How much cottage cheese is stored in the refrigerator

Can I freeze?

GOST establishes the possibility of storing cottage cheese in the freezer. Such cottage cheese retains its nutritional and consumer qualities, but the product must be defrosted before use.

The shelf life of frozen cottage cheese varies depending on the temperature of the freezer, the type of product and the type of packaging:

• in industrial freezers at a temperature of -35 ° C, cottage cheese and products from it are stored for a period of six months to a year;
• in home freezers at a temperature of -18 ° C, you can store cottage cheese for one to two months;
• in weak freezers of old or low-quality refrigerators at temperatures from 0 to -15 ° C, the shelf life of frozen curd products is 6 to 14 days.

If it is supposed to heat the curd product, then you can defrost it at room temperature, but the nutritional quality of such curd is sharply reduced.

Curd perfectly retains its nutritional value when frozen. Depending on its fat content, when defrosting, the product releases a certain amount of whey.

The package with the product is placed in the freezer, setting the mode to no higher than minus 18 degrees.

The cottage cheese can remain in the chamber for up to 2 months.

You cannot defrost and freeze it again: from such manipulations, the milk protein contained in it loses its beneficial properties.

With the help of the freezer, you can not only extend the shelf life of purchased cottage cheese, but also prepare a healthy delicacy on your own with minimal time and effort. We share with you a recipe for a delicious curd mass from kefir:

1. Kefir with a fat content of 3.2% is placed in the freezer until it solidifies. For freezing, liquid can be poured into a suitable container or left in the package.
2. The frozen fermented milk product is released from the packaging and placed on a sieve covered with gauze, under which there is a saucepan. It will look like the next photo.

1. The structure is put away in a refrigerator or a dark cool place for thawing. It is not recommended to use a microwave or stove to speed up the process.

It is advisable to consume the pasta within 24 hours after preparation.

Curd perfectly retains its nutritional value when frozen. Depending on its fat content, the product releases a certain amount of whey during defrosting, so it is easiest to store the product not in pure form, but in frozen semi-finished products, for example, in dumplings, cheese cakes, stuffed pancakes, etc.

Legislation

1. GOST R 52054-2003 “Raw cow's milk. Technical conditions ”applies to raw materials produced domestically, as well as imported into the territory of Russia, intended for further processing.
2. GOST R 54340-2011 “Fermented milk and milk compound products. General specifications "applies to heat treatment for direct use.
3. GOST 31450-2013 “Drinking milk. Specifications ”lists the requirements for a product packaged in a consumer container after heat treatment or untreated.
4. SanPiN 2.3.2.1324-03 "Hygienic requirements for the shelf life and storage conditions of food" establish hygienic requirements to ensure safety, nutritional value during production, transportation, circulation, as well as during their development, putting on a conveyor.
5. GOST 31449-2013 “Raw cow's milk. Technical conditions ”applies to raw materials subjected to primary processing after milking, intended for industrial processing.
6. GOST 31453-2013 “Curd.Specifications ”covers a product, packaged in consumer containers, made from cow's milk and / or dairy products, intended for direct food intake.
7. GOST 32261-2013 “Butter. Specifications "applies to goods made from cow's milk and / or dairy products, by-components of milk processing intended for direct consumption, culinary purposes.
8. SanPiN 2.4.1.3049-13 "Sanitary and epidemiological requirements for the device, content, maintenance of the mode of operation of preschool educational organizations"

Can curd be frozen?

It is possible and necessary to freeze cottage cheese if it is not planned to use it in the near future, but this process must be carried out in compliance with all the rules. In this case, its shelf life will be up to several months. When defrosting, the taste will remain the same, but there is a high probability of a change in consistency. Frozen grained curd will turn into curd mass. It is still undesirable to store it all winter.

When making cottage cheese with your own hands, it is not recommended to store it for a long time. Drain the serum immediately. It is advisable to use the curd itself as soon as possible.

How to pack correctly

Properly selected packaging will ensure good preservation of cottage cheese. When left open for a long time, it dries quickly and absorbs aromas. Different packages are used to store this fermented milk product.

Vacuum

Vacuum packaging will allow you to extend the freshness of cottage cheese up to 4 weeks. In sealed conditions in the absence of oxygen, the vital processes of lactic acid bacteria slow down.

Foil and parchment paper

Such packaging is suitable for storing low-fat cottage cheese, in which there is no excess moisture. Small portions are wrapped in parchment or foil; you can keep them in the refrigerator for no longer than 36 hours.

