Mashed potatoes are a simple and tasty dish that even an inexperienced housewife can prepare, but not everyone knows how long it can be stored in the refrigerator and whether the product can be frozen.
Potato dishes are best consumed immediately after cooking, but if there are leftovers, store them in the refrigerator, freeze them, or use them as an ingredient in other dishes.
To avoid accidentally eating an expired product, it is important to know how long and under what conditions mashed potatoes are stored and where you can use uneaten leftovers.
Shelf life of mashed potatoes
It is important to distinguish between concepts such as shelf life and shelf life of mashed potatoes, since the first indicator means how long the product can be stored without harm to health, and the second - how long it retains its consumer properties.
Since mashed potatoes are almost always prepared with the addition of milk, butter, cream or eggs, it is necessary to adhere to the shelf life and shelf life of the product, taking into account the presence of these components. The indicators will be as follows:
- shelf life at room temperature – 36 hours, shelf life – 24 hours;
- shelf life in the refrigerator – a week, shelf life – 5 days;
- Shelf life in the freezer is 60 days.
It is important to remember that after the expiration date, the product should not be eaten to avoid health problems.
Universal storage rules
Regardless of the preferences and capabilities of the consumer, there are several basic conditions for preserving cooked mashed potatoes:
- Store the cooled product only in the refrigerator or other cool place at a temperature of +4 to -2°C .
- Cool before sending to a cool place .
- For storage, do not use polyethylene or containers with oxidizing properties.
- Long-term storage in an open container without a lid is prohibited.
According to SanPin standards, catering establishments must dispose of leftover mashed potatoes within 12 hours of preparation. At home, mashed potatoes can be stored for up to 72 hours . But be sure to keep it in the refrigerator, after cooling it first. The finished potato side dish is cooled in an open container at room temperature. In this case, the formation of condensation is eliminated; its appearance shortens the shelf life and worsens the taste of the side dish.
Puree made with dairy products can be stored for no more than 24 hours . The milk used must be boiled . Chilled and “raw” dairy products can only be used if the puree is consumed within 12 hours, after which it will begin to spoil.
Refrigerator storage rules
To ensure that the puree is preserved as best as possible in the refrigerator and does not spoil ahead of time, you should adhere to the following rules:
- the product must cool completely;
- the puree should be transferred to a plastic or glass container with a hermetically sealed lid;
- At the first signs of spoilage - a change in smell, the appearance of a gray tint, the product must be thrown away.
Properly organized storage will allow you to preserve the product for the required period and will not lead to its accelerated deterioration.
How to prepare and store meat puree
Meat puree is used both in baby food (from 6-8 months of age) and for preparing dishes with meat (pies, navy pasta, pancakes, meatballs for soups).
To prepare puree for a baby, cook the meat in 2-3 broth. The product is washed, placed in a pan of water, brought to a boil and the water is drained. Some experts advise not to simply drain the boiled broth, but to wait 20 minutes, only then change the water.
Ultimately, the boiled meat is cooled and minced in a meat grinder.
Storing meat puree at room temperature
Freshly prepared meat puree can be stored indoors for several hours. Storing the product from morning to evening outside the cold is fraught with poisoning and infection with dangerous bacteria.
How to store meat puree in the refrigerator
The finished and cooled meat puree is transferred to glass jars with lids or a plastic container. Meat puree is stored on the refrigerator shelf at a temperature of +2 +4 degrees.
Where to use leftovers
If the prepared portion turns out to be too large, but you don’t want to freeze or store the product in the refrigerator for a long time, then it can be used in preparing the following dishes:
- All kinds of pies and pies. Mashed potatoes are an excellent filling that goes well with onions, fried mushrooms, cheese, meat, liver and cabbage.
- Unsweetened muffins. Puree serves as one of the components; flour, eggs, and salt are necessarily added to it. If desired, the recipe can be varied with cheese, fried bacon, or ham. The end result is a tasty and satisfying dish that can be eaten safely for several days, and after heating it does not change its taste.
- Pancakes, pancakes, flatbreads and potato pancakes. The principle of preparing all these dishes is similar - eggs and flour are added to the puree in different proportions and a liquid or stiff dough is kneaded, which is then baked in a frying pan.
Although the puree in the above dishes is heat-treated, you should not use a stale product when preparing them. It will not only shorten the shelf life of the new food, but will also negatively affect its taste, so if there are leftovers, they should be used immediately.
Mashed potatoes can be refrigerated and frozen, but it is important to keep an eye on their expiration date. If the product shows the first signs of spoilage, it should not be used in the preparation of other foods to avoid food poisoning.
Preparation and storage of vegetable puree
Vegetable puree is recommended by pediatricians for the first complementary feeding from 4-6 months. Boiled, baked, grated vegetables are also very useful for patients with exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases.
