Yeast is an essential component of delicious baking. The conditions of their storage directly determine how fluffy, airy and soft pies, buns and kulebyaki will be. Therefore, baking lovers should figure out how to store yeast at home according to all the rules.
Knowing how to store yeast, you can make delicious pastries
Most often, fresh (pressed) and dry yeast are used at home. The latter, in turn, are divided into granular, active and instant ones, which do not require dissolution in a liquid.
Manufacturers indicate different expiration dates for each of the products. However, after opening the package, the life of beneficial microorganisms begins to decrease very quickly. This process can be successfully slowed down by extending it to several years. And you can do it in the following ways.
Rules for storing fresh yeast
It is thanks to this ingredient that especially airy pastries are obtained. But fresh yeast in an opened package deteriorates at normal room temperature the very next day. The life cycle of fungi can be extended by several days by sprinkling the briquette with salt and flour.
A universal method is to store yeast in the refrigerator or freezer. It is done like this:
The product is wrapped in foil or paper and placed in the common compartment of the refrigerator. Polyethylene is not used for these purposes: fungi will simply suffocate without air. A fresh product will remain at a temperature of 0-4 ° C for 12 days;
Packaged in pieces of 25-30 g, the product, wrapped in a breathable shell, is placed in a freezer and stored without damage to microorganisms for several years. Repeated freezing is not recommended, and defrosting is carried out at a temperature of + 8 ° C;
Within half a year, your pressed yeast will be fresh if dried. To do this, they are crumbled by hand into small flakes, placed on a baking sheet and left to dry at room temperature. Then they are sprinkled with flour and placed in a bag of linen or a glass container, closed with a cloth on top.
Important: Long-stored yeast is recommended to be tested for germination by dissolving a small amount of the product in a warm liquid along with sugar and flour. If foam appears on the surface of the mixture, the fungi are quite viable and baking will succeed.
How to store dry yeast
Manufacturers claim: dry granulated yeast is stored for no more than 6 weeks, active - up to six months, instant (added directly to flour) - up to 5 years. After the integrity of the package is broken, an irreversible process starts: moisture is lost; the less it remains in the original product, the worse the dough will fit.
How to store yeast in granules?
There are 3 types of baker's yeast: fresh pressed, dry granular active and sponge. Let's figure out how to properly store yeast.
Fresh pressed yeast
As a rule, such yeast is sold in the form of briquettes weighing 50 g or 100 g. They have a uniform cream color and break (separate) into pieces when pressed. This type provides the strongest fermentation and the right dough consistency. You can not store fresh yeast in airtight packages, as they, like any living organisms, must "breathe" to maintain their viability. At room temperature, fresh yeast can be stored for no more than a day. But in the cold, the fermentation process slows down somewhat, and they remain suitable for another 10-12 days at a temperature of 0 to 4 degrees. If you do not have the opportunity to store yeast in the refrigerator, experienced housewives are advised to sprinkle it with salt or flour, then their shelf life is extended by 3-4 days. However, storage of pressed yeast in this form is possible only if the room temperature does not exceed 39-42 degrees. If the yeast is nearing the end of its shelf life, and you are afraid for its effectiveness, try to “revive” it before use by rubbing it in a small amount of warm water with the addition of 1-2 tsp. Sahara. If the resulting dough bubbles after 10-15 minutes, then the yeast has come to life and is suitable for use.
Dry yeast
Storage of dry yeast depends on its subspecies. There are dry granular and dry active. Upon receipt of granulated yeast, they are freed from more than 60% of moisture, but the remaining moisture does not allow them to be usable for too long. Such yeast is stored in the refrigerator at a temperature below 10 degrees for about 5-6 weeks. The storage of active yeast is much longer and easier. This is due to their significant dehydration. These are packaged in hermetic packages, and their storage conditions are absolutely non-specific. Even at room temperature, they can retain their qualities up to 2 years.