Cotton fabric

Very often, a clean piece of cotton fabric is used to store cottage cheese. Condensation does not form on it, the product does not dry out. But due to the breathability of this material, the packaging should be kept away from food with a pronounced odor.

Enamel and glassware

This product can be kept in glass bowls or enamel pans. But the dishes should be tightly closed with lids.

Clay container

There were no refrigerators in the old days, and perishable food was stored in deep cellars, where it was cool all year round, using earthenware. But this method can be used even now, when it is not possible to use the refrigerator.

A thick layer of salt is poured into a deep earthen bowl. Cottage cheese is laid on top and tamped well. Everything is covered with a piece of cotton cloth soaked in a concentrated salt solution. The edges of the bowl are tied and stored.

How much can you eat an expired product and is it not dangerous?

The use of cottage cheese after its expiration date is highly discouraged, since this fermented milk product contains live lactic acid microorganisms. And they, if the conditions and terms of storage are violated, can go from a normal state to a conditionally pathogenic one, which can lead to poisoning.

Also, during the storage of fermented milk products, they form:

• colibacillus bacteria;
• yeast;
• mold;
• staphylococci;
• salmonella.

You can read about the shelf life and storage rules of such a fermented milk product as kefir in another article.

This group of bacteria by default is already conditionally pathogenic and under certain conditions (high humidity, favorable temperature, weakened human immunity), it can acquire pathogenic properties that can lead to severe forms of poisoning and even death.

But cottage cheese with an expiring shelf life or a specimen that has not changed its organoleptic properties a few days before the expiration date can be eaten. To do this, it must be subjected to heat treatment. For example, make cheese cakes, dumplings, casseroles, etc.

Important! A product subject to heat treatment should not be stored for a long time, but it is better to eat it immediately.

In order to make sure whether the cottage cheese has deteriorated or not, you should pay attention to the following signs, which indicate its deterioration:

• rich yellow color of the mass;
• a heterogeneous mass, with lumps that vary greatly in size;
• pronounced sour smell;
• unpleasant moldy aftertaste.

The shelf life and storage times of food products are important, because the consumer hopes that only high-quality goods will end up in his basket. About what periods and conditions of preservation and shelf life of sweets, honey, bread, flour, coffee, tea, wine, beer and mushrooms, you can find out in separate publications on our Internet portal.

Summarizing the above material, it should be emphasized the need for both the manufacturer and the buyer to comply with the rules and regulations for storing finished cottage cheese and products based on it. Since this product tends to quickly deteriorate and lose useful substances necessary for the human body.

Choosing a container for storing a fermented milk product: 5 options

	Option 1: sealed container The sealed container is suitable for storing freshly prepared homemade cottage cheese. Expiration date: 3 days
	Option 2: plastic bag Due to the complete absence of air and moisture circulation inside the package, the shelf life of cottage cheese in such a container is much shorter. Expiration date: 36 hours
	Option 3: enamel cookware The enamelled surface cools quickly, providing the product with a stable cold: lay a natural, lint-free fabric on the bottom of the saucepan; put 2-3 pieces of refined sugar in the middle; put the sour milk mass on top; close the lid and put in the refrigerator. Expiration date: 5 days
	Option 4: clay containers Any earthenware container with a lid will work: pour edible salt on the bottom of the pottery; Wrap the fermented milk mass tightly in a natural fabric; put in a container and tamp tightly; cover with a damp cloth dipped in saline solution; press down with a lid and put in the refrigerator. Expiration date: 3 days
	Option 5: salad bowl If you are going to consume a fermented milk treat during the day, you can store it in a regular salad bowl, covered with a damp cloth. Expiration date: 24 hours

Storing rustic and homemade cottage cheese

Self-made cottage cheese by heating sour milk has a short shelf life. It is recommended to keep it in the refrigerator for no more than 48 hours on a shelf near the freezer. To store the product, you can use foil or a slightly moistened natural fabric, in which you wrap the fermented milk product, and then put it in a tightly closed container.

Another good way to store a homemade product is as follows:

1. Pour some salt into a glazed earthenware bowl.
2. Put the cottage cheese and tamp thoroughly.
3. Cover the container with a cloth soaked in salt water and press down with a plate on which to place the load.
4. Put the dishes in the refrigerator.

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An important question is how to store rustic cottage cheese, which is sold in a plastic bag. The product often has a high fat content, so it is advisable to eat it on the day of purchase or the next day.

When placing the fermented milk mass in the refrigerator, it is important to transfer it to any tightly closing container, since in the bag it will quickly acquire a musty smell and sour taste.

Correct freezing

It is not difficult to properly freeze such a product in the freezer. It is permissible to freeze at temperatures from two degrees below zero. By lowering the temperature to minus 12 degrees, you can increase the shelf life up to two weeks. Before eating, you need to get the portion to be used and put it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. There is a minimum temperature in the entire refrigeration system. This is necessary in order not to expose the protein to sudden changes in temperature, because in this case its original properties are lost.

Rice. 4 - Frozen cottage cheese

The rest of the product must be returned to the freezer. Only with this use will it retain its flavor and texture. If you plan to fry syrniki from this product (or prepare it in another way, involving heat treatment), then you can defrost it immediately at room temperature or in the appropriate microwave mode. Once thawed, it is best to use it immediately. The maximum shelf life after thawing is one day. It is absolutely impossible to freeze cottage cheese again.

It should be understood that the longer a product is stored in the freezer, the worse its taste and textural qualities will be when defrosting. At freezing temperatures below -24 degrees, it can last for about a month. But as stated earlier, it loses its texture and crumbles when thawed.

Subject to the above rules, the cottage cheese will remain fresh for a long time.

How to check fresh curd

At home, the expiration date cannot be determined exactly. The freshness of the curd can only be confirmed by organoleptic indicators. Well, the date of manufacture indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging.

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Signs of freshness:

• white color with creamy notes. Yellow pieces, crusts, uneven pigmentation - a reason to refuse to buy;
• humidity. When touched, there should be no stickiness, mucus, accumulation of serum at the bottom of the dishes is allowed;
• the smell characteristic of fermented milk products. Good cottage cheese smells like kefir, yogurt;

• pleasant taste. Sour notes are allowed, no bitterness, no salt in natural products. Natural curd has an inherent astringency;
• crumbly structure. Artificial curd masses are harmful to health, are stored for months, have a long shelf life, and smear when pressed. Unscrupulous manufacturers pass them off as real cottage cheese. Only when pressed, it always disintegrates into lumps.

You shouldn't buy perishable food for future use. If this happens, we recommend immediately dividing it into portions. What can be consumed in 2-3 days, leave for storage in the refrigerator. Freeze excess.

For storage, it is undesirable to use metal containers, ordinary plastic bags. It is good if there are vacuum bags, sealed containers. A good dish is a regular glass jar.

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Conditions and terms of storage of dairy products

Now you know the conditions, terms, storage temperature of dairy products and will be able to control their shelf life.

How to store in the refrigerator and freezer: conditions, place, container and terms

It is recommended to buy the product in small portions and eat it within the next day. Conventional refrigerators allow you to keep the product for only a couple of days after the purchase.

To keep it at home longer, you will need to follow a few mandatory rules.

The product is recommended to be bought in small portions and eaten within the next day.

Factory cottage cheese, like a farm product, has the same important characteristics that indicate their quality:

• soft and grainy total mass of the product, consisting of individual grains;
• the content of particles of milk protein;
• even milky white color with a slight fawn tint;
• the presence of a small amount of curd whey at the bottom;
• lack of suspicious odors uncharacteristic for cottage cheese;
• curd taste of the product without extraneous flavors.

Be sure to read:

Shelf life of coffee: instant, ground and whole beans

Curd

Curd mass should contain proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Vitamin supplements and acids with antiseptic properties are placed in it. A good product is a homogeneous mass. Coarse grain texture indicates the use of thickeners.

High-quality mass is edible up to 72 hours. Foods that contain preservatives last longer, but they are of little benefit. A hermetically sealed curd mass can stay in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.

How to pack?

How to store cottage cheese

The product is stored better in foil than in a plastic container or bag. You can buy a roll of food foil and make envelopes from it to temporarily keep a fresh product.

How to pack curd:

1. Before placing in the refrigerator, curd should be milled and crumbled. Thus, warm air will not accumulate inside the curd ball, causing accelerated deterioration of the product.
2. Place the curd in an enamel or plastic container. You can leave some sugar at the bottom.
3. Place the container in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Under these conditions, the product can be consumed within 3-4 days.

Sanitary and epidemiological standards indicate that the product must be stored in the following order:

• 72 hours is the shelf life for curd products and curds;
• 5 days - the shelf life of cottage cheese products and cottage cheese that have undergone heat treatment;
• Desserts and other cottage cheese dishes can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours;
• 48 hours for storing curd casserole;
• You can store baby cottage cheese for 36 hours.

