Tzatziki sauce, used as a classic topping for Greek gyros and salads, is a mixture of yogurt, garlic and minced cucumbers. You can freeze extra tzatziki for later use, but don't expect perfect results as you might with foods such as lemon curd. Cucumbers usually become mushy when frozen, but the acidity in yogurt does protect some of the original crunch. Yogurt fares better in the freezer, but some liquid separation can occur and it might taste more acidic when thawed. You can stir the liquid into the tzatziki sauce after it thaws, but it might not be as smooth.
Step 1
Pack the tzatziki sauce in a freezer storage container with a tight-fitting lid.
Step 2
Wrap the storage container with several layers of clear plastic wrap.
Step 3
Place the container inside a freezer bag. Squeeze out all the air and seal the bag. The container, plastic wrap and bag offer triple moisture-vapor protection to keep the yogurt tasting fresh.
Step 4
Label the bag with the storage date and expiration date, about three months after the storage date.
References
- National Center for Home Food Preservation: Freezing Prepared Foods
- National Center for Home Food Preservation: Freezing Animal Products
- Dannon: Can Dannon Yogurt Be Frozen?
- North Dakota State University Extension: Food Freezing Basics: Freezing Dairy Products, Eggs and Other Foods
- Fine Cooking: Cucumber-Yogurt Dip (Tzatziki)
Tips
- It helps to freeze a small sample and thaw it after one day to see if the quality is acceptable enough to freeze the rest of the batch.
- If the cucumbers become too mushy in the thawed tzatziki, you can strain them out of the yogurt and stir in fresh cucumbers.
Writer Bio
A former cake decorator and competitive horticulturist, Amelia Allonsy is most at home in the kitchen or with her hands in the dirt. She received her Bachelor's degree from West Virginia University. Her work has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle and on other websites.
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