Opara
By sourdough, we mean a natural starter, traditionally made from flour and water. Such a dough is specially left for several days to sour enough. The maturation of the dough lasts about 4 days (according to other sources, less). Part of this dough, as a rule, is used for baking, and on the basis of another, a new one is made. Where to store steam? - you ask. It is convenient to store such a dough in the refrigerator or other cold place. Such a dough also should not be hermetically sealed, because it is through the air that yeast spores enter the mixture. Dough bread is considered the best and most beneficial for health, and it has a special taste.
Yeast is an essential ingredient for making delicious baked goods and homemade drinks. It's no secret that this is a rather capricious product. In this article, we will talk about how to properly store yeast at home.
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How to store pressed yeast
Fresh pressed yeast is one of the most common types of baker's yeast. A high-quality product has a delicate creamy color, a slightly sour smell, crumbles easily when pressed and does not stick to hands. As a rule, such yeast is sold packaged in portioned sticks. The first question that arises when buying: where to store yeast?
Source: depositphotos.com
It is recommended to store pressed yeast at room temperature for no more than a day. To slightly increase this period, you can sprinkle the yeast with flour or salt - then the product will retain its properties for about 3-4 days.
You can extend the freshness of yeast up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Pressed yeast is stored at a temperature of 0 to +4 ℃. Parchment or foil can be used as packaging, since the yeast needs air access.
Do not use polyethylene to store yeast - the yeast fungus "suffocates" without oxygen.
Can compressed yeast be stored in the freezer? There is an opinion that at low temperatures the yeast fungus dies, but this is not true. It suspends the processes of vital activity, falling into the so-called anabiosis. After defrosting, all the properties of the yeast remain the same.
You need to store the yeast, having previously divided it into portioned pieces of the desired size. Pieces are wrapped in foil or parchment and placed in the freezer. Defrost the product in the refrigerator. Yeast cannot be re-frozen. Shelf life - from 6 to 12 months, depending on the quality of the original product.
Source: depositphotos.com
Another method of storing yeast is drying. The bar of yeast is finely chopped and mixed with a small amount of flour. Then pour the crumbs on a baking sheet covered with paper and dry at room temperature. Yeast needs to provide good air ventilation and stir them periodically. The dry workpiece is transferred to jars, covered with a cloth and tied with an elastic band (fungi must breathe). You can store such yeast in a dark, cool place for several months.
How to store dry yeast
The method and shelf life of dry yeast directly depend on the amount of moisture in their composition. There are several varieties of dry yeast. Let's consider each type in more detail.
Dry (instant) yeast of instant action. Such a product is made in the form of cylindrical granules that do not require pre-activation and are immediately added to the flour. The moisture content of the product is only 3.5-5%. Yeast made this way is the easiest to store and has the longest shelf life of any variety. In a dark, dry place, instant yeast can be stored for 2 years. After opening the package, fast-acting yeast will retain its properties for 2 days. To prolong the shelf life of yeast, they can be poured into a dry glass jar with a lid and put in the refrigerator - they will lie for about 2 weeks.
Yeast tends to absorb foreign odors, so you should not store it near strong-smelling foods.
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This product is made in powder form and has a moisture content of 6-9%. Yeast should be stored in a dark, dry place. The shelf life of a sealed package is 6 months (for some manufacturers it can be from 6 to 18 months). After opening, the yeast retains its properties for 1 month if stored in a refrigerator in a closed jar (however, experience shows that the yeast will be most active in the first 2 weeks).
Source: depositphotos.com
To extend the shelf life of yeast after opening the package, it can be frozen. The product is packaged in small sealed bags or containers and placed in the freezer. Yeast should be consumed within 6 months.
Ready (activated) yeast should be used for its intended purpose within 4 hours.
The product has the shortest shelf life, as it contains about 40% moisture. Granulated yeast should be stored in the refrigerator for 1-1.5 months, and after opening the package, it is recommended to use it immediately for its intended purpose.
Source: depositphotos.com
How to store other types of yeast
The household uses not only baker's yeast: live, beer, wine and alcohol yeast are used as medicinal purposes and for the preparation of various drinks. Each variety requires compliance with certain storage conditions. Let's consider them in more detail.
