Having avocados on hand is one of my secrets to making impromptu taco nights even better! With all their brain-boosting power, pairing it with some veggies also makes for a nutritional snack at school. Let me show you how to freeze guacamole to help you save both time and money.
This post is by Contributing Writer Lori Hernandez from Three Acre Farm.
We take Taco Night pretty seriously at the Hernandez Household.
Our whole family looks forward to Taco Thursday with anticipation (yeah, I know it’s supposed to be Taco Tuesday, but Tuesdays just don’t work for us).
Whenever we invite friends over for dinner, you better believe we invite them on Thursdays for a taco feast! I always make a huge batch of beans and rice to stretch the meal, so we can accommodate last-minute guests or have leftovers to eat off of all weekend. Plus I can always bake some of my pre-made and frozen Jalapeño Poppers as a fun and easy appetizer.
How to Keep Guacamole Affordable
Let’s be honest though. The best part about Taco Thursday is the guacamole, of course! Tacos just don’t complete without guac!
I feel like I have to hang my head in shame if there is no guac on the table. You should see how disappointed my daughter is when I have to break the terrible news that I wasn’t able to make guacamole. The poor girl looks like she might burst into tears!
Unfortunately, in Michigan, finding good avocados at the stores can be tricky at times. Often, they are way too green and won’t ripen in time (I’ve tried a few ripening techniques with so-so success rates). Sometimes they are too ripe and mushy. And they are usually too expensive, going at around $2 per avocado, which is not in our grocery budget.
Every once in awhile, though, they go on sale for $1 or less around here (Costco usually has bags of 6 avocados for around $6, but I don’t shop there on a weekly basis). When they do go on sale, I’ll often stock up and buy 5-8 at a time and we have a guacamole fest.
But I was looking for a way to ensure that we could have guac every Thursday, instead of guacamole feast or famine.
This past fall, my local ALDI store was running a special on avocados for .69 each! It was too good a deal to pass up, so I went and bought 25 avocados. Yes, that’s right…25 avocados. I received funny looks from the cashier and other customers.
People kept asking me “What are you going to do with that many avocados?”
Let me tell you…
Can You Freeze Avocados?
Technically, yes, you can freeze avocados. I simply find that for the best long-term quality it’s better to freeze them as guacamole!
I had done a little poking around on the internet and learned that yes indeed, guacamole can be frozen. It seemed like the perfect solution – I could make a HUGE batch of guacamole when the avocados were on sale and freeze the excess for later.
The plan worked beautifully! It was good to know that I had a “back-up plan” guacamole in the freezer to use in case I couldn’t find good avocados that week. The frozen guac thaws quickly and can potentially go from freezer to table in about a half-hour.
I’ll be the first to admit that the texture of frozen guacamole is not quite the same as a freshly made guac (which is common for most frozen foods), but the flavor is the same! Give it a try. Frozen guac is waaaaay better than no guac!
Big Batch Guacamole
I’ll show you the method I used to make a big batch of guacamole. I actually had to make 2 separate batches with the 25 avocados – I didn’t have a bowl large enough to make one HUGE batch!
As long as you have all the ingredients out and you’re chopping, it doesn’t take that much longer to double or triple the recipe (of course, you could also cut it in half too).
I make a pretty simple guacamole, but it gets rave reviews whenever people try it. It consists of just avocados, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, and real salt. If you like to add more to your guac, be sure to read my comments below in “Using Your Frozen Guacamole.”
You will need avocados that are ripe. You can tell they are ripe when the skin has turned nearly black, the avocado feels soft and gives a little when you press on it, but is not squishy (if it’s squishy, it might be rotten).
If they are not ready, wait another day or try placing them in a sealed paper bag for a few hours to hasten the ripening process. I’ve found this works best for avocados that are almost ripe, not ones that are still bright green and hard.
Start by washing, peeling, pitting, and dicing 12 avocados.
Cut the avocado in half lengthwise. Set aside the half with the pit and place the other half face-down on the cutting board. Make a shallow cut down the center through the skin. You should be able to easily peel back the skin, leaving you with a beautiful avocado half ready to dice.
If you prefer the scoop the flesh out of the skin, you can do that too, but I find the peeling method to be less messy and more efficient.
