Now almost all people who strive to observe proper nutrition introduce various salads into the diet. Therefore, it is very important to know what is the shelf life of salads, so that you can prepare them as a reserve if necessary, rather than constantly making a new small portion. SanPiN norms that apply at enterprises will not be applied here, since according to them it is necessary to sell a product in just 1 hour.
But still, it is worth remembering that salads are perishable products, and therefore, even if you follow all storage rules, they will not last for a long time in the refrigerator. This article will explain the conditions and shelf life of salads at home, which must be observed in order to prevent poisoning by a stale product.
Why do I need to apply retention rules?
As you know, now you can prepare a dish from a variety of ingredients, which greatly affect the shelf life of salads, as well as their preliminary processing. But it is worth remembering that even at home in the refrigerator you should not store this product for more than 1 day, and even if the salad was previously seasoned with mayonnaise, then its shelf life will be even shorter. However, if you do not follow the rules and terms of storage, then the salad will quickly become spoiled, and therefore not only will not bring benefits, but can also greatly affect health, including poisoning.
In Russia, many housewives, trying to feed a large family, quite often begin to cut huge basins of salads like "Olivier" or "Mimosa". This is especially evident during the New Year holidays, since it is believed that a few more days can be eaten from the table. However, you should be aware that even in the refrigerator, the shelf life of salads with mayonnaise is quite small, since pathogenic microflora begins to develop in the components after a few hours, which spoils not only the taste of the dish, but also its quality.
Rules for the storage of salads
To prevent the risk of indigestion or even poisoning, the following storage rules should be carefully observed:
- If a salad was prepared from ingredients that were not subjected to heat treatment, but were seasoned with vegetable oil, then it is necessary to store such a product on the top shelf packed in a glass jar with a lid. Shelf life of lettuce in the refrigerator will be only a couple of hours, after which the products will lose their freshness and taste.
- In summer, it is best not to leave pre-dressed salads in the refrigerator, and if you do this, then no more than 12 hours. During this period, the temperature and environmental conditions are such that the activity of pathogenic bacteria is much higher than in winter. Therefore, even the slightest signs of spoilage can lead to indigestion in the elderly and children.
- It is desirable to store salads and components for them in a glass or plastic container. If they are not available, then stainless steel bowls can be used if necessary. However, it is completely worth abandoning aluminum products, since this metal is able to react with products and cause damage.
- It seems to many that if there is no place in the refrigerator, then a balcony in winter can be a great place to store salads. However, in practice, the shelf life of the salad may increase, but the taste and appearance of the products will completely deteriorate, because after defrosting they will give a liquid.
How long should salads with sour cream dressing be stored?
If you decide to immediately fill the salad, then you need to prepare for the fact that it will not stay fresh for long. Typically, the chosen refueling does not greatly affect the average shelf life, however there are some features that you need to pay attention to.
Sour cream dressing, as the name implies, uses sour cream as the main component. However, this natural product deteriorates very quickly, so after 30 minutes after it has stood at room temperature, the dressing will begin to sour. Moreover, the shelf life of seasoned salad will not change much if you put it in the refrigerator. That is why such a dressing should be used at the very last moment, since it is better not to eat such a product 3 hours after it is added to the salad.
Mayonnaise dressing
Mayonnaise has a longer shelf life, but it is still quite small and does not exceed 6 hours. Of course, now such a shelf life is practically not respected anywhere, since a salad with mayonnaise can be stored longer without any harm to the body, but the dish will lose its taste rather quickly. Moreover, even nutritionists agree that it is best to use a store product for salads, which, although not as high-quality as home-made mayonnaise, has a longer shelf life because of preservatives.
Vegetable oil dressing
Although vegetable oils are usually considered preservatives, which can extend the shelf life of a product, they do not give this effect in salads. Reacting with products, oils only destroy them, and therefore to store such salads is generally not recommended in seasoned form. At room temperature they do not withstand more than a couple of hours.
Shelf life of raw vegetable salads
If you like salads that consist of raw vegetables, it is best not to do them for future use, because even if they do not deteriorate, they will soon lose their taste. However, the duration of storage can be increased if several rules are observed:
- All the ingredients that were used in the preparation must be dried and not contain any signs of moisture.
- In the refrigerator you need to keep only a blank of vegetables, and add all other ingredients, such as boiled eggs, just before serving.
- Ready vegetable salad should be covered with a paper towel, and then gently squeeze it. Further, the container is well wrapped in film and covered with a lid.
- The salad dressing must be kept separately in an airtight container.
- Every 3 hours after preparation, the unfilled salad should be checked and mixed, and a paper towel should be changed so that it absorbs excess liquid.
If you comply with these storage rules , the shelf life of unfilled vegetable salad can last up to 5-7 days without loss of taste and spoilage of ingredients.
Shelf life of fruit salads
Fruit salads, like vegetable salads, are best eaten right away. However, an unfilled blank for them, if necessary, can be made suitable for use in a couple of days. To do this, you must first lay out each of the fruits, which will act as an ingredient, in a colander so that all the excess juices drain.
Then, all apples, pears or other components that often darken over time will need to be sprinkled with lemon juice, which will give a delicate aroma and attractive appearance. So that even after a few days they remain crispy and have a normal texture, it is recommended to soak all the fruits in ice water for several minutes before cutting. Well, in everything else, storage rules should be similar to vegetable salads.
Seaweed Salad
Nowadays, seaweed salads are becoming increasingly popular as they are very healthy and contain a lot of iodine. In relation to them, it is worthwhile to understand that the usual shelf life of salads does not apply at all. You just have to carefully follow the recommendations on the timing and storage rules that are indicated on the package. However, after opening the salad, it is best to eat in a couple of days.
But if you decide to cook this dish yourself from dried seaweed, then you need to store it for no more than 3 months at a temperature of 3-4 degrees.
Conclusion
It must be admitted that now ordinary salads from vegetables, which have minimal dressing, are coming to the forefront, since they are more healthy and low-calorie compared to mayonnaise. In addition, the preparation for such salads can stand for several days, and not go bad in a matter of hours. But even in this case, it is very important to comply with all conditions and storage periods. Since, having tried a low-quality product that has been stored in the refrigerator for a long time, you can seriously harm yourself.
So do not immediately cook large portions of lettuce, because anyway it will not be able to stand fresh for a very long time, and will deteriorate very quickly, in which case instead of the New Year holidays you will have to dig into the hospital with poisoning.