Not a single hostess will pass the action where they offer cottage cheese with a gorgeous discount. We bought, a little did not calculate the appetite - and the product has expired. Let's solve a difficult dilemma: is it possible to eat expired cottage cheese and in what form? Or not to risk health and send him to the trash?
How important is the shelf life of the curd?
There are people who are serious about the expiration dates of cottage cheese and are not shy about digging up the entire display in the store before they find today. Others do not pay attention to such trifles, take the packaging without looking, and certainly do not think about whether there is expired cottage cheese, trusting only the organoleptic characteristics of the product, in other words, they try it at home, smell it and use it with a calm soul.
So who is right: watchful or careless? To answer this question, first of all, we will consider why the shelf life of cottage cheese is needed. The time frames indicated on the packaging ensure that the product retains its nutritional and taste qualities during this period.
What happens to cottage cheese after the expiration date? The same as with all perishable products: beneficial bacteria and nutrients lose their value and pathogenic microorganisms begin to multiply. Moreover, the appearance, taste and texture deteriorate last, when the curd becomes unsuitable for use in any form.
A little later we will tell you whether it is possible to cook cottage cheese from expired cottage cheese without fear for health, but now it is important to keep in mind that the shelf life of cottage cheese is closely related to its storage conditions.
For example, if “72 hours” is indicated on the package, and they forgot to put the product in the refrigerator and lay on the table for half a day, such cottage cheese can be safely thrown away without printing.
Terms and conditions of storage of cottage cheese
Cottage cheese can be divided into 2 categories: factory and home. The first is a product in factory packaging, and homemade is called cottage cheese, prepared independently or bought by weight. Separately, it is worth noting the "curd product." It contains plant components and other substances not characteristic of natural cottage cheese.
Storage temperature standard for any cottage cheese: from 0 to + 8 ° . A factory product that has passed pasteurization can be stored for 5 days in sealed packaging. However, the norms of SanPiN do not prohibit the manufacturer from setting their terms depending on production technologies, the presence or absence of preservatives. Weighted cottage cheese should be eaten within 2 days from the date of manufacture, and when buying - rely only on the decency of market sellers.
If it is not possible to put the product in the refrigerator, at t from + 15 to + 20 ° it will begin to deteriorate after 6 hours and eating it will become hazardous to health. Conversely, there is a great way to extend the shelf life of cottage cheese by 15 days or even 2 months.
"Delay" from the freezer
You can buy good cottage cheese for the action and not try to feed them the whole family in a short time. Fresh unopened product in its original packaging is perfectly stored in the freezer. At t from - 16 to - 18 ° for at least 15 days, at t - 25 - 35 ° - up to 60 days.
Therefore, the question of whether it is possible to have expired cottage cheese, in this case the answer is unequivocal: yes.
If you defrost it at room temperature, in a slow cooker or microwave, you will have to drain the separated whey before use. Quickly thawed product usually goes for cooking cottage cheese pancakes and baking.
And if you transfer the cottage cheese from the freezer to the shelf of the refrigerator, then defrosting a standard pack of 200 g will take about 12 hours. Then the taste of the product will not reveal the secret of its long-term storage, and, according to experts, the cottage cheese will not lose its beneficial properties.
But what if the refrigerator does not have a deep freeze function, the deadlines come out? Is it possible to make cheesecakes from expired cottage cheese? The fears are clear: no one will put the family at risk of poisoning, and throwing away food is a pity.
How to determine if cottage cheese is suitable for heat treatment?
If the cottage cheese "Savushkin Product", "Brest-Litovsk", "House in the Village" or other proven producers was stored in the refrigerator, then 2-3 days of delay is not a problem, you can safely fry cheese cakes from it. But with weighted products should be careful.
In any case, the cottage cheese will have to be thrown out if you notice at least one of the signs of active reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms:
- musty smell;
- bitter taste;
- color change: spoiled product turns yellow;
- cottage cheese has become sticky or slippery to the touch;
- molds appeared.
By the way, sometimes it happens that cottage cheese fresh in terms has the same unpleasant characteristics. The reasons may be violations of production technologies, as well as the rules of transportation and storage of dairy products. If there is a check, such cottage cheese should be carried to the store, where it is required to exchange or return the money.
However, these are isolated cases. We are interested in high-quality, but expired cottage cheese, and is it possible to use it for baking, since it is quite suitable for making fried cheesecakes.
Options for baking from cottage cheese overdue
Now we know that cottage cheese, which has not changed the basic organoleptic indicators, belongs to the normal delay. It has a pleasant sour-milk smell and taste, white color, loose structure (in the case of pasty curd it is not slippery and not sticky). Alas, he lost the useful properties of the fresh product, but heat treatment will prevent the development of pathogenic bacteria.
Usually there is little expired cottage cheese, so it is often used for cheesecakes or pizza basics, but if enough, you can cook:
- cottage cheese pies and casseroles;
- muffins and cheesecakes;
- lazy dumplings;
- cookies and cakes;
- khachapuri.
Given that the product is still expired, a serving is calculated so as to eat baked goods in 1-2 days.
We found out whether it is possible to cook from expired cottage cheese, and now a few simple recommendations on how to keep the value of the product in the refrigerator.
Proper product storage
Small packs of cottage cheese are usually eaten at a time, and large glasses or vacuum packs are kept open for several days. Experts recommend moving the product from the factory container to a suitable sized ceramic, glass or plastic container, always with a tight-fitting lid. If the cottage cheese is highly compressed, it is better to divide it into small pieces, and not keep it in a monolith.
For better preservation of palatability, a cloth napkin can be placed on the bottom of the dishes, and a piece of sugar placed on top of the curd.
It is believed that such manipulations extend the shelf life of the product. However, you should not take risks when considering whether it is possible to have expired cottage cheese, which was stored according to all the rules. Health is more expensive, and a lot of options for delicious pastries will allow you to use the product for the preparation of desserts.