Dice the avocado half into small pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Remove the pit from the other half, using the point of your knife to pop it out. Repeat the same process of peeling and dicing. Continue until all the avocados are diced and ready in the bowl.
Now it’s time to add garlic. I used about 6 large cloves of garlic, but you can use more or less. Chop it finely and add to the diced avocado.
Next, add some salt. I used about a tablespoon of Kosher salt, but I like my guac to be quite salty. You might prefer less salt. Start with a teaspoon. You can always add more.
Pour 3 tablespoons of lime juice and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the bowl. This adds great flavor and helps prevent discoloration of the guac.
Time to mix it all up! Our preferred method is using a potato masher or a fork. We like our guac to be on the chunky side. This is a great job for kids, especially if they are working on the cooking skills they’ll learn in Katie’s Kids Cook Real Food eCourse.
After the guac is mashed, be sure to taste-test it and make adjustments as needed – more lime juice, more salt, etc.
Best Way to Freeze Guacamole
Now you are ready to freeze the guacamole. Resist the urge to eat the whole bowl right now! Ha!
I decided to freeze the guac in 1 1/2 cup portions – this amount is enough for one meal for our family of four (if we’re having guests, I pull out 2 portions to serve). This recipe made about 5-6 servings of guacamole – that’s over a month’s worth of Taco Thursdays!
I experimented with 2 different freezing methods:
Quart-sized Plastic Freezer Bags:
PROS:
- Easy to fill.
- Fit easily in the freezer – when frozen flat, the bags can be stacked on each other and don’t take up much space.
- Easy to thaw – simply place the sealed frozen bag in a pan of room temperate water and it will quickly thaw.
CONS:
- Messy getting guac out of the bag – I found it best to cut off a corner of the bag and squeeze out the guacamole.
- Not reusable – I have to throw away the bags, which bothers me – I hate creating more waste. Ugg.
Filling the freezer bags is much easier if you place the bag inside a jar or cup, then roll down the sides.
Scoop the guac into the bag, doing your best to avoid air bubbles/pockets.
Squeeze or suck out as much air as possible and seal the bag. Flatten the bags and stack them on top of each other on a cookie sheet or tray. Pop the tray in the freezer. Once the bags are frozen, they can be stacked in the freezer.
Wide Mouth Pint-Sized Mason Jars:
PROS:
- Easy to fill.
- Jars are infinitely reusable.
CONS:
- Takes longer to thaw – have to remember to pull the guac out much earlier, preferably a day or two before using (thaw in the fridge).
- Takes up more freezer space than stacked freezer bags.
If you want to use Mason jars, carefully fill the jar to avoid air bubbles/pockets and smooth out the top. Be sure to leave at least an inch of headspace to allow for expansion as the guac freezes.
Only use “wide mouth” pint jars, the kind with completely straight sides. I poured a very thin layer of olive oil over the surface to keep the top layer of guac from turning brown.
Print
Big Batch Guacamole for Freezing
- Yield: 5-6 containers/bags (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
A great way to take advantage of avocados when they are on sale! Make a big batch of guacamole and freeze it for later!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Wash, cut, pit and peel avocados.
- Dice avocados and transfer to large bowl.
- Finely dice the garlic and add to avocados.
- Sprinkle avocados with salt (Use the code kitchenstewardship for 15% off of your first purchase), lime juice and olive oil (use the code STEWARDSHIP for 10% off at that site!).
- Mash everything together with a potato masher or fork until mostly smooth (some chunks are fine).
- If using freezer bags, fill bag with about 1 1/2 cups of guacamole. Squeeze air out, zip bag shut, flatten and place in the freezer on a cookie sheet.
- If using mason jars or other freezer container, fill with about 1 1/2 cups guacamole and smooth the surface to make it even. Cover with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent browning.
- To use, thaw the guacamole overnight in the fridge. To speed up thawing, place bag/jar/container in cool to room temperature water for about 30 minutes.
- Transfer guacamole to serving bowl and mix well.
- If desired, chopped cilantro, jalapeño peppers, tomatoes or onions can be added just before serving.
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Using your Frozen Guacamole
As I mentioned before, guac that is frozen in freezer bags thaws more quickly than guac in jars, so you may want to take that into consideration when choosing your freezing method (translation – if you are forgetful like me, the bags might be your most forgiving option!).