Liquid yeast. This type of yeast must be stored in the refrigerator. A jar of yeast is covered with a cloth or gauze and stored for up to 1 month without "feeding". To increase the shelf life and as a “complementary food”, 1-2 teaspoons of sugar or honey are dissolved in yeast. Using this method, liquid yeast can be stored for quite a long time.
Brewer's yeast is stored in a refrigerator in a glass container, diluted with cold unboiled water in a ratio of 1:1. Water must be drained periodically (every 1-2 days), allowing the fungus to “breathe”, and then fill it with water again. It is best to use yeast within a month as it loses its effectiveness over time. At room temperature, brewer's yeast spoils in a matter of hours.
depositphotos.com
Dry brewer's yeast is also on sale. This type of product is stored in the refrigerator for about 2 years.
Brewer's yeast, unlike other varieties, is not recommended to be frozen - low temperatures are detrimental to them.
Wine yeast. Such a product has a moisture content of 6%. Yeast can be stored up to 2 years in a dry, dark place at a temperature not higher than +15 ℃.
Alcohol yeast. The most common dry alcohol yeast. This type of product has a moisture content of 7% and is sold in vacuum packaging. In a dry, dark place at a temperature not exceeding +15 ℃, alcohol yeast can be stored for up to 2 years (although some manufacturers indicate a shelf life of up to 5 years).
We hope that our advice will be useful to you. What methods of storing yeast do you follow? Share your experience and secrets in the comments.
Text: Anastasia Doroshenko4.7857142857143 4.79 / 7 votes
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Yeast is an indispensable ingredient in cooking, on which the tenderness, porosity and splendor of any bakery products (donuts, pies, pancakes, etc.) depend. The biological product is quite "capricious" - if stored improperly, it quickly loses its useful properties. Therefore, every housewife needs to know where, how much and how to store yeast at home in order to use it for as long as possible.
Briefly about the varieties
Modern manufacturers produce a wide range of yeast, which differ in texture, consistency, smell, color, conditions and shelf life.
bakery
These yeasts are "live" unicellular microorganisms (mushrooms), during the life of which carbon dioxide is released, which "raises" the dough.
There are several varieties of yeast product:
- Pressed - fresh, cream or light brown in color, packaged in small packs of 40-100 g (for consumers), or 0.5-1 kg (for a bakery). A high-quality pressed mass gives off a pleasant sour smell, does not stick to hands, does not smear when pressed, but crumbles. The culture has a high degree of fermentation, requires dissolution in a warm liquid.
- Dry - produced in the form of round or cylindrical granules, packaged in branded bags. This species is less demanding on the conditions and place of storage. Dissolve in water before use.
- Dry instant or instant - have an increased "lifting" ability, do not require activation, are directly mixed into.
Do you know that…
The composition of dry yeast includes not only the mushrooms themselves, but also various additives (minerals, enzymes) that enhance the activity of the culture.
What kind of yeast to choose for baking fresh or dry, you will learn from the video:
Other types
There are also the following types of yeast:
- Alcohol - used in the production of alcoholic beverages, carry out deep processing of the solution.
- Feed - biologically active, intended for feeding farm animals.
- Kombucha (medusomycete) is a symbiotic macroorganism consisting of acetic acid bacteria and yeast-like fungi. The mucous thick brownish-pink film requires a liquid nutrient medium (juices,), in which it will release its waste products.
How to store baker's yeast: conditions, terms
The duration and location of storage depend on the type of yeast product and on the percentage of moisture in its composition. As a rule, manufacturers indicate this information on the packaging.
Pressed
How to store pressed yeast:
- at 20-25 ° C (in the room) - no more than a day;
- at 0-4 ° C (in the refrigerator) - 12-14 days (open), 30 days (in a closed container).
In the absence of a refrigerator, yeast bars can be covered with either flour and placed in a cool, dark place. With this method, a fresh product will retain its "lifting" properties for 3-4 days.
- Finely crumble the yeast mass, sprinkle it with flour and dry on a tray at 20 °C.
- Store the finished dry mix in a glass container at room conditions.
- To make the mushrooms breathe, cover the neck of the container with a cloth (not a lid) and tie it with a ribbon or rope.
