keep for around 1 week in the fridge when stored in a small tub with a tight-fitting lid.
How Do You Defrost Zhoug?
You can defrost zhoug quite easily by simply placing the sealed container into the fridge overnight, where it will thaw well.
After it has thawed, it will then be stored at a safe temperature, which is exceptionally handy. When you’re ready to serve it, give it a quick stir to ensure all the ingredients are evenly mixed.
Can You Refreeze Zhoug?
Yes, you can refreeze zhoug.
We recommend ensuring that the surface of the zhoug is flat, as that will minimize contact with air when refreezing, but that should take place no matter what since zhoug is typically very thin.
Does Zhoug Freeze Well?
Yes, zhoug does freeze well!
The main reason for this is that the dip has a lot of flavour before it’s been stored, so during the freezing process, it doesnāt tend to lose a lot of flavour.
Related FAQs
If youāve still got questions about freezing zhoug or zhoug in general, then these may help:
No! Although they are both served similarly, they are from different continents and contain other ingredients. Zhoug uses green chillies, for example.
Sources
We have verified the information on this page using the following resources:
