Cottage cheese is a perishable product, so it should be purchased or cooked before eating. If you need to preserve its freshness and taste for some time, then follow our instructions below.
Refrigerator storage rules
If you bought a product packaged in plastic, do not rush to put it in the refrigerator. Condensation usually accumulates in the cling film or bag, which contributes to the rapid oxidation of the product. It’s better to prepare a glass jar or enamel container and place the cottage cheese there, sealing it with a lid. The dishes must be clean and dry.
It is not advisable to store cottage cheese on the refrigerator shelf for longer than 7 days. Changing the temperature has a bad effect on the quality of the product. In warm conditions it will quickly turn sour and begin to deteriorate. The ideal storage temperature for cottage cheese is from 0 to +7 degrees. The shelf life of a product with a high percentage of fat content will not be long. The lean product can be stored a little longer.
To keep the cottage cheese fresh for a long time, adopt a little trick. Place a couple of pieces of refined sugar in a storage container; this will slow down the oxidation process. It is advisable to place the container in the refrigerator in the coolest place.
How to freeze cottage cheese
The product can last for several months in the freezer. Freezing will not affect its taste, but the consistency will become more crumbly and loose. After defrosting, the cottage cheese must be consumed as it cannot be re-frozen.
It is advisable to send the product to the freezer compartment no later than 72 hours of storage in the refrigerator. Cottage cheese that has begun to sour can no longer be frozen. It is also possible to freeze ready-made cottage cheese dishes, such as cheesecakes, pancakes or casseroles.
To prolong the freshness of your favorite delicacies, use the following advice: place a paper napkin at the bottom of the container and place crumbly cottage cheese or ready-made cottage cheese dishes on it. Next, cover the dish with a lid and place it in the freezer.
Rules for storing outside the refrigerator
You should not keep cottage cheese at room temperature for more than 6 hours. Also, do not leave it near heat sources, heating devices, or in direct sunlight. Otherwise, the product will quickly turn sour.
If you don't have a refrigerator, you can wrap the cottage cheese in a slightly damp, clean cloth and put it in a cool place. In dry conditions, where the temperature does not exceed 15 degrees, it will not deteriorate for several hours.
There is another way to keep the product fresh at room temperature. Take a wooden bowl, or glass or ceramic utensils will also work. Place a little salt on the bottom of the container and compact the cottage cheese in a thick layer. Dip a clean piece of cloth into the salty solution and cover the container with it, and place a plate and a small weight on top. Place dishes in the coldest area.
How to store homemade cottage cheese
You should keep it on the refrigerator shelf for no more than two days. This product does not contain preservatives, so it spoils faster.
It is better to use homemade cottage cheese immediately, since you will not be able to know for sure when it was prepared. Even if you purchased it from a familiar seller, do not risk your health.
Before storing a homemade product in the refrigerator, pack it in foil or baking paper. You can also use gauze, which will prevent the product from chapping and help retain the necessary moisture.
If the product's shelf life is running out, make delicious cheesecakes from it. For this you will need 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of sugar, half a glass of flour, 30 grams of butter and 500 grams of cottage cheese. Knead the dough, form small cakes and fry in a frying pan on both sides.
Cottage cheese– a perishable product, it can be stored no longer than a few days. The question is not how long cottage cheese can be stored, but how accurately you follow all storage rules. This determines how long the cottage cheese can remain fresh and usable. If the conditions are not met, the surface of the cottage cheese will dry out and harden, losing its taste.
Basic rules for storing cottage cheese
You should not store cottage cheese in a plastic bag - if it was purchased in this form, then transfer it to a container or any other, looser container. This also includes cling film - it, like polyethylene, helps to accumulate condensation, due to which the properties of the cottage cheese are lost and it deteriorates.
Choose enamel dishes or glass - cottage cheese will last longer in jars, cans, and enamel pans. Don't forget about the lids. If there is no such container, then plastic will do - the containers must close tightly.
