Yogurt: shelf life, storage conditions

Yogurt is a healthy fermented milk product that is obtained by fermenting natural milk with certain types of microorganisms. The popularity of this drink (it is also usually consumed as a dessert) is very high among supporters of a healthy diet. Therefore, the question of how to store yogurt is very relevant for many today.

How to store homemade yogurt

Consumers of fermented milk products argue about the benefits of homemade yogurt. The controversy revolves around the composition and manufacturing technology of the product. Homemade drink preparation is based on milk and sourdough, as well as the addition of natural fruits and berries. The absence of preservatives, dyes, and stabilizers indicates the benefits of the finished product. But can you call it yogurt?

The technology for industrial production of yogurt is based on pasteurization of milk, which helps preserve the number of whey bacteria. For these purposes, manufacturing companies use raw materials enriched with calcium, vitamins, and protein. Dairies create optimal conditions for the growth of the starter culture.

The homemade drink is more like yogurt. In the process of boiling milk, the amount of useful substances is gradually reduced, and not all creators can ensure that the raw material maintains a constant temperature of 40 degrees. The finished fermented milk product should be consumed immediately after preparation. The shelf life of homemade yogurt in the refrigerator does not exceed 3 days.

Homemade yogurt made from natural starter culture is a healthy drink that can replace a good breakfast. You can add fruit, honey, corn flakes or chocolate drops to it to taste. How long to store homemade yogurt depends on how it is prepared.

Pure yogurt made in separate jars can be stored under a tightly closed lid for no longer than 3 days in the refrigerator. A ready-made yogurt dish should be eaten within a day; its shelf life does not exceed 12 hours. Opened homemade yogurt in a jar can also be stored for no longer than 12 hours.

Many housewives prepare this delicious product and then transfer it into jars. How long you can store yogurt prepared in a slow cooker depends on the temperature in the refrigerator.

At a temperature of 3°C it will remain fresh for 3 days, and at 10°C the shelf life of opened homemade yogurt does not exceed a day.

After purchasing a package of drinking yoghurt, it is not always possible to consume it at once. How long you can store opened yogurt in the refrigerator depends on the amount of preservatives added by the manufacturer. But since the taste of this product deteriorates after just a few hours, it is best to consume it within 3 hours after opening the package.

A high-quality starter for making yogurt can be found on the shelf with this product. How long and how to store yogurt starter is always indicated on the packaging.

Unused leftovers can be placed in the freezer and at -18°C they can be stored for up to 2 years.

This does not at all affect the taste of the finished product, or how long the finished yogurt can be stored.

Beauty and Health Health Nutrition

Yogurts are products that are considered the most “healthy” and useful today - we watch their advertising on TV every day, but we believe this advertising less and less, although manufacturers do not get tired of coming up with new advertising tricks and beautiful slogans.

The fact is that only live yoghurts can be healthy - that is, they must contain live lactic acid bacteria, and they can live no more than 4-5 days.

In stores we see yoghurts with a very long shelf life - from 2 weeks to 2 months, and it is clear that there is nothing alive left there, and indeed it was not planned to “leave anyone alive” - all the bacteria died before stage of product manufacturing. Even if the yoghurts were not processed at high temperatures, then preservatives, dyes, thickeners and other “E” will not allow bacteria to live and multiply peacefully, and a few days after production the product will already be virtually dead, containing empty calories, as well as synthetic vitamins and minerals .

Meanwhile, we need live yoghurts in order to be healthy and live longer: by maintaining normal intestinal microflora, they restore and strengthen our immunity, improve metabolic processes, remove waste and toxins, reduce the amount of bad cholesterol and sugar in the blood, and supply our the body with natural vitamins and minerals, and even help get rid of excess weight.

Lactic acid formed in yogurt prevents pathogenic bacteria from multiplying in the intestines, suppresses rotting and prevents the development of many chronic diseases. And the milk proteins contained in yogurt are absorbed better than the proteins of whole milk, since living yogurt bacteria already partially digest them - milk is digested 3 times slower than yogurt.

Yogurt contains a lot of easily digestible lactose, which feeds the beneficial microflora living in the intestines. Without lactose, bacteria die, and are replaced by aggressive and pathogenic ones that cause fermentation and rotting processes. Many people suffer from the fact that their healthy microflora is ruined by antibiotics - yogurt actively restores and “feeds” it, while such people cannot obtain lactose from milk - their intestines cannot tolerate it.

It destroys yogurt and pathogenic bacteria - not only staphylococci and streptococci, but even the causative agents of typhus and other dangerous diseases - for this it is called a “natural antibiotic”.

Looking for live yoghurts in stores is a tedious process, and such products are quite expensive, and besides, you cannot be completely sure of their quality: even a product from a well-known manufacturer can be faked and distorted.

In addition, industrial production is a strictly regulated process, so the fermentation process is limited in time: it should be completed when it is convenient for the manufacturer, and not when the yogurt cultures have multiplied so much that the product is sufficiently enriched with all nutrients.

At home, yogurt can stand for as long as necessary so that the fermentation process can be completed completely, and therefore its taste is very different from store-bought ones, for the better. You can add honey, fruits, juices, berries, jam, syrup, nuts, chocolate, dried fruits and other toppings to yogurt prepared at home, and pure yogurts can be used for dressing salads, main courses, and can be used to prepare cold soups and other delicious store-bought dishes. yoghurts are not suitable for this.

As for homemade yogurt recipes, they have the same basics, with minor differences.

For example, Greek yogurt is very thick and is usually made from goat or sheep milk, with cultures of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, but you can make it at home from cow's milk. For the starter, use matsoni, katyk, slightly sour sour cream, Bulgarian yogurt or Mechnikov sour milk - it is also prepared with the bacterial cultures mentioned above.

Ready, ripened Greek yogurt has a smooth surface and looks like jelly - just as dense, and does not run off the spoon when scooped.

Homemade yogurt cannot be stored for a long time, even in the refrigerator. If you eat it in its natural form, then the maximum shelf life is 5 days, but if you use it for baking or baking - up to 2 weeks.

The prepared yogurt can be used as a starter for the next portion - part of the yogurt should be put into a clean jar and kept in the refrigerator, but this can only be done 3 times, otherwise it will no longer be yogurt. Live yogurt cultures cannot be stored for a long time in the finished starter - they lose their purity, since other microorganisms get into the starter, so it is better to use fresh cultures to prepare the starter - then the yogurt will retain all its properties.

A drink like yogurt or something similar to it is found in the cuisines of almost all countries of the world. In our country it is held in special gastronomic esteem and is sold in two forms: drinking and as dessert. Many also make homemade yogurt, for the preparation of which they use a special starter. Therefore, the question of how long an open package of yogurt can be stored, as well as how to store homemade yogurt and the starter for its preparation, interests many. At home, this product can be stored in the refrigerator, but the starter perfectly retains its beneficial qualities in the freezer.

When storing yogurt, it is important to maintain temperature conditions. After all, it is made on the basis of living cultures that retain their properties for a limited time.

Due to the presence of preservatives, the shelf life of store-bought yogurt and homemade yogurt differ significantly. Live homemade yogurt can be stored for no more than 3 days.

Yogurts with added fruit cannot be stored for a long time, unlike a pure natural product without sugar, which does not change its taste and properties for a relatively long time.

At a temperature of 3°C it will remain fresh for 3 days, and at 10°C the shelf life of opened homemade yogurt does not exceed a day.

Unused leftovers can be placed in the freezer and at -18°C they can be stored for up to 2 years.

The assortment of yogurt is varied. Storage conditions and optimal temperature conditions are indicated by manufacturers on product packaging. To ensure that yogurt retains its taste properties for a long time, these recommendations must be strictly followed.

Nuances of storing yogurt:

the expiration date indicated on the yogurt packaging can only be taken into account for products with unopened packages;
yoghurts that contain preservatives can be stored in almost any conditions, even at room temperature (it is important not to store products near heat sources or in direct sunlight);
natural yogurt can only be stored in the refrigerator;
a container of yogurt can be frozen (this method is often used to make “homemade” ice cream);
under the influence of low temperatures, the nutritional value and taste characteristics of yogurt do not change;
You cannot freeze and defrost yogurt again (the consistency of the product will change dramatically and the taste will deteriorate);
It is better to store yogurt in the refrigerator in glass jars (in cardboard packaging the product will spoil faster);
“live” yogurt cannot be stored at room temperature (such a product should only be stored chilled or frozen);
if liquid has separated from the yogurt, the product begins to deteriorate and should not be eaten;
after purchasing yogurt, you should not store it for a long time at room temperature and then put it in the refrigerator (the product must be put in the refrigerator immediately, otherwise temperature changes can shorten its shelf life);
if there is no lid for the container, then it is better to seal the jar of yogurt with foil (it is not recommended to use polyethylene in this case);
if the yogurt has been stored in a closed package for more than two weeks, then it is better to use it as an additional ingredient for baking or dessert (if there are no signs indicating that the product has spoiled);
if plaque appears on the surface of the yogurt, then the product is spoiled and should not be eaten even if it seems fresh when removing the mold;
yoghurts that have undergone heat treatment are not too susceptible to temperature conditions and their changes (there are much fewer nutrients in such products than in natural ones, so this nuance must be taken into account when purchasing them);
When frozen, yogurt can be stored for several months.

Varieties

When buying a fermented milk product in a store, people often analyze the expiration date of the yogurt. There are different time intervals. Some types of fermented milk products are stored for no more than 5 days, others can stand on a shelf in the refrigerator for a whole month. What determines the shelf life of drinking yogurt? How not to make a mistake with your choice and not fall for the tricks of manufacturers? The answer is simple: determine the type of product.

Dairy production in our country does not stand still. It is constantly evolving. Manufacturers are producing new types of fermented milk drinks. Among these are natural, fruit and flavored. Each has a special composition that affects its service life.

Fruit

This type of yogurt, in addition to the main ingredients, includes pieces of canned fruit or berries. They give the fermented milk drink a rich taste. According to GOST, fruit and berry filler should not account for more than 30% of the volume of the entire product. This type of drink, enriched with beneficial bacteria, can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, and in the freezer for 2 months.

How to make yogurt at home

To make homemade yogurt, you can use pasteurized milk, or homemade milk if you are sure of its quality, but you should still boil it - especially if children will eat the yogurt. For very small children, full-fat cow's milk is not suitable, and besides, it contains less lactose - it is better to take skim milk (1.5%); You should not take sterilized milk - there is very little useful content left in it.

Where can I get sourdough? Many people advise just taking store-bought yogurt, but it is better to buy yogurt culture at the pharmacy. You can take Narine, Bifidobacterium complex, and other acidophilus, curd and yoghurt cultures; If yogurt is being prepared for babies, you can and should consult a pediatrician.

Each starter, as a rule, has instructions, so there should not be any special difficulties.

So, first we boil the milk (if it is not pasteurized): bring it to a boil, and then boil for another 5 minutes on the lowest heat - this will destroy all pathogenic bacteria, if they are there. Pasteurized milk simply needs to be heated to the desired temperature.

The container for preparing yogurt must be sterile, otherwise it may contain foreign bacteria, and the quality of the product may be greatly reduced. You cannot touch the inner surface of the cookware with your hands, and in general it is recommended to work with sterile gloves; the jars into which the yogurt will be poured should also be sterilized; If pasteurized milk is used, then it should be opened only before pouring it into a container for making yogurt.

The boiled milk must be removed from the heat, cooled to 40-37°C, and the starter introduced. Having opened a bottle of starter (it looks like penicillin), you can pour a little milk into it and shake it, holding the stopper tightly, and then simply pour it into a bowl with the rest of the milk. However, if you want to maintain sterility, the culture should be diluted like a medicine - with saline from a syringe, sterilizing the stopper with alcohol, and then drawn back into the syringe and injected into the milk.

The bacteria in the capsules can simply be poured into a container with milk, or the capsules can be crushed - their gelatin shells will dissolve - and everything must be thoroughly mixed, and then poured into jars (cups) and placed in a yogurt maker for the required time. The finished yogurt should be put in the refrigerator for 2 hours, and then you can eat it, or cook your favorite dishes with it.

If you don’t have a yogurt maker on your household yet, you can use a thermos - it also needs to be sterilized. In this case, after the preparation process described above, the milk is poured into a thermos, closed, and left alone for 8-9 hours - no need to move it or shake it. Next, the finished product is poured into a sterile glass jar and placed in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

In the refrigerator, yogurt that was prepared in a yogurt maker can be stored for 4 to 7 days.

Natural

Natural cow's milk and sourdough are used as raw materials for the preparation of this type of fermented milk drink. No additives, flavorings or thickeners are used in production. The absence of these components affects the storage conditions of the drink. The shelf life of natural yogurt according to GOST does not exceed 7 days.

Let's start with the fact that when purchasing, you need to distinguish between “live” yogurt, which has live lactic acid bacteria, and “non-live” yogurt, which has been subjected to heat treatment, as a result of which all bacteria, including beneficial ones, are destroyed. Of course, a sterilized product will have a significantly longer shelf life, which is why the manufacturer does this.

Do you want to buy live natural yogurt? Then the advice is not to choose it with a shelf life of more than 1 month. Such an expiration date would indicate the use of excessive preservatives or pasteurization or sterilization of the finished product with live bacteria. If you want to buy a truly healthy product without any food additives, then look for yogurt with a shelf life of up to 1 week.

To keep yogurt “alive,” a yogurt culture of bacteria (Bulgarian bacillus, thermophilic streptococcus, sometimes Bacillus acidophilus) is added to pasteurized milk during the production process, but the finished product itself is not pasteurized. Therefore, only those fermented milk products that contain live lactic acid bacteria that have not been subjected to heat treatment can be called yogurt.

At home, you can give free rein to your imagination and indulge your preferences and needs: add whatever you want to your home-made yogurt: honey, nuts, chocolate chips, vegetables, your favorite fresh fruit, berries, jams, marmalade, etc.

Nature of origin is a factor influencing the shelf life of yogurt

Yogurt is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. What does this mean?

Lactic acid fermentation, during which pyruvate is reduced to lactic acid, is carried out by lactic acid bacteria and other organisms. When milk is fermented, lactic acid bacteria convert lactose into lactic acid, turning milk into fermented milk products (yogurt, curdled milk, etc.); Lactic acid gives these products a sour taste. Lactic acid fermentation is used for food preservation (by inhibiting the growth of microorganisms with lactic acid and lowering the pH) for long-term preservation (for example, pickling vegetables, raw smoking), preparing fermented milk products (kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt, sour cream), ensiling plant matter, and also a biotechnological method for the production of lactic acid.

Therefore, a reasonable question arises: how quickly does yogurt spoil ? Answer: fast, but not as fast as you might think.

Live yogurt is a natural and healthy product

Yogurt can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 30 days. Experts advise reducing this period to 14 days. This is due to the fact that the product has a long shelf life due to the fact that it has undergone heat treatment, during which the starter cultures died. Such yogurt becomes useless. Yogurt should be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 4 to 6 degrees.

The yogurt product can be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 4... 25 degrees.

Live yogurt can be stored for no more than 6-7 days only in the refrigerator at a temperature of no more than 7 degrees. If the package shows an expiration date of one month, then it is regular yogurt with preservatives, not live yogurt.

In the store, yogurt should be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 4 to 6 degrees. Yogurt products can also be stored on regular shelves. The suitable temperature for them is 4 to 25 degrees.

The ideal storage temperature for natural (live) yogurt is from 2 to 6 degrees Celsius. The average shelf life is about 2 weeks.

Always check storage conditions with the seller. If stored at elevated temperatures, yogurt may spoil and become hazardous to health. Be careful.

For pasteurized (sterilized) yogurt, storage conditions and shelf life can vary significantly. Do not be surprised if such a product is allowed to be stored at temperatures up to 25 degrees Celsius and for more than 1 month.

Shelf life: 30 days
Shelf life: 30 days
Shelf life in the refrigerator: 30 days
Freezer life: not specified

Yogurt may contain vitamins, as well as calcium and easily digestible proteins. Thanks to the enzymes and components included in the product, the body is able to cleanse itself of harmful substances and can also resist infections. Currently, you can see a variety of yoghurts on the shelves. But not all of them will be useful.

For yogurt to be truly healthy, it must have a concentration of bioactive bacteria per milliliter of at least a certain value. Real yogurt tastes sour, not sweet. Therefore, we can assume that those yoghurts that smell delicious and are great for dessert are not as healthy as fermented milk ones.

