Can You Freeze Aioli?: Aioli is a delicious sauce made from garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. It can be used as a dip, spread, or sauce in recipes such as pasta dishes, salads, and sandwiches. It is extremely thick and used as an ingredient in traditional Mediterranean dishes.
A little amount of aioli does go a long way, and even after serving the whole family, you might end up with some leftover aioli. So, can you freeze this leftover aioli, or is this a bit of a no-no? Let’s find out! Read on to know all the important details on aioli such as freezing, thawing, shelf life, storage and much more.
- Can You Freeze Aioli?
- How Long Does Aioli Last After Opening?
- Does Aioli Freeze Well?
- How To Store Aioli?
- How To Thaw Aioli?
- What To Do With Leftover Aioli?
- How Can You Tell If An Aioli Has Gone Bad?
- Can you freeze traditional aioli?
- Should aioli be served cold?
- Can you freeze mayonnaise?
Can You Freeze Aioli?
No, you shouldn’t freeze aioli. True aioli is an emulsion of just mashed garlic, olive oil and a dash of salt. Emulsified oil-based condiments—like mayonnaise, aioli, and even vinaigrette—will break in the freezer, and the resulting product will lose its structure and taste.
Frozen aioli will not at all resemble what you first intended to freeze, so don’t freeze it. If you put the aioli in the freezer to freeze it, you will end up destroying its structure.
Alternatively, aioli can be stored in the fridge but never in the freezer. We’ll read more on aioli storage later on in this article. Stay tuned!
How Long Does Aioli Last After Opening?
Aioli has a longer life span compared to mayonnaise because it’s free of eggs. But you also need to store the aioli properly by putting it in a plastic bag or container and placing it in the fridge.
To increase the shelf life, cover the aioli container with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge. This way, the aioli will keep well for about 7 days. If you plan to make the aioli ahead of time, it’s best to use a couple of garlic cloves rather than three, as the garlic flavor will develop strongly as it sits.
Does Aioli Freeze Well?
From the information provided above, you’ve probably guessed that aioli does not freeze well at all. Moreover, any form of an emulsified condiment will not freeze well. As the aioli thaws, the oil will separate from the other ingredients, leaving you with a pool of oil floating on top of the yolk.
You can try to whizz it up with a stick blender or add some water, but this will thin out the aioli. It’s safe to say that aioli does not freeze well.
How To Store Aioli?
The best way to store aioli is to place it in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Screw the lid on and place the aioli in the fridge for up to a week. Beyond this period, the quality of the aioli might start to deteriorate, rendering it tasteless.
Homemade aioli that is prepared with just garlic, olive oil, and salt and kept refrigerated will last up to 10 days in the fridge. With airtight storage, you can make aioli this weekend and use it all week. However, making aioli only takes a matter of minutes, so, where possible, make it on the day you’re going to consume it – it’ll taste far better that way!
| Aioli | Shelf life |
| In the Refrigerator | 7 days |
| In Freezer | Freezing Aioli is not recommended |
How To Thaw Aioli?
Things might go horribly wrong if you try to thaw frozen aioli. Be cautious, as the aioli begins to thaw and the oil separates from the garlic and egg yolk.
This results in a thick, gloopy mixture of yolk and garlic with a pool of oil floating on top. You can make an effort to vigorously mix it to get the structure back together, but it will never be quite the same.
Read More:
What To Do With Leftover Aioli?
To get a tasty garlic kick try leftover aioli with the following dishes:
With bread
You could use torn pieces of warmed pita or flatbread and spread aioli on top of them. You can also use aioli as a sandwich filling.
With raw or cooked vegetables
Prepare any kinds of raw and cooked vegetables; spoon aioli over them or dip them into the sauce. Strips of pepper, celery, carrot, and cucumber alongside whole tomatoes and trimmed radishes would make a good plate of food to dunk into aioli.
Boiled New Potatoes
Boil and dry for a few minutes to remove excess liquid, then dunk the warm potatoes into the aioli and enjoy.
In Burgers, Tacos, Grilled Cheese, etc
Although aioli is traditionally served as a dip, that doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself from experimenting. If you can handle the fiery heat of garlic, then smear the aioli sauce wherever you fancy. Smother a burger bun in aioli before topping a patty or drizzle it over tacos to give them an uplifting garlic hit.
Fries dip
If boiled potatoes aren’t your thing, then try aioli with fries. Skin-on fries, potato wedges, sweet potato fries, and triple-cooked chips would all work fine with aioli.
Chicken Wings
Something greasy and fatty, like chicken wings, needs to be accompanied by something that can cut through all that richness, and aioli is a good option to try.
You can also explore our articles on Can You Freeze Corn Salsa and learn the entire process involved in freezing and how it can impact the shelf life.
How Can You Tell If An Aioli Has Gone Bad?
Look for the following signs of spoilage to determine whether your aioli is edible or not:
- Mold growth: You can determine that aioli is bad based on its appearance. For this, look for any organic growths inside the jar, like mold or spores. Noticeable changes in color, like a darker shade of white or brownish-yellow, are signs of spoilage.
- Bad smell: An off, acidic, or putrid smell is not a good sign either.
- Off taste: Taste a bit, and if the aioli tastes too bad to be consumed, dump it.
- Past the expiration date: Check its expiration date, which is indicated on the container if store-bought.
FAQs On Freezing Aioli
1. Can you freeze traditional aioli?
No! Although it’s not a normal mayonnaise, it is still an emulsion. In other words, as you defrost the frozen aioli, the emulsification will be reversed, and you’ll be left with a layer of oil and a mixture of raw garlic and salt.
2. Should aioli be served cold?
No, aioli should not be served cold. You should remove it from the fridge around 30 minutes before serving to allow it to reach room temperature. This is when the aioli flavor will be at its best.
Whether it’s plain, flavored with garlic, or spiked with chipotle, mayonnaise of any type will not freeze well at all. The real issue comes when you defrost mayonnaise. As it defrosts, the oil splits from the egg yolks, which completely changes the taste and texture.
Wrapping Up
In short, you should not freeze your aioli. Moreover, making aioli only takes a matter of minutes, so, where possible, make it on the day you’re going to consume it – it’ll taste far better that way! Or use our above-mentioned tips to store your aioli for a week.
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