Homemade cottage cheese is best stored in the refrigerator in foil or parchment paper. It is worth choosing a storage area that is as cool as possible. If there is no foil, use gauze cloth. It, like a sponge, will absorb excess moisture and will not allow the cottage cheese to dry out. Our grandmothers are still opposed to any container for storing cottage cheese - a clean napkin, scarf or waffle towel is the best time-tested container.
Do not store cottage cheese at room temperature - it does not tolerate heat, the oxidation process accelerates, and the product spoils. If you do not have the opportunity to place the cottage cheese in a cool place, then try to use it or eat it within 2-3 hours.
3 days is the maximum storage time for cottage cheese for direct consumption. If you store the product longer, it is better not to eat it raw, but to use it for making desserts and baking. Heat treatment will be beneficial for stale cottage cheese, and baked goods based on it will be very tasty.
If the product has already begun the oxidation process, then it can no longer be stored. You will not be able to slow down oxidation; the cottage cheese will spoil in a matter of hours. This product cannot be frozen either; only fresh cottage cheese, stored for no more than 4 days, is suitable for freezing.
When freezing cottage cheese, divide it into portions - you cannot defrost and freeze it several times.
Not only the cottage cheese itself is suitable for freezing, but also products and baked goods based on it. Frozen cottage cheese becomes dry, so it is more suitable for use in cooking than for eating raw. The product should be defrosted slowly - under no circumstances should it be poured with boiling water or placed in a warm place. The bottom shelf of the refrigerator is a great place to defrost. Remove the product from the freezer, place it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for 10-12 hours, and use it to your heart's content. Cottage cheese does not tolerate sudden changes in temperature, keep this in mind.
Cottage cheese storage temperature – +2 – +6°С. The period at this temperature is no more than 3-4 days. It depends on the packaging and temperature whether the cottage cheese will stay fresh for one or two days, or will spoil ahead of schedule. Cottage cheese can be stored in the freezer compartment for up to two weeks; make sure that there are no foods nearby from which the cottage cheese will absorb unpleasant odors - fish, meat, bright-smelling herbs. If you bought cottage cheese in a vacuum bag and do not open it, it will keep for 30 days, provided that the packaging is not damaged.
If we talk about storing cottage cheese in warehouses and catering establishments, refrigerators should have separate shelves for dairy products. Cottage cheese is stored in sealed barrels, temperature – +2 – +6 °C, air humidity – 80-85%.
Shelf life of cottage cheese
- According to GOST, cottage cheese products, like cottage cheese itself, have a shelf life of 72 hours.
- If the product has undergone heat treatment, the period increases to 5 days.
- Any dishes made from cottage cheese (pies, cheesecakes, dumplings) – 24 hours.
- Baked products with cottage cheese – 48 hours.
- Children's products with cottage cheese – 36 hours.
The manufacturer can independently increase the shelf life of the product if he uses special processing and other packaging methods.
Curd products are stored longer than cottage cheese in its pure form, since in this case the product has undergone heat treatment. Pancakes, pies and other products with cottage cheese can be stored at the desired temperature for 24 to 48 hours, depending on the complexity of the dish and its ingredients.
Before determining how long homemade cottage cheese can be stored, you need to choose it correctly (unless, of course, it is a product of your own making). The disadvantage of purchased dairy products is that we cannot be completely sure when exactly they were produced and how long they had been stored and not sold. A properly preserved product, which can be kept in the refrigerator for several more days, should smell like milk - this is the first sign of freshness. If the cottage cheese is fresh, then it has not had time to oxidize, and the smell of milk will drown out all the others. The color of the product also plays a role - the cottage cheese should be white; a gray mass means that it has been stored for more than one day and will soon become unusable.
Commercial storage
Speaking about the timing of sales - the sooner you sell the cottage cheese, the better.
The longest sales period for store-bought cottage cheese is 7 days., and only if you store it in the refrigerator at a temperature not exceeding 0 degrees.