It is the latter that are well suited for improving the functioning of the body. This yogurt will especially help people with digestive problems. Real and live yogurt includes only fermented milk products. It contains special bacteria. If the jar says that the product has undergone heat treatment after the fermentation process, then this means that the usefulness of the product has already been lost.

The yogurt product can be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 4.25 degrees.

The shelf life of natural yogurt packaged in plastic containers does not exceed 3 days. Provided that the product is in a tightly closed container. And the finished dish based on it can be stored for no more than 12 hours. The product has the same shelf life after opening the package.

It is not possible to drink the contents of the package immediately. How long you can store yogurt in the refrigerator in an open form will depend on its composition - the presence and amount of preservatives.

Cases of severe poisoning are possible after eating expired yoghurt. But it also happens that a product containing white or fruit filler does not cause any particular harm to the body several days after its expiration date. But it’s still better not to risk eating expired products.

The maximum shelf life of yogurt is 5 days at 2°C - 6°C if stored in a tightly closed container. It can also be used as a starter for 5 days.

Yogurt is a healthy fermented milk product, the consumption of which helps the human body cope with many tasks associated with the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, it is recommended for daily consumption, but preferably without sugar. The normal daily intake for an adult is 200 ml, and for a child – 100 ml.

The homemade product is recommended for use not only as a nutritious drink or dessert. It makes an excellent salad dressing that can be used in place of sour cream. The basic rule is to store yogurt in the refrigerator and not to eat expired products.

The product appeared on the Russian market in 1998. The range included not only yoghurts, but also other dairy products, as well as natural juices. Two Russian entrepreneurs, Sergey Plastilin and Mikhail Dubinin, successfully picked up the changing taste preferences of their compatriots.

Until the 1990s, the market was oriented towards Western manufacturers, but the fashion for everything European gradually passed. Consumer demand began to fall for natural and domestic fermented milk drinks without dyes and additives. The new brand “Miracle” came in handy. The growth in popularity was facilitated by the stable high quality of fermented milk products, assortment of flavors, and accessibility to buyers.

Shelf life directly depends on temperature conditions. In a hot room, fermented milk product quickly deteriorates. The optimal range is considered to be 4±2 °C. Under these conditions, the drink can be stored for up to 20 days.

A number of tips will help extend the shelf life of yogurt:

It is recommended to store the natural product only in the refrigerator.
Thawing and re-freezing yogurt should be avoided. This temperature fluctuation affects the consistency and taste.
When choosing yogurt, you should give preference to glass packaging. Fermented milk products in plastic or cardboard boxes spoil faster.
The presence of preservatives in the drink indicates the possibility of storage at room temperature, but in the absence of nearby heat sources.
The expiration date of yogurt indicated on the labels is valid only if the packaging is intact. Opened product is stored for 24 hours.

Surely these tips will help you consume only high-quality products.

What determines the shelf life of milk?

There are often terms on packages whose meaning we do not know or misunderstand: “Normalized milk used,” “Ultra-pasteurized,” “Made from whole milk,” and so on. Let's look at the types of raw milk, methods of processing and packaging, and how all this affects the lifespan of dairy products.

Dairy raw materials

Whole . This is natural milk that has been strained, but has not been adjusted for fat content. The natural balance of fats, proteins and carbohydrates in such milk is unchanged.
Normalized . This is milk divided into skim milk (liquid with zero fat content) and cream, and then restored to the desired parameters. Milk is normalized so that it is not too fatty and so that sour cream, cottage cheese and other products with a certain percentage of fat content are made.
Low fat . This is milk from which the cream has been separated during separation. It tastes almost the same as whole, but the energy value is half as high. This milk and products based on it are produced for people who count calories.
Restored . This is milk made from concentrated or powdered milk and water.

Basic moments

To store this product, you must maintain the correct temperature conditions. It must be borne in mind that the basis is made up of living cultures that can remain active for a very short time.

Store-bought yogurt has a longer shelf life than home-made yogurt. This is achieved with the help of an increased content of various preservative additives and stabilizers. A homemade product containing a live culture will retain its properties for no more than 3-5 days.

Yogurt, which contains fruits and berries, has a shorter shelf life than the same product without filler and containing no sugar.

Yogurt can also be stored frozen. Many housewives use this product to make homemade ice cream. But re-freezing it will lead to a deterioration in taste, and partially to a change in the original consistency.