Even the ancient Egyptians brewed beer and baked yeast bread. In the middle of the 19th century, Louis Pasteur, a French microbiologist, came to grips with the study of the properties of culture, and only by the end of the century did it find application in cooking.
Dry
The shelf life of dry yeast depends on the percentage of moisture in its composition.
How to store dry yeast:
- Granular with 40% moisture content can lie up to 90 days at a temperature of 4-8 °C. Once opened, the sachet is immediately used for its intended purpose.
- Active powders with 6-9% moisture retain their properties for 6 months (in a closed package) and 30 days - in an open one. You can keep the product both in a dry, dark place (15-20 ° C) and in a refrigerator.
- Dry instant, like Pakmaya, have a low level of humidity (3-4%), so they are stored longer - 2-3 years. However, after being removed from the package, they are immediately used, since their "germination" lasts 1-2 days.
If the powder remaining after kneading the dough is placed in a glass container, sealed tightly and refrigerated, then the shelf life of the yeast can be extended to 14 days.
How to store alcohol yeast
Modern enterprises effectively use yeast compositions in the production of alcoholic beverages. Technologists working in the field of brewing and winemaking pay special attention to the storage conditions of the raw materials they use.
beer
Dried brewer's yeast in sealed form has a shelf life of 2 years (at 6-9 °C).
- The beer composition is diluted with unboiled water in proportions of 50x50, the resulting creamy light brown mixture is stored in a glass dish in a refrigerator.
- Periodically settled water must be drained, allowing the mushrooms to "breathe".
- It is advisable to use the finished product within 30 days, since subsequently it loses its nutritional value and effectiveness.
Brewer's yeast spoils quickly in the freezer and in warm conditions (at room temperature).
Brewer's yeast is actively used for the manufacture of medicines and dietary supplements, as well as for cosmetic procedures (masks for skin and hair)
Wine
Wine - a subspecies of mushrooms, providing a unique taste, aroma and strength of low-alcohol drinks. These strains are microscopic fungi that live on the surface of fresh fruits and berries (grapes, raisins, etc.). They are used in the manufacture of high-quality and various kinds of wines.
- Branded (sold in supermarkets) are called "cultural".
- Made at home - "wild".
The dry yeast product has 6% moisture, so it is stored for about 2 years in a dark, dry and cool room.
Is it possible to freeze?
Is it possible to store dry and fresh yeast in the freezer - after all, these are microorganisms? In principle, you can freeze any yeast, with the exception of beer. It should only be remembered that at temperatures below -2 ° C, the culture may die. On the other hand, freezing can significantly extend its shelf life.
To keep the raw pressed product up to 12 months, it can be placed in the freezer. For this:
- Divide it into small, easy-to-defrost sticks.
- Wrap each briquette in cling film, parchment or foil and put in the freezer.
- Defrost in portions as needed at room temperature until soft.
You can also do with unused dry yeast. Namely, pack them in small sealed packages and place in the freezer.
Tip of the day
Before kneading the pastry, check the active properties of defrosted yeast. To do this, dilute a little in 100 g of warm milk or water, add a spoon and flour, let it brew for 10-15 minutes. If the mixture begins to bubble and foam, then the culture is alive.
Compliance with simple "tricks" will help to preserve the biological component important for delicious baking for a long time. Of course, the best option is to purchase a "live" product as needed and in small quantities, because stale and expired yeast will not raise the dough, and baking will not work.
Store properly and be healthy!
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When buying a large package of yeast, you need to know how to store it.
Many people love homemade bread. But she succeeds only when the hostess uses fresh yeast to prepare the dough, which is responsible for the tenderness and airiness of the muffin. Therefore, their storage conditions are very important. For example, you need to know how long and how to store yeast in the refrigerator, is it possible to do this at all, or is it better to choose another method.
You will learn about all this by reading this article.
Conditions for fresh yeast
I wonder what pressed yeast is made of? In fact, this is a mass consisting of living microorganisms - a special variety of unicellular fungi.
In the course of their life, they emit carbon dioxide, which makes the dough airy, “raises” it. But only if they are really alive. And their lifespan depends on storage conditions.