Cottage cheese cannot be frozen for sale; it must be fresh; the frozen product is evaluated and sold according to other parameters. Dairy factories have long learned to add preservatives to cottage cheese, thus increasing the sales period, therefore, pay attention to the packaging, where the packaging date and expiration date should appear - only by them can you be guided in this case.
If you learn how to freeze cottage cheese correctly, its shelf life can be extended. up to 6 months.
The freezing process itself is not that complicated. It is important to remember that for this you need to take a fresh product, and not one that has already been in the refrigerator for several days.
Fresh cottage cheese is packaged and frozen at –35 °C. It is stored at a temperature of –18°C. This storage method is used on an industrial scale - in restaurants, cafes, and confectionery shops.
We always want to eat only fresh products, the quality of which we can be completely sure of. If you can’t increase the shelf life of cottage cheese, don’t take risks, it’s better to prepare something tasty based on it, and then the product will definitely not go to waste.
It's no secret that cottage cheese is considered one of the healthiest dairy products. However, it cannot be stored in the refrigerator for a long time and after a short period of time it begins to lose its taste and valuable substances. In addition, consumption 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 storing it.
How to keep food fresh in the refrigerator?
Many lovers of cottage cheese keep it in an open container, believing that this method is the most convenient and practical. In this case, the freshness of the product is maintained for two days.
Many housewives who want to understand the shelf life of cottage cheese in the refrigerator are too lazy to immediately unpack the product they bring home and send it for storage directly in the bag. Such actions lead to rapid spoilage. After just a day and a half, such a product is considered conditionally suitable for consumption. Cottage cheese, wrapped in moisture-proof cellophane, begins to “sweat”, as a result of which an unpleasant musty smell begins to emanate from it. The appearance of such a specific “aroma” indicates that such a product can no longer be consumed raw.
To increase cottage cheese and curd products, you need to place them in an enamel bowl. A product stored in this way can remain fresh for four days. Many experienced housewives recommend covering the bowl with a tight lid, after putting a few pieces of refined sugar in it. Thanks to this, the product will not acquire a musty smell.
It is also necessary to understand that the shelf life of cottage cheese largely depends not only on what container it is stored in, but also on what shelf it is placed on. It stays fresh the longest if you place it close to the freezer compartment. There it can be stored for no 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. Thus, the shelf life of homemade cottage cheese frozen at -35 degrees is about three weeks. During this period of time, even a small family will have time to eat a couple of kilograms of this product.
Cottage cheese stored in this way should only be defrosted in the refrigerator. This is a rather lengthy process, taking at least ten hours. A product defrosted in violation of technology loses not only its grain structure, but also its taste. As a result, it can only be used after heat treatment.
How long can a vacuum-sealed product be stored?
The use of this technique allows you to protect fermented milk from the influence of external gas environments. As a result of slowing down the development and metabolism of bacteria, the shelf life of cottage cheese is extended. This method is much more convenient and easier than freezing. Its advantages include the absence of the need to wait for a long time while it size.
At the same time, we must not forget that different types of vacuum packaging are characterized by their own efficiency. Therefore, no one will tell you the exact expiration date of cottage cheese according to GOST, stored in this way. In one container it can easily lie for three weeks, but in another it will begin to deteriorate after a few days.
How did our ancestors prepare and store cottage cheese?
The fact that people who lived during the times of Ancient Rus' knew this. In that era, the raw material for making healthy and tasty cottage cheese was ordinary yogurt. It was placed in a deep clay vessel and sent to the oven. The mass obtained as a result of heating was placed under a press.
To store this fermented milk product in those days, they used a clean cloth, previously soaked in water. It was used to wrap dishes with cottage cheese and place them in a cool place.
What to look for when purchasing?
To prevent cottage cheese from becoming a cause of poisoning, you need to know how to choose it correctly. The first thing you should look at when purchasing is the expiration date. In this product, E. coli most actively develops and multiplies, therefore it cannot be purchased at unverified retail outlets and in spontaneous markets.
