Shelf life of cottage cheese and curd products

Curd products must be present in the diet of any person.They contain the necessary proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, copper, sodium. However, products from cottage cheese have a short shelf life, after which their use becomes unsafe for health.

In order to choose a fresh cottage cheese product, you need to look at where the product is contained. As a rule, special shelves with the appropriate temperature are provided in supermarkets for dairy products. At the same time it is necessary to check for tightness of the container. It should not have any cracks.

You should carefully study the composition, instructions for use and the written period during which the product is usable.

Fresh product has a pleasant smell, taste, no bitter taste. The consistency of the curd mass should be uniform, soft. The uniformity of color also indicates the freshness of the mass. But when there are signs of a slippery surface, impurities should be alerted.

The duration of preservation of cottage cheese in a fresh state directly depends on the favorable conditions of its production, transportation, subsequent maintenance. With a favorable set of circumstances, you can count on a longer period in which the product will be fresh.

The shelf life of cheese products also depends on factors such as:

• type of packaging, its tightness;
• manufacturing technology;
• product type;
• Environment.

The manufacturer can set the shelf life of products on their own. However, it should be noted that such a period should not go beyond the norms established by SanPiN. If the manufacturer insists on longer storage of the product, he needs to coordinate this with the regulatory authorities. At the same time, it is necessary to provide the results of checks confirming the quality of the product.

On condition that the container is sealed, depending on the type of cottage cheese consistency, the storage period varies from a day to five.

• Plain cottage cheese retains its useful qualities for no longer than 3 days.
• Baby weight can be stored no longer than 36 hours.
• The smallest shelf life are dishes filled with cottage cheese. The duration of their shelf life is no more than a day.
• For a long time it is possible to store only those cottage cheese products that have undergone a special heat treatment. The storage period for dairy products can be up to 5 days.
• The storage period of the curd consistency in a vacuum container may be 1 month.

It should be noted that a longer shelf life of the product is achieved by using the latest packaging technology or adding preservative elements.

Fans of cottage cheese, which is sold by weight, should be remembered that such a product can be stored for no longer than 12 hours. At room temperature, the product is stored no more than 1-2 hours. Natural rustic cottage cheese can be kept in the refrigerator for no more than two days.

If the curd mass is properly stored, its useful properties will be preserved for a longer period.

To cottage cheese is not spoiled before the due time, it is recommended to store in the refrigerator. At the same time, the upper shelf, which is located next to the freezer, is allocated for this.

You can also keep the product in the freezer, it is not prohibited by the norms of SanPiN.However, before using such a product should be defrosted, putting it on the lower compartment of the refrigerator, keeping it there for at least 9-10 hours.

It should be noted that the placement of fermented milk products in the freezer greatly increases the shelf life of the product. The lower the temperature, the longer the possible storage time. So, in large freezers that are installed on the production, the duration of the content can be up to three weeks. The temperature of such cameras reaches 36 degrees below zero. In home freezers, where the temperature is not lower than 10-14 degrees, storage can be extended to 5-6 days.

However, prolonged storage in the freezer is not recommended, since the useful properties of the product are lost. It may not do much harm, but there will be no benefit. After defrosting, cottage cheese must be consumed within 24 hours.

There are traditional methods to preserve the useful properties of the product as long as possible, without using a refrigerator.

Thus, in the villages, freshly prepared cottage cheese was often wrapped in a cloth soaked in cold water. Used natural linen linen or cotton. The product was placed in a place protected from direct sunlight. Otherwise, the shelf life of such a product is only 2-4 hours.

It is better not to store cottage cheese in polyethylene or in a factory package, since the condensation process takes place there, a liquid is formed. This leads to a faster loss of freshness of the product. In order to avoid rapid deterioration of curd products, it is better to keep them in plastic or enamel containers, provided that the lid is sealed.

The content of curd mass in a place filled with vacuum significantly increases its shelf life. To create such conditions, you can use foil.

The vacuum storage method has several advantages.

• The metabolism of cottage cheese bacteria does not slow down, but almost stops. This significantly increases the shelf life of the product.
• Cottage cheese does not need to be thawed.

In fermented milk products it is not recommended to leave metal objects, for example, spoons, forks. An oxidative reaction occurs which negatively affects the quality of the product.

Curd mass cooked at home, some recommend storing in pottery. At the same time on the bottom you can pour a thin layer of salt.

Cottage cheese is not recommended to keep open near strongly smelling substances. The product instantly absorbs odors, and a yellowish crust starts to form on the surface very quickly.

Overdue curds should be disposed of as soon as possible. It is forbidden to eat. In such a product, pathogenic microbes multiply rapidly and can cause great damage to the body.

If we are talking about the imminent expiration of the shelf life of a fermented milk product that has undergone a special treatment, then you can make pancakes, pancakes, desserts from it.

Products with a small delay can be used as cosmetic masks. Dairy products effectively fight pigment spots. They also nourish and moisturize the skin.

See the following video for the recipe for cottage cheese.