Fresh yeast is easily recognizable by its pleasant sour smell and delicate creamy tint.. If you press a piece with your finger, it should not flatten, but crumble.
Fresh pressed yeast should be fluffy and creamy
Those housewives who rarely bake prefer to buy small packages of pressed yeast of 50 or 100 grams. But even they are not always possible to use immediately. Not to mention packs of 1 kg, which are bought from savings - the price is lower than for several small packs.
Method 1. Storage in the refrigerator
At room temperature, such yeast remains viable for no more than 24 hours. If you are in the country without a refrigerator, you can extend their life by covering them with flour. In such a "fur coat" they will last another 2-3 days.
Flour a fresh product and it will be usable for 2-3 days
If you have a refrigerator, there will be no problem where to store the yeast. In it, they will lie perfectly for two weeks, subject to the following conditions:
- Temperature from 0 to +5 degrees;
- Oxygen access necessary for the respiration of microorganisms. Therefore, they do not need to be sealed.
Paper is the best packaging, it is breathable
Method 2: Freezer Storage
Many people ask, is it possible to freeze pressed yeast? Will fungi die from low temperatures? Yes, you can. Under such conditions, they fall into suspended animation, in other words, into hibernation. And when defrosted, they restore their properties again.
Freeze them correctly like this:
| Image | Process description |
| Step 1
Divide a large piece into several portions. This is not only for your convenience. The fact is that you can freeze the product only once, and it is impossible to cut off a small piece from a large piece without defrosting. |
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| Step 2
Wrap each serving in parchment or plastic wrap and place in the freezer. It is advisable to sign the date. Answering the question whether it is possible to store yeast in the freezer, I did not mention that the period of such storage should not exceed 1 year. In order not to miss it, a date is needed. |
Frozen pieces should be kept at room temperature until soft before use. After that, it is desirable to make sure that they "work". For this you need:
- Dilute a little product with warm water;
- Add a little flour and sugar to the liquid;
- Let stand warm for 10-15 minutes. If a growing cap of foam begins to appear on the surface - everything is in order, you can start the dough.
Method 3. Dry storage
The product can be dried by hand. In this form, they will be stored without a refrigerator for about 6 months.
| Image | Instruction |
| Step 1
Crumble the briquette into fine crumbs and mix in a bowl with a little flour. |
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| Step 2
Pour the crumbs over a baking sheet lined with paper and leave to dry at room temperature. Stir periodically and ensure good ventilation in the room. |
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| Step 3
Transfer the dry blank to a glass jar, and close it with a piece of cloth, tying the neck with a string. Fungi need to breathe. |
Conditions for dry yeast
Fresh pressed yeast is a rather capricious product. Therefore, dry analogues are often preferred to them, considering that they are less demanding on storage conditions.
However, the shelf life of dry yeast is also not unlimited and depends on its type and whether the package has been opened:
- Fast acting yeast granules contain about 40% moisture in their composition and are not stored for longer than 6 weeks. After opening, it is advisable to use them immediately.
Granular product has a short shelf life
- Dry active yeast in the form of a powder, moisture contains less - up to 9%. Their shelf life at room temperature is already 6 months. When stored in a dry and protected from light place. And if you have already opened the package, this period is reduced to 1 month, and in the refrigerator. If it does not suit you, pack the powder into sachets, seal tightly and put in the freezer.
Active yeast in a closed package is stored for six months
- Instant Instant Yeast contain very little moisture - only 3.5-4%. Therefore, they are stored up to about two years. But only in original sealed packaging. After opening it, you can count on their germination for only two days.
Long shelf life instant yeast Pakmaya
What to do and how to store dry yeast at home if you have not used it all up? Pour into a dry glass jar with a hermetically sealed lid and place it in the refrigerator. You have two weeks left.
In a sealed container and at low temperature, a modern instant product will not lose its properties for 2-3 weeks
Conclusion
Surely after reading this note and watching the video in this article, you will have no questions about the rules for storing yeast of any kind. Still, the best solution is to buy as much product as you can use up in a short time.
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