Homemade cottage cheese made from sour milk is considered the most dangerous to health. This is due to the fact that such a product may contain pathogenic microorganisms. Even the beautiful appearance of cottage cheese does not guarantee that it was produced under sterile conditions with strict adherence to the technological process.
This product should not be kept in plastic bags or cling film, as this leads to rapid oxidation and the appearance of an unpleasant odor. To extend the shelf life of cottage cheese and preserve its taste longer, it is recommended to place the product in a glass or enamel container with an airtight lid. If desired, you can also send a small amount of sugar there, which absorbs excess moisture.
You can keep the cottage cheese fresh by wrapping it in parchment paper, foil or cheesecloth. In the refrigerator it can be placed in the compartment intended for storing vegetables. A product left on an open plate for 72 hours is subject to mandatory heat treatment.
Semi-finished products made from cottage cheese cannot be stored for more than four days. Otherwise, they lose most of their valuable properties and become dangerous to human health.
Cottage cheese does not last long at home. It may deteriorate before the shelf life established by GOST if certain rules are not followed. When purchasing cottage cheese, you need to pay attention to its color, smell and quality of packaging. The shelf life of a fermented milk product is affected by humidity, air temperature and the chosen method: in the refrigerator or freezer, open, plastic container or plastic bag.
What affects the safety of the product?
According to GOST, fresh cottage cheese must have the following characteristics:
- 1. Snow-white or white with a cream tint, uniform throughout the mass.
- 2. Crumbly structure with or without noticeable particles of milk protein.
- 3. No odor or mucus.
- 4. No aftertaste or acidic taste.
But it quickly loses its taste if storage rules are violated. A number of factors influence how long a product can be kept in the refrigerator:
- Date of issue;
- storage temperature;
- air humidity.
When purchasing packaged cottage cheese, you should pay attention to the label, which indicates the production time and expiration date. The fresher the product, the longer it can be stored at home. Once the package is opened, the contents should be consumed within 2 days if stored in the refrigerator.
If a product is purchased by weight, it is recommended to pay attention to its color and smell to determine freshness.
Cottage cheese is the result of the work of bacteria; their vital activity requires heat and moisture. The fermentation process is inhibited by lowering the temperature. The lower it is, the longer the cottage cheese retains its freshness and beneficial properties for the human body.
In order for the product to remain fresh for a long time, it is also necessary to maintain a certain air humidity. The optimal rate is considered to be from 30 to 45%.
Storage Methods
Fermented milk products can be stored in different ways. The shelf life is affected by the selected dishes and storage location.
When frozen at a temperature of -18 degrees, the product can be stored for up to 3 weeks so that the cottage cheese does not lose its taste.
Rules for storing cottage cheese depending on the container:
- 1. In a package. No more than 1-1.5 days, since the plastic bag does not allow moisture and air to pass through, as a result of which the product sweats and deteriorates.
- 2. In enamel dishes. The shelf life in this case is slightly longer and is about 100-120 hours. Enameled cookware retains coolness longer and keeps the contents cool. To prevent the fermented milk product from losing moisture, the pan should be covered with a lid.
- 3. In a container. In this form, the product is stored for no more than 3-4 days.
When storing cottage cheese in the refrigerator open, you can put a couple of lumps of sugar in the container where the product is located. Refined sugar absorbs moisture, thereby protecting the cottage cheese from mold. The shelf life in this case is up to 72 hours.
Storing curd products
The shelf life of fermented milk products is specified in San Pin 2. 3. 2/1324-03.
At air temperatures from -2 to +4 degrees they are:
- for cottage cheese and curd products - 72 hours;
- for children's cottage cheese - 30 hours;
- for cheesecakes, dumplings, pies with curd filling - 24 hours;
- for casseroles and pancakes with cottage cheese - 48 hours.
Everyone knows about the benefits of fresh cottage cheese: it is perfectly digestible, and besides, it contains a large amount of calcium, vitamins A, B2, B6, B12, E, P, phosphorus and iron. Meanwhile, consuming a product that has been stored incorrectly or for too long will bring nothing but harm to the body. Therefore, it is so important to know how to store cottage cheese correctly so that its expiration date does not expire prematurely.
