Hummus is well known chickpea specialty. It originates from Oriental cuisine, but recently became very popular in Western world. Due to its healthy properties and amazing taste, hummus has gained a high position on gastronomical scale. Hummus is simple and flavorful food, rich in aroma and beneficial nutrients. It is one of the most popular viands in vegan and vegetarian cuisine, being packed with essential nutrients for people who don’t eat food of animal origin. Hummus is full of vitamins, minerals, proteins and other important components. Besides this, it is easy to make.
The main ingredient of hummus is chickpea. Like other legumes, it contains a lot of dietary fiber. Fibers are very important in processes of human digestion. They also support the process of normalizing blood lipid level. One recent study showed that chickpea can improve blood sugar and insulin level, within just one week of consumption. Regular consumption of chickpea for a three week period proved to be sufficient for general health improvement. One cup of chickpea contains many important elements, like molybdenum, manganese, folate, fibers, tryptophan, protein, copper, phosphorus and iron, all in admirable amounts.
The basic composition of hummus includes cooked or canned chickpea, fresh garlic, sesame paste called tahini and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Those ingredients make it full of essential minerals and vitamins for a regular daily diet. Hummus can be found in various forms and flavors, all around the world. It can contain some added spices for a specific taste. Hummus is used in many ways, as a spread in sandwiches, as a dip for chicken and fish or just as a healthy snack alone.
If you want to make your own hummus, you can do it really easy way. Use 600 gr of canned, drained and rinsed chickpeas, three crushed garlic cloves, 100 ml olive oil, two tablespoons of tahini, one teaspoon cumin, juice from one lemon, about 60 ml of water and just put all the ingredients into food processor. Process it until combined and smoothly creamed. You can use commercial tahini or you can make it yourself. It is a simple sesame seed paste, made from slightly baked sesame, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. Hummus is traditionally served with some types of oriental bread and garnished with fresh parsley leaves.
Amazing properties of hummus
However, besides delicious taste and aroma, hummus is recommended as one of the top healthiest viands. Interesting and rich flavor in combination with many health benefits make hummus extremely popular in terms of healthy living and nutrition. Therefore, today it stands out as a super food.
Hummus can help people who suffer from anemia, since chickpea naturally raises the level of iron. In addition, it contains vitamin C, which promotes the absorption of iron in the body. Hummus can also reduce the risk of blood clots. Chickpea is a good source of vitamin K, which plays an important role in processes of coagulation or clotting of blood, preventing the formation of clots. Being a rich source of complex carbohydrates, hummus also regulates blood sugar levels and it lowers cholesterol.
The high fiber content makes it a good choice for people who try to lose weight. Hummus will satisfate appetite for a longer period of time and fibers also promote better digestion. The last, but not the least, hummus is considered to be a great prevention of cancer development, due to its folate content.
Does hummus expire?
Homemade hummus usually does not contain any preservatives, so, naturally, it cannot stand for a long period of time. Freshly made hummus can survive in the fridge for about five to seven days, or a few days beyond. Many people would suggest that it should be consumed within one and a half week. After two weeks, it will go off for sure, even in the fridge.
However, if it smells good and tastes fine, you can safely have it. If someone’s left it outside the fridge overnight, it’s better not to risk eating homemade hummus, even if it seems ok.
Commercial hummus should be edible for two to four weeks, if package stays unopened. It is usually one week after the date printed on the package. This can be applied only if you store hummus package in the fridge. If you store it on kitchen shelf or elsewhere, it cannot last that long. Once you open the package, it should be consumed within one week, maybe few days plus. If it is properly stored in the fridge, it can be fine up to two weeks, but not more.
How to tell if hummus is not edible? First and easily recognizable sign that it’s gone bad are pieces of mold. Hummus tends to get moldy if it stands for to long or if it is not maintained in proper conditions. Even a few spots of mold are reason enough to discard it. It can also get rancid. The usual sign of rancidity is separation of oil from the hummus paste. It can smell odd and unpleasant, which is also an alert on deterioration.
So, hummus is sensitive to outer conditions and it is best to keep it in the fridge. Homemade hummus is free of chemicals, but it cannot last longer then seven days in the fridge. Purchased product should be fine for a little longer, but it can’t survive forever. Thanks to its amazing properties and rich exotic taste, it won’t be a problem to simply eat it before expiration date.