I try to pull the guacamole out of the freezer the night before, so it has time to thaw in the fridge. If it’s not fully thawed, I will put the bag or jar in a bowl or pan of room temperature water for 30 minutes or so to help it along.
Transfer the guacamole to a serving bowl and stir well.
Many people like to add chopped cilantro, jalapeño pepper, tomato, and onion to their guacamole. I do NOT recommend adding them to guacamole before freezing – they will make the guacamole watery when it’s thawed. Instead, chop those fresh additions separately and stir them into the thawed guac before serving.
Keep an Eye on those Grocery Sales Flyers…
Keep an Eye on those Grocery Sales Flyers…Now that you know the secret of freezing guacamole, you too can head to the store and buy a ridiculous amount of avocados at a great price and get funny looks from cashier. 😉
When they ask you why in the world you are buying that many, be sure to tell them about this post and share the knowledge!
Katie here: This is a great task for kids! Watch my son make it on his own.
Lisa says
I am so glad I found this post! I am tired of tossing brown mushy avocados into the trash. I love avocados, but can’t seem to be ready to eat them at the *exact* time they are ready to be eaten! The two I had in the fridge (for about a week, trying to ward off the inevitable) were just about on the brink – they were a little brown but made a fantastic guacamole base! Sounds silly, but I’m super proud of myself for not wasting and now I have some single serve guac waiting for me when I’m ready! Thank you!!!
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Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship says
Love be of help, Lisa! I find that if I get avocados in the fridge *exactly* when they’re just barely soft, they’ll hang out there at least a week. But batching and freezing saves time too! 🙂 Katie
Mandy Thomson says
Thank you so much for publishing this recipe, I found it especially useful during the Coronavirus lockdown, when items like guacamole (especially dairy free guacamole) is hard to find. As I couldn’t get lime juice either, I used lemon juice with a little garlic, powered coriander and a little powdered cumin.
I also used a hand blender to blend everything to very fine paste.
I was careful not to add anything else, other than to cover with a little extra lemon juice and olive oil before freezing. I also kept a small bit in the fridge overnight.
I was pleased to find this morning that frozen and even the chilled guacamole has kept perfectly fresh and tastes really good. I think I’ll be making this from now on, rather than buying expensive ready made guacamole!
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Carolyn @ Kitchen Stewardship says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your changes!
Willow says
It always turns brown on me even when I use lemon juice what am I doing wrong
Carolyn @ Kitchen Stewardship says
Hi Willow, I don’t think most guac recipes have enough lime or lemon juice to prevent browning. If you’re freezing in bags, make sure you get all the air squeezed out. Avoiding air contact by vacuum sealing or pouring a layer of oil on top of the jar as shown in this post is the best way to avoid browning. If you’re just storing in the fridge for a couple of days you can pour a layer of water on top and then dump the water out before serving. Unless I was planning to serve it at a party, I don’t really mind it turning brown.
Ellen Torres says
I have a tip for dealing with unripe avocados. My problem is that they often rot before they ripen. I found that sealing the stem end with melted wax (like from a birthday candle) keeps them from spoiling. You still have to make sure to use them before they over-ripen.
Carolyn @ Kitchen Stewardship says
That’s so interesting Ellen, I have that same problem. Thanks for sharing!
Dean W. says
Just wanted to say thanks. Your tip about not adding cilantro, tomato, onion or jalapeno, until after the guacamole thaws was really helpful!
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Jean says
I am thrilled to find this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing. I was happy to read that you can add the cilantro, onion, and tomatoes AFTER it thaws. Cant wait to make this.
Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) says
Jean, so glad to hear that! I have a jar of frozen guac thawing in the sink right now for Taco Night tonight 🙂 I love, love, LOVE having frozen guac in the freezer as a back up plan. And like I said in the post, you don’t have to make a huge batch as once (though I prefer doing that) – last time, I just used 6 avocados and adjusted the recipe accordingly.
Laurel says
Brilliant! Thanks! And if you want to ever make your guac probiotic, you can easily add a tablespoon or so of plain kefir (you can’t taste it but does add dairy, though no lactose!) and it makes it stay green longer. Or if you ferment garlic, you can use that, but doesn’t keep it quite as green. Still, great probiotics without anyone even knowing!
