Lavash is a traditional bread of eastern peoples (Armenians, Turks), which is also popular in other countries. These are thin, neutral-tasting flatbreads made of water, flour and salt. Oriental bread is often used to make rolls with fillings: meat, sweet, vegetable, and cheese. It is not always necessary to use up all the sheets from the package in one day, and in this case it is important to know how to store pita bread longer.
How to choose lavash
It would seem that it is difficult to choose good bread; the main thing is to look at the date of manufacture. But there are various nuances that help you choose delicious and fresh lavash (Armenian bread):
- Despite the fact that oriental bread itself is thin and dry, you need to choose one that is elastic and not brittle.
- Fresh lavash should smell like wheat baked goods and have a light matte surface.
- Between a flatbread in plastic or a paper bag, give preference to the second. Paper is less likely to cause mold to damage bread.
- You should choose lavash from yesterday at the most. In general, its shelf life indoors is 3 days, but it is unknown how much time passed from the moment of baking to delivery to the store.
- It’s better to buy lavash at a bakery; usually the products are fresh, and by the evening there are discounts on morning baked goods.
Classic lavash is prepared on the walls of a special round oven - a tandoor. Of course, it is also made in the oven and even in a frying pan, but the oriental method in the tandoor is the best. This is another reason to buy pita bread from a bakery that has a special oven.
Terms and conditions of storage
Before buying lavash, you need to make sure it is fresh, pay attention to its appearance and date of manufacture.
Thin pita bread most often has a limited shelf life of no more than 72 hours (3 days). But you should always rely on the information on the packaging. Each manufacturer has different storage conditions. You can buy pita bread with an expiration date:
- 7 days and storage temperature +25…-20°C;
- 5 days at the recommended temperature range +5…+10°С;
- 2 days with storage at a temperature not lower than +6°C, etc.
It should be taken into account that this period does not count from the moment of delivery to the counter, but rather from leaving the bakery, subject to the conditions of storage in the warehouse and during transportation.
Any baked goods stored in polyethylene quickly become damp, so it is not advisable to buy the product in a completely sealed container. Before you put the pita bread into the bread bin or refrigerator, you should check it at home for mold.
Signs of a quality product:
- elastic dough. It should stretch and be elastic to the touch;
- smooth, without tears, pleasant uniform matte color;
- The smell of wheat bread is not mixed with foreign aromas, especially chemical fragrances.
Storing pita bread at room temperature
On counters, thin bread is stored at a cool temperature and not in the refrigerator, on shelves.
Bread made from thinly rolled dough can be stored for 72 hours from the moment of preparation. It is important to take into account here that after baking some time is spent on delivery to the retail outlet and subtract this period from the shelf life.
By the way, if the pita bread is packaged while still warm, it will be stored longer than if it has already been left and dried before transportation.
At home, to preserve pita bread, it is useful to wrap it in a linen or cotton napkin and place it in a bread bin. The ideal option is a wooden container. The bread bin must be closed to avoid the entry of moisture from the outside or foreign odors.
The tortillas will mold faster in a plastic bag.
Another condition for preserving the taste and freshness of bread is that it must be dry.
Briefly about the main thing
The love for lavash came to us from Armenian and Turkish cuisines. This is the usual unleavened bread in the form of a flatbread without additives. It is served as a side dish, baked into pies, pizza, and rolled into envelopes with various fillings.
The flour product contains only wheat flour, water and salt. It is impossible to prepare classic Armenian bread at home, since to preserve the original recipe it must be baked on the back wall of a special oven - a tandoor.
Hot, freshly baked pita bread has a consistency similar to a tortilla, and acquires elasticity and firmness after it cools. These qualities made the product popular in Russia. It is convenient to wrap hard and soft fillings in it. And you don’t need a knife to eat it; it’s customary to tear the bread with your hands.
Do you know that…
Translated from Armenian, “lavash” sounds like “good food”; in another, less poetic version, it means “thin flat bread”.
Storing pita bread in the freezer
If you need to preserve pita bread for several months, the best way is freezing.
Layers of Armenian bread can be stored in the freezer for 3 months. Lavash should be frozen only without filling!
How to freeze pita bread
Like any product that needs to be frozen, Armenian bread should be packaged into portioned pieces and frozen only in this way. In this case, you will not have to face the problem of how to defrost only the required amount, so as not to throw away the remaining product due to unsuitability.