Be sure to read:

The maximum shelf life of soup in the refrigerator (borsch, chicken, fish, chicken)

It is important to remember that when frozen, cottage cheese loses almost a third of its valuable qualities, but this does not affect the taste. To preserve cottage cheese in the freezer, pre-arrange it in portions in airtight bags or containers for food, this will provide isolation from air and foreign odors.

Freeze a product that has previously been stored in the refrigerator for no more than 72 hours. You can save cottage cheese in the freezer at a temperature of -18 ° C for one to two months. If the temperature in the chamber is from 0 to -15 ° C, then frozen curd semi-finished products are stored for up to 2 weeks. Cottage cheese-based dishes are also frozen.

Cottage cheese must not be frozen several times, since all valuable properties will be lost upon repeated freezing.

How to pack?

It is useful to know that fat content affects the lifespan of cottage cheese. The lower this figure, the longer the shelf life. Based on this, it is better to preserve the product from skimmed milk for the longest time, and choose the packaging according to the task at hand.

Vacuum

It is this method that provides a record long storage of cottage cheese in the refrigerator. At temperatures up to +6 ˚C, this vacuum packed product will stay fresh for up to one month.

Today on sale there are special bags and plastic containers of various sizes, designed for home vacuuming of any perishable food.

It is better to put the cottage cheese in several small containers, calculating the portions in such a way that one is just enough for breakfast for the whole family or filling for dumplings.

Enamel or glassware

This method is suitable if you need to keep a small amount of cottage cheese in the refrigerator. Pre-crumbled cottage cheese is placed in a glass bowl or enamel pan, preventing excess liquid from entering

It is important that the size of the container is approximately the same as the volume of the product.

It is advisable to put a few pieces of refined sugar on top, then tightly close the lid. Now you can put it on the shelf in the refrigerator.

It is important to take into account that on the third day, it is better not to use the product in its pure form (especially for children), but to use it in the preparation of dishes that require heat treatment

Foil or parchment paper

How much homemade cottage cheese can be stored in the refrigerator in a homemade foil or paper parchment wrapper will depend on several factors:

• the original freshness of the product,
• the degree of its fat content (a large amount of fat contributes to the early rancidity),
• lack of excess moisture inside the package.

You need to wrap it carefully and in small portions, and it is better to store it in the coldest compartment. After 36 hours, the product becomes conditionally edible and is more suitable for making cheesecakes or filling for cheesecakes.

Please note that foil or parchment paper is quite often recommended as packaging for solid dairy products, they also cover factory packaging, for example, the shelf life of sour cream very much depends on whether it is opened or is already sealed. When adding sour cream to fresh cottage cheese, make sure to start with its quality

Cotton fabric

It's up to you, of course, to decide how convenient this storage method is, but it has proven itself quite well. The fermented milk product is tightly wrapped with a piece of clean dense cotton cloth (a waffle towel is also suitable) and placed in the cold.

Such packaging prevents the formation of condensation and the appearance of a musty smell, while at the same time protecting the curd mass from drying out.

It is only important to make sure that smoked meats, fish and other products with a pronounced aroma are not lying open on the shelf next to them, since the fabric is a breathable material, and cottage cheese quickly absorbs extraneous odors. If this happens, you can make cottage cheese cookies with vanilla sugar or other baked goods; in the oven, unnecessary aroma is neutralized

The old way

Once in the villages and villages, no one had any idea how much homemade cottage cheese could be stored in the refrigerator, since there was no trace of the latter. Earthenware covered with glaze was used.

Salt was poured at the bottom of such a bowl, and fresh cottage cheese was laid on top of it, carefully tamping it. A clean cloth was soaked in cool-salted water and covered with it, tightly tucking the edges of the cloth. Previously, they were tucked into a deep, cold basement, but you can refrigerate them for about 4-6 days.

Salt draws out excess moisture and prevents the growth of bacteria, being a natural preservative. If the household does not have glazed earthenware dishes, you can replace them with glass or enamel ones.

Cottage cheese, like kefir, are the most common fermented milk products on our table and their taste largely depends on freshness. You can find out how the shelf life of kefir is determined in an article specially prepared for you.

Homemade cottage cheese: proper storage

At the minimum above zero temperature, the home product can be kept in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days. And it is better to keep it not in a bag, but in foil; you can also wrap cottage cheese in a barely damp natural cloth, for example, linen. First, pour the mass into the packaging material of your choice, wrap it carefully and place in a container with a tight lid. Place the dish in the coldest part of the refrigerator, where the temperature does not rise above 2 ° C.