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Laura Snell says
What a great idea, Laurel! Any way we can squeeze extra probiotic foods in is smart. Bonus that the kefir helps keep the guac green longer, too.
-Laura @ Kitchen Stewardship
Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) says
Laurel, now THAT is brilliant! Thanks for sharing!
Rebecca Cox says
Awesome, thank you! We’ve been getting a ton of avos in our CSA box lately, and I’m just not a fan of them. Instead I whip up some guac for my parents, but they can only go through so much guacamole at a time, haha!
Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) says
Perfect! Glad this helped you (or your parents!) out.
Kathy says
Great ideas. How about the pictured garlic in the mason jar? Is that a way of storing fresh garlic? Or did you buy it in the jar?
Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) says
Kathy, I should have explained about the garlic in the blog post. I grow loads of garlic every year and end up with way too much to use before it goes bad, so I use a couple methods to preserve it.
1. Vinegar: I peel and wash the cloves, put them in a mason jar and cover with white vinegar. I keep the jars in the fridge, pull out what I need and rinse off the vinegar.
2. Ice Cube Trays: I chop the peeled garlic in a food processor, adding olive oil. I fill ice cube trays with the mixture and once hard, store them in the freezer bags. So handy to grab a cube and throw it into pasta, soups, stews, frittatas, etc.
3. Frozen: I just fill a few mason jars with washed and peeled garlic and stick in the freezer. Great for making a batch on bone broth, or the garlic can be diced while frozen and added to a meal.
Hope this helps!
Kathy says
Good to know. Thanks.
Gabbi says
How long would the garlic remain fresh?
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Carolyn @ Kitchen Stewardship says
Hi Gabbi,
Frozen garlic will be good for 10-12 months.
Chastity says
Line your mason jars with wax paper and fill with guacamole then freeze. After 24 hours you just pull the paper out and the frozen quart size portions are easily removed so you can store them in large freezer bags and just pop however many portions you want into a bowl to thaw. No messy bags and your jars are only occupied for 24 hours. I do this with plain yogurt too. I freeze plain yogurt in silicone cupcake liners. Once frozen, I throw them all into a freezer bag and pull out only what I need. Great for making smoothies! You could do the same with mashed avocado to store a few plain for smoothies, baby food, and any other recipe calling for plain avocado.
Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) says
Chastity, what a fabulous idea! Thank you for sharing! I love the yogurt/smoothie idea too.
Heidi says
Fabulous! Can’t wait to try it!
Hélène says
I think i will freeze the mashed avos without additions n have less space eaten up in my freezer. I have to chop up jalapeños, parsley and tomatoes already. May as well chop the onions, garlic n salt it, etc too.
I use mashed avos for mayo sometimes too so plain would be better. Also, ppl cud put the avo in their smoothie if its plain. Instant babyfood too.
But Im def going to try this! Thx for trying it for us cyberfolk 🙂
★★★★★
Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) says
You’re welcome! Let me know how it works to freeze the plain mashed avocado. I was a little concerned about discoloration, so I made sure to add some lime juice. Curious to see how it does without lime/lemon juice.
Hélène says
Oh for sure, put the lime juice in the avo to be frzn!
Laura says
I have frozen chunks of avocado first on a tray before sticking the frozen chunks in a zip lock bag. I was making green smoothies with them it would just take a couple of chunks and I didn’t want to waste the rest of the avocado. I didn’t worry about discoloration since I figured freezing would stop the process. I never had brown pieces when pulling them out. Just thought I would let you know. I LOVE AVOCADOS!!!! 😉
Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) says
Thank you, Laura! I love hearing all these wonderful tips from fellow avocado lovers. 😉
Hélène says
Awesome!
I think i will keep the lime juice on mine as Im going to use them for guac only. But good to know info lol
Bonnie Thompson says
Be sure to add lime juice before freezing. It will keep it a nice green. That’s all I add to my avacados. I like my onions and tomatoes fresh.
Karen Reilly says
I smack the large seed with a sharp knife to get it out then grab the seed with the scaped avocado skin and the seed pops out of the knife. I always do this and have never been cut. Works quickly too.
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