Zucchini, mashed potatoes, as well as cauliflower and broccoli in moderate quantities are well digestible, have a positive effect on intestinal motility, rarely cause allergies and do not irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa.
Pumpkin or broccoli puree soup is enjoyed by both children and adults. Warm puree food envelops the walls of the stomach, is easily digested and supplies the body with valuable substances. Cream or sour cream is often added to puree soup, but this is usually done before serving. The shelf life of the puree in this case does not change.
Mashed potatoes are a popular dish for both weekdays and holidays. Rarely is a feast complete without crushed potatoes. Milk, butter, egg are products that can reduce the shelf life of mashed potatoes, but are still included in the dish and improve its taste and consistency.
Preparing vegetable puree
To feed babies or people with diabetes, it is recommended to soak potatoes in water before cooking so that the “extra” starch comes out. Purchased “overseas” vegetables are also soaked before preparing baby food to reduce the content of harmful substances in the fruits.
The puree is prepared in the same way from different vegetables: the fruits are thoroughly washed, peeled, finely chopped and placed in the oven, steamer or pan with boiling water.
After the vegetables have become soft and cooked, they are rubbed through a sieve, mashed with a masher or chopped in a blender.
For babies under 8-12 months of age, salt and spices are not added to the water for cooking vegetables and to the finished product.
The finished puree is stored in different ways.
Storing puree at room temperature
It is unlikely that anyone will consciously decide to store prepared vegetable puree outside the refrigerator. However, we are talking about those cases when the prepared dish was simply not eaten immediately. For example, they left it to cool down and went for a walk with the baby, only to return later and have lunch. Or, you prepared mashed potatoes for the holiday, but not all guests will consume it in the next hour.
Shelf life of finished potatoes
You can store not only raw, but also cooked potatoes. Such actions are recommended to be taken only in extreme cases, since the taste is lost during storage.
How many days can boiled potatoes be stored in the refrigerator?
Heat treatment allows you to store potatoes for a maximum time, namely three days, and only in the refrigerator. The temperature should be +2-+6 degrees, and the vegetable should be checked regularly. It will not darken, so try it by touch. If mucus appears, then the potatoes have gone bad.
How long do mashed potatoes last in the refrigerator?
Mashed potatoes can be stored at room temperature for no more than two days. During this time, its shape will remain the same, but the taste will deteriorate significantly. When preparing puree with milk, it is better not to take risks and eat the dish in the next 3-4 hours.
How long do mashed potatoes last without refrigeration?
If you leave the puree in a cool place, then the shelf life will not exceed 4 hours, while the beneficial properties will be lost, and the presence of milk will reduce the shelf life by almost half.
How long do jacket potatoes last in the refrigerator?
Jacket potatoes are distinguished by the fact that due to the protective peel, all the useful substances remain in them. If you place it in the refrigerator, it will keep for 48 hours, and at room temperature the time will be reduced to 12 hours. The remaining starch will begin to release earlier, so if mucus appears, do not rush to throw away the vegetable; it can be used as a filling for pies.
How long can you store fried potatoes in the refrigerator?
Fried potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than three days, but they should be placed already cooled. The presence of onions also affects the preservation, since it causes accelerated oxidation, which means the potatoes spoil faster. The longer fried potatoes sit in the refrigerator, the less flavor they retain.
How long do baked or stewed potatoes last?
The shelf life of such potatoes reaches one week, but only in the refrigerator. If the potatoes were cooked with meat and other vegetables, then the dish should be consumed no later than 48 hours, as the oxidation process will begin.
How long do French fries last?
The peculiarity of French fries is their crispy crust, so after cooling they will turn into ordinary fried potatoes with a lot of fat. The shelf life of the beneficial properties reaches several days, but during long-term storage the structure and taste are completely lost.
Potatoes are used in many dishes, but after peeling they quickly lose their quality. In this regard, it is recommended to process it immediately before preparing the dish. Once cooked, it can be stored for several days, but the taste will no longer be the same.
Store-bought puree
Factory sealed baby food containers can be stored even at room temperature. The manufacturer creates a vacuum environment inside each of them, which minimizes the development of harmful microorganisms. But if baby puree is stored without a refrigerator, the product is placed in a cool place, protected from sunlight. It should be understood that when heated, the contents of the containers will deteriorate faster than the period specified by the manufacturer.
Tetra Pak cardboard packaging is no less convenient than glass or metal packaging. The product can also be stored in it for a long time. Unlike a glass jar, cardboard does not allow sunlight to pass through and is cheaper.
The disadvantage of cardboard packaging is its relative fragility. They are easily deformed and may lose their seal during transportation.
Even in the store, you need to familiarize yourself with the information that is present on the container with baby food. First of all, pay attention to the release date of the product and its expiration date.