Lavash is packed tightly in cling film or parchment paper so as not to wrinkle. Then it is placed in a freezer drawer so that it retains its shape - at the bottom of the drawer or on the side, where other products do not deform the layers of pita bread.
Nuances of choosing the right Armenian lavash
In the manufacturer's original packaging, the shelf life of lavash is, as a rule, only 3 days. Although in stores you can find a product with a shelf life of up to 5–7 days. Therefore, when purchasing it, it is important to find a mark on the date of manufacture of the product. The fresher it is, the greater the chance of maintaining consumer qualities for a long time after purchase.
Next, you need to inspect the condition of the product itself and its packaging. There are often cases when the expiration date of a product has not yet expired, but outwardly it looks spoiled. Most often this happens due to violation of storage conditions. For example, through the transparent packaging of lavash, you can make sure that there is no mold or other foreign deposits on it.
To ensure that the product remains fresh while it is on the store counter, special additives are used when packaging it. They are provided for by technical specifications, are harmless to humans and are valid until the packaging is opened.
IMPORTANT! There should be no damage to the lavash packaging, otherwise the product may dry out prematurely from the air that gets inside.
Signs of proper lavash:
- without a shiny coating or visible damage;
- elastic;
- without foreign odors.
How to restore softness to lavash
It happens that the storage or transportation of pita bread was incorrect, and it was sold already dried out. There are other reasons why formations can be overdried, but there are solutions to the problem:
- sprinkle with drinking water, cover with a towel and leave for 10-15 minutes;
- wrap the layers of pita bread (one at a time) in damp cotton towels and leave for half an hour;
- heat in a steam bath.
Severely dried out, but not moldy lavash, which could not be “reanimated”, is used as croutons for soup or for salads.
More: How to properly store salt
How to freeze: tips
Freezing does not spoil the taste of such a product as lavash. Before freezing a sheet of bread, stock up on cling film or parchment. In these materials it will be protected from freezing to the walls of the chamber, as well as from foreign odors. Place a sheet of parchment paper between each layer of dough. For storage, roll everything up.
Storing flatbreads in the freezer is possible from 2 to 6 months. For comparison: baked goods can be kept at room temperature for no more than 5 days.
Tip It is better to cut the flatbread into several smaller pieces and remove them from the freezer as needed.
After removing the frozen pita bread, just warm it in the oven or microwave for 10-20 seconds. No need to unfold!
Check your pita bread for mold already in the store. Especially often it hides in the folds of the flatbread. Use oriental bread to prepare homemade shawarma, pizza, rolls with different fillings, and serve it as a side dish. The softer the pita bread, the tastier the snack turns out.
Dishes with lavash
The fresh taste of lavash allows it to be used for making a wide variety of rolls, pies, casseroles, salads and even chips.
Lavash rolls
Fillings for rolls:
- ham, cheese, herbs, mayonnaise (or other sauce);
- crab sticks, corn, boiled egg, cucumber, sauce;
- canned fish, onions, sauce;
- boiled chicken fillet and pickled carrots, sauce;
- stewed chicken, carrots, onions, sauce;
- curd (or regular) cheese, smoked or boiled meat, boiled egg, pickles, lettuce, sauce;
- curd cheese, lightly salted salmon/pink salmon, cucumber, herbs, sauce;
- cottage cheese, sugar, banana, strawberries, egg for greasing (the roll is baked in the oven);
- cottage cheese, jam, milk (to soften lavash);
- and others.
How and how long to store minced meat in the freezer
Not all products placed in the refrigerator are stored correctly. Let us consider by category which products should be stored, how and for how long, taking into account their individual characteristics. For kvass.—Brewed tea: Black. How long can lavash be stored? How is lavash used? In ancient times, King Aram successfully ruled the Armenian lands.
It lasts longer in the refrigerator, but then it’s better to warm it up before eating. Thin pita bread can be stored for no more than 2 days, and it doesn’t matter if it’s in the refrigerator or not - it’s basically raw dough. Translated from Armenian, lavash means “good food.” Salads with mayonnaise should not be stored without refrigeration. Roll the pita bread into a roll starting from the edge, wrap it in food and put it in the refrigerator to soak.
True, eating a cold bun is still a pleasure, so you will have to warm it up a little before eating it. And then I came across one recipe, or rather, they pushed me. Store the pita bread in a bag, in a bread box for a couple of days, and then put it in the refrigerator, they are stored there for a long time. A crack can become a source of poisoning.
