Shelf life of cottage cheese. General recommendations for storage of this product

It's not a secret for anyone that cottage cheese is considered one of the most useful dairy products. However, it can not be stored in the refrigerator for a long time and after a short period of time begins to lose flavor and valuable substances. In addition, the use of a spoiled product is fraught with serious problems with the gastrointestinal tract. From this article you will learn the exact shelf life of cottage cheese and the rules for its storage.

How to keep the freshness of the product in the refrigerator?

Many cottage cheese lovers keep it in an open dish, believing that this method is most convenient and practical. In this case, the freshness of the product remains for two days.

Many housewives, wishing to understand what the shelf life of cottage cheese in the refrigerator, are lazy at once unpacking the product brought home, and send it for storage right in the package. Such actions lead to rapid damage. Within a day and a half, such a product is considered conditionally usable. Curd, wrapped in a waterproof cellophane, begins to "sweat", resulting in it starts to come from an unpleasant musty smell. The appearance of such a specific "flavor" indicates that such a product can no longer be eaten raw.

To increase the shelf life of cottage cheese and curd products, you need to place them in enamel ware. The product stored in this way can keep its freshness for four days. Many experienced housewives recommend to cover the bowl with a dense lid, having preliminarily put into it several pieces of refined sugar. Due to this, the product will not acquire a musty odor.

It is also necessary to understand that the shelf life of cottage cheese largely depends not only on what kind of container it is stored, but also on the shelf on which it is placed. The longest it remains fresh, if you put it closer to the freezer compartment. There he can be stored for not more than a week.

Frozen cottage cheese

Low temperatures significantly slow down the metabolic rate of lactobacilli living in this product. As a result, it stays fresh longer. So, the shelf life of homemade cottage cheese, frozen at -35 degrees, is about three weeks. For this period of time, even a small family will have time to eat a couple of kilograms of this product.

Defrost stored in this way cottage cheese is needed only in the refrigerator. This is a fairly long process, taking at least ten hours. The product, thawed with a violation of technology, loses not only the granular structure, but also the taste qualities. As a result, it can be used only after heat treatment.

How long can I store the evacuated product?

The use of this technique makes it possible to protect the sour milk from the influence of external gas media. As a result of slowing the development and metabolism of bacteria, the shelf life of cottage cheese is prolonged. This method is much more convenient and easier to freeze. Its advantages include the absence of the need for a long wait until it becomes empty.

At the same time, one must not forget that different types of vacuum packaging are characterized by their own efficiency. Therefore, no one will tell you the exact shelf life of cottage cheese in accordance with GOST, stored in this way. One container, he can safely lie down for three weeks, and in another - will begin to deteriorate after a few days.

How did our ancestors cook and store cottage cheese?

The fact that this perishable product was known to people who lived in the times of Ancient Rus. At that time, ordinary yogurt served as raw material for making useful and tasty cottage cheese. She was placed in a deep pottery and sent to the oven. The mass obtained as a result of heating was put under a press.

To store this sour-milk product in those days, a clean cloth, previously moistened in water, was used. She wrapped up the dishes with cottage cheese and put in a cool place.

What to look for when buying?

To curd not become a cause of poisoning, you need to be able to choose it correctly. The first thing you should look at when buying is the expiry date. In this product, the E. coli is most actively developed and propagated, therefore it can not be purchased at unchecked outlets and in spontaneous markets.

The most dangerous to health is the home-made curd, prepared from sour milk. This is because the product may contain pathogens. Even the fine appearance of the curd does not guarantee that it was produced under sterile conditions with the exact observance of the technological process.

Useful recommendations

This product can not be kept in plastic bags or in food film, as this leads to rapid oxidation and the appearance of an unpleasant odor. To prolong the shelf life of cottage cheese and keep its taste qualities longer, the product is recommended to be placed in a glass or enameled container with a sealed lid. At will, you can send a small amount of sugar, absorbing excess moisture.

The freshness of cottage cheese can be preserved by wrapping it in parchment paper, foil or gauze. In the refrigerator, it can be placed in a compartment for storing vegetables. The product, lying on the open plate for 72 hours, is subject to mandatory heat treatment.

Semi-finished products made on the basis of cottage cheese, can not be stored for more than four days. Otherwise, they lose most of their valuable properties and become dangerous to human health.