Homemade cottage cheese also feels great in glazed earthenware dishes: pour a little salt on the bottom, put the mass and tamp it tightly. Soak a cloth in salted water, cover the container, put a plate on top and press it down with a little pressure, send the entire structure to the refrigerator on the lower shelf.

How long can the product be stored deep-frozen (below -24 ° C)? In this state, it can be kept for about a month. Just first, do not be too lazy to pack the mass in portions in bags or foil, so as not to defrost the entire piece if you want to enjoy curd dishes.

Storing curd

To determine the shelf life of cottage cheese, you need to know its types. Fatty cottage cheese is made from selected whole milk, and the fat content is at least 18%. Semi-fat cottage cheese consists of both skim and whole milk with 9% fat content. But fat-free cottage cheese is made from just skimmed skim milk. Moreover, it is low-fat cottage cheese that is considered the most easily digestible, since it contains mainly nutritious milk proteins.

It is important to understand that the shelf life of cottage cheese is extremely short. Curd is a rapidly deteriorating product that is not recommended to be stored for a long time.

Gradually, it loses its taste, becoming bitter. This is due to the constant process of vital activity of bacteria, as well as the activity of microflora and enzymes. Even the packaging material seriously affects the shelf life of the curd. Therefore, proper storage of this product will help you get rid of unexpected problems.

To determine more accurate storage times for cottage cheese, it is necessary to remember that high-fat cottage cheese will become unusable faster, in contrast to low-fat varieties.

Shelf life of cottage cheese in the refrigerator

In those days, when refrigerators did not exist, the cottage cheese was wrapped in a white clean cloth previously moistened with water, and then placed in a dry and cool place where the air temperature did not rise above +15 degrees. Now fresh cottage cheese can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days. The main thing is that the temperature does not rise above +8 degrees.

In the event that the refrigerator is powerful and strongly cools the food, then the shelf life of the cottage cheese is increased to 4 days. It is also a great solution to place cottage cheese on a shelf under the freezer.

Before placing the curd in the refrigerator, it must be wrapped in parchment or foil. You can also try placing the curd in an enamel container with a tight-fitting lid. It is also advised to put several pieces of sugar with the cottage cheese in such a container. Then the maximum shelf life of the curd in the refrigerator will be reached. Cottage cheese that has been stored for more than 1 day is best cooked and used for dumplings, casseroles, cheesecakes, etc.

Shelf life of cottage cheese in the freezer

The cottage cheese is stored in the freezer for the longest time. But first it should be placed in a glass or enamel container. Substantial freezing at -35 degrees provides a shelf life of cottage cheese about 1-2 months. Such frozen cottage cheese retains its valuable and useful properties, but before using it directly, of course, you need to defrost it. If the temperature in the freezer is -18 degrees, then the cottage cheese can be stored for 2 weeks.

Shelf life of cottage cheese in vacuum packaging

Among the various packages, the vacuum container stands out, which allows the curd to remain fresh for a long time. In a vacuum package, the shelf life of cottage cheese is about 30 days. This is much more than conventional paper packaging.

Shelf life of cottage cheese at room temperature

At home, the shelf life of cottage cheese is significantly reduced. The maximum allowable shelf life at room temperature is 4-5 hours. If cottage cheese is placed near heating devices, its freshness will be no more than 2 hours.

Shelf life of cottage cheese in the refrigerator

2-4 days

Shelf life of cottage cheese in the freezer

2-4 weeks

Shelf life of the cake at room temperature

2-4 hours

Home - Curd
- Shelf life of cottage cheese

How to choose the right one

Natural curd is prepared from a minimum of ingredients. This is milk and sourdough from lactic acid bacteria. But among many manufacturers of fermented milk products, there are many unscrupulous ones who add components to it that increase the shelf life (starch, palm oil). This affects its quality.

In order not to be mistaken in choosing a product when buying, you need to pay attention:

• white or cream color;
• there is no bitterness in the taste;
• pleasant sour milk smell;
• sealed packaging;
• the name "curd", not "curd product";
• the composition indicates the number of lactic acid bacteria;
• the shelf life does not exceed 36 hours.

Care should be taken with loose cottage cheese. It should be grainy and crumbly

When buying, give preference to trusted manufacturers.

High-quality curd mass has a uniform consistency. The presence of grains indicates the presence of artificial thickeners in the composition.