I bought it then - and there were two of them in a bag (instead of the expected one). How long can such beauty be stored? particularly in the refrigerator. See how to make pita bread. Thin pita bread can be stored for quite a long time. How many times have you found that the next day after purchase it was covered in mold?
As the need arises, they get what they need. The problem can be solved by baking your own bread, but not everyone has time for this. Rye bread products should be stored in the refrigerator separately from wheat products. The dough will keep in the refrigerator for several days, and in the freezer for 1 month.
It keeps longer in the refrigerator, but then it is better to reheat it before eating. When dry, it can be stored for a long time. Roll it into a roll, put it in a bag, and then in the refrigerator to soak it. How long can you store lavash? History of lavash. Tags: products.. It can be soaked for as long as you like. Many bread products, such as flatbreads, pita bread, chureki, are not cut with a knife; such bread can be stored in it for a very long time, and maintenance of the structure is reduced to almost zero.
Therefore, over time, the taste of bread from the refrigerator becomes very much an acquired taste. If you purchased wet pita bread, then put it in a bag and store it on the top shelf of the refrigerator. Making thin pita bread at home is very simple and quick. My mother-in-law definitely keeps it for up to a month. To prevent fresh pita bread from blooming, store it in the refrigerator.
Stews and cutlets will keep in the refrigerator for 2-4 days. From time to time I like to make chicken wraps and also shawarma. It is not advisable to store prepared shawarma for a long time, since the pita bread will become increasingly saturated with sauce and mayonnaise during storage. But shawarma can be stored for 3-4 hours (it is better to use the refrigerator for this purpose).
How long can fish be stored in the refrigerator? Soups can last 1-2 days, sometimes longer, but over time the taste of the soup deteriorates. Armenian, well-dried lavash can be stored for quite a long time. When the time came to eat the lavash, it was simply sprinkled with water, and after half an hour it became soft and elastic.
And no matter how good your refrigerator is, it is better not to use the products after a certain time. But Parmesan in packaging can be stored for almost a year. Citrus fruits and apples are stored in the refrigerator from 2 weeks to a month. Due to this property, the product can be stored for quite a long time, and before use it simply needs to be “refreshed”.
If you bought wet pita bread, place it in a bag and place it on the top shelf of the refrigerator. This allows you to store it for a long time, “refreshing” it before use. Bakery products stored in the refrigerator will remain fresh for a day after removal. From time to time, add flour to the lavash dough and continue kneading until the dough becomes really elastic.
flour, water, salt! I don’t know how long it lasts and for how long, because I only made 7 pieces. Up to 1 week. Thank you. Lavash is an original dish of the Armenian and Turkish peoples and has been known there since ancient times. In this form, the greens will be stored in the refrigerator for 10-14 days. You can store pita bread, brown bread, and baked goods this way for 5-7 days.
Traditional lavash in the Caucasus, as well as in other regions, is baked on the walls of a tandoor. It keeps longer in the refrigerator, but then it is better to reheat it before eating. You don’t have to grease the pita bread, but add sauce to the filling itself. After the specified time has passed, the fish must be placed in the refrigerator. Sometimes people try to store bread in the refrigerator, but this method also requires I also don’t really like it when the pita bread is soft from being soaked.
There is high humidity in the refrigerator, which this product is afraid of. Do not store it in a bag (it will suffocate), it is better to store it in a towel or bread box. In a closed container, it will not lose its usefulness for up to ten days, but provided that it does not expire during this time. How long can pita bread be stored? If you purchased wet pita bread, then put it in a bag and store it on the top shelf of the refrigerator. Nowadays, more and more Thin lavash is in demand in cooking.
Almost every housewife has a bag, or even several, of minced meat hidden in the freezer for special occasions or just for quickly preparing dinner. And few people think about whether this minced meat is stored correctly. And the quality of minced meat depends not only on the storage method, but also on the preparation for it.
All rules for storing minced meat in the refrigerator also apply to storing minced meat in the freezer. But there are several additional conditions for proper freezing.
- Only fresh minced meat is used for freezing.