Cottage cheese is a “live” product due to the presence of lactic acid bacteria in it. At high temperatures, these microorganisms develop vigorous activity, as a result of which this product deteriorates very quickly. Therefore, it cannot be kept out of the refrigerator for more than 6-12 hours. So, having brought a purchase from the market or from a store, the first thing you need to do is to provide it with suitable storage conditions.
If the cottage cheese is wrapped in plastic wrap, transfer it to a dry glass, ceramic or enamel container, placing a clean cloth or paper napkin on the bottom, and close the lid tightly. To prevent the expiration date from expiring prematurely, place a few pieces of sugar in the bowl. To save space in the refrigerator, you can not pack the product in a container, but simply wrap it in foil or parchment paper.
By the way, low-fat cottage cheese is stored longer than a product with a high fat content.
After completing the packaging of the product, it must be immediately sent to the refrigerator. The shelf life of cottage cheese at 3-8 ºС is no more than two days, and by placing it in the coldest place near the freezer, where the temperature reaches 0 ºС, you can extend the shelf life to 4 days.
If your cottage cheese has been in the refrigerator for more than a day, do not eat it unprocessed. Despite the fact that the shelf life of this product has not yet expired, it is best to use it for preparing various cottage cheese products: casseroles, pancakes and dumplings. Moreover, if dishes are not eaten immediately, they should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days.
Vacuum packaging will help significantly extend shelf life. If immediately after production you place a homemade product in a vacuum bag, it is quite capable of lying in the refrigerator for 7-10 days without losing valuable qualities. In production, before packaging in vacuum packaging, the cottage cheese is treated in a special way. Such conditions provide it with a very respectable shelf life - up to 30 days. Naturally, the taste of such a product cannot be compared with a natural one, and there are much fewer nutrients left in it, but for the sake of a long shelf life, something must be sacrificed.
Freezer storage
Of course, 4 days of storage is very little, especially if you buy large packages and do not have time to use them in such a short time. Knowing for sure that you will not be able to put the purchase into use in the coming days, you can place part of it in the freezer. In this case, the cottage cheese should be fresh, and it is better to package it in small portions in sealed bags or plastic vacuum containers.
Production conditions allow this product to be frozen at a temperature of -35 ºС, after which it is successfully stored for a long time without loss of taste. In most household freezers, the temperature is maintained at -18 ºC. Such conditions are quite suitable for storing a frozen product for 1-2 months. If you freeze it at a temperature of -5 to -15 ºС, over time the taste will change for the worse, and such a preparation can be stored for no more than a month.
It is necessary to defrost the cottage cheese gradually, placing it in the refrigerator away from the freezer. This process is quite lengthy and takes 6-10 hours. It is better not to consume the defrosted product without preliminary heat treatment.
In the same way, various culinary products filled with cottage cheese can be stored in airtight bags and containers in the freezer. In this case, you don’t have to defrost the dumplings by immediately throwing them into boiling water, and it’s better to defrost the rest of the semi-finished products in the microwave or refrigerator first. The shelf life of such preparations is 1-2 months, but it is better to use them as early as possible to avoid loss of taste.
Storage without refrigeration
But what to do if you need to preserve fermented milk products, but you don’t have a refrigerator or freezer at hand? This method is used in remote villages, where household appliances are not available in every home. In order to properly preserve the product, a wooden tub or deep enamel pan is sterilized with boiling water or steam, dried well, salt is poured onto the bottom, and cottage cheese is placed tightly on it. It is covered with a cloth soaked in a salt solution on top, and then a plate is placed and the entire structure is pressed down with a weight.
How long cottage cheese is stored, if such conditions are created, depends on the ambient temperature. At zero, its shelf life can be 2 months, and if the room temperature does not fall below +15 ºС, the product can be stored for no more than a week.
Your brownie.
P.S. I also want to show you three ways to make homemade cottage cheese yourself.
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