- Salt, onions, bread, milk and various spices should not be added to minced meat for long-term storage. All this worsens the taste and appearance of minced meat and promotes the proliferation of microbes. Very often, housewives freeze minced meat along with onions, believing that this will not spoil the taste of the meat, using frozen dumplings, cutlets, meatballs and other meat products as an example. But these semi-finished products are frozen using the blast freezing method, that is, very quickly and at a fairly low temperature. In such products, harmful microorganisms simply do not have time to appear, much less multiply.
- Household refrigerators do not have this ability, because the temperature in them is not low enough. Therefore, it is advisable not to pack minced meat for freezing in plastic containers. The best option is to divide the minced meat into small portions, put each of them in a plastic bag, press down on top so that all the air comes out and the minced meat takes a flat shape. In this form, minced meat freezes very quickly and takes up minimal space in the freezer.
- If all the rules for preparing minced meat for storage have been followed, then such minced meat can be stored in the freezer for up to three months without losing its beneficial qualities. Despite the fact that minced meat will not disappear in the freezer even after a year (unless, of course, it has not been defrosted before), it is still not worth storing it for so long, since it freezes and its quality deteriorates significantly.
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These simple rules will help housewives always have a small supply of frozen and high-quality minced meat in the refrigerator.
Lavash is the thinnest flatbread made from flour, water, oil and salt, the traditional bread of the peoples of the Middle East. This pastry has become an integral part of the feast: it is thin, fresh, soft and suitable for many foods. By the way, pita bread can be stored for a very long time and remain soft and pleasant to the taste. The freezer will help us with this.
Another way to store it for a long time is to roll the pita bread immediately after removing it from the oven. This way the flatbread does not lose moisture for a long time. But after a few days it will still begin to dry out.
It is quickly brought back to life by “steaming”: just hold the pita bread over a boiling pan of water or a kettle. The moisture will quickly refresh the bread. This is exactly what they used to do in hot countries: first they baked and thoroughly dried the pastries, and then imbued them with water vapor.
Tip: For convenience, to avoid getting burned, place a wooden wire rack on the pan.
Miss Clean magazine strongly recommends: Never store pita bread or other breads in plastic bags at room temperature or in the refrigerator. This causes the baked goods to quickly become moldy. Use waffle towels, linen napkins, parchment paper.
Armenian lavash has a fairly long shelf life; it can be edible for up to 6 months, but only if it is stored correctly.
And in order to preserve the pita bread for longer, I usually put it in the refrigerator.
We used to live and work in a remote outpost, where bread was delivered once every 7-10 days. In winter we froze it and it still tasted just as good when defrosted.
In the summer they stored it in plastic bags, but small holes had to be made in these bags so that the bread would not “suffocate” and become moldy.
In terms of time, pita bread can be stored for no more than 5 days, then it begins to stale and will definitely become moldy. You can freeze it and it will keep for a month.
Snack roll with canned fish, egg and cheese
Ingredients
- 3 sheets of pita bread
- 1 can of canned fish
- 3 chicken eggs
- 200 g hard cheese
- 250 g mayonnaise
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 1 bunch of fresh parsley
How to cook
In a deep bowl, combine mayonnaise, finely chopped parsley and garlic cloves passed through a press. Mix thoroughly.
Brush the first sheet of pita bread with 1/3 of the mixture.
Let's open the canned fish. Remove the pieces of canned fish from the oil, remove the bones and mash the fish with a fork.
Distribute the canned fish evenly throughout the pita bread. Cover the workpiece with a second sheet of pita bread. Grease the pita bread with a mixture of mayonnaise, herbs and garlic.
Hard-boil chicken eggs, peel them and grate them on a coarse grater.
Distribute the grated eggs evenly around the entire perimeter of the pita bread. Cover the workpiece with a third sheet of pita bread. Brush it with the remaining garlic mixture.
Grind a piece of hard cheese on a grater with a large blade.
Distribute the grated cheese evenly over the pita bread.
Now let’s carefully roll our workpiece into a tight roll. Wrap the pita bread with the filling in film and put it in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours to let it sit.
Filling for thin lavash rolls with smoked sausage, cheese and mushrooms
Probably the most popular type of rolls is with smoked sausage and cheese, I make them with strands, there is no need to cut or grate them, I spread them out and that’s it. Yummy!
What if you add mushrooms here? We'll definitely try it!
Let's take 300 grams of sausages, the same amount of champignons, 100 g of hard cheese, an onion and spices.
Chop the mushrooms and onions and fry them in separate pans in vegetable oil.
While they are cooking, cut the sausage into strips and grate the cheese.
