Homemade and purchased jellied meat: how long is it stored and how to prolong its freshness

Hearty jellied meat in Rus' was considered food for servants. It was prepared from the leftover meat from the table of the rich, boiling it to a thick consistency. Since the 16th century, the fashion for French dishes came to Russia, and it was then that jelly became a real festive dish. Alas, the exquisite dish could not be stored in the summer. Modern housewives have a great advantage in this regard, but not everyone knows how long homemade jellied meat can be stored in the refrigerator. The shelf life of this product varies even among manufacturers. What this is connected with and how to prolong the freshness of your favorite meat delicacy is described in the article.

Shelf life of store-bought product at home

Every product on a store shelf has a certain expiration date. According to regulatory documents, jelly, jellied meat, aspic and similar dishes belong to the category of perishable products. The main ingredient of the dish is meat, which inevitably undergoes a process of protein breakdown, leading to spoilage.

Do you know that…

The average shelf life of store-bought jellied meat is 36 hours from the date of manufacture, provided that it was stored at a temperature not exceeding 6 °C.

But the shelf life of purchased jelly depends on the packaging method and composition:

• Jellied meat by weight should be consumed within 7 days from the date of preparation.
• When packaged in plastic containers with a tight lid, the shelf life also does not exceed 7 days.
• When using vacuum packaging, it is extended to 10 days.

The shelf life of jellied meat in the refrigerator can be affected by the products, spices, and preservatives used by the manufacturer. The addition of preservatives can significantly increase the shelf life of the product; some substances extend it up to 60 days. Although such jelly will be suitable for consumption, it is worth thinking about its benefits for the body.

Things to remember

1. Shelf life. Store the dish in the refrigerator at a temperature no higher than +8C: without eggs, spices and herbs: 5 days, using additional products that have not undergone heat treatment: 2 days, with grated horseradish: 7 days.
2. Ingredient ratio. To harden the jelly, use the correct ratio of water to meat 2/1, or use edible gelatin. Hardening time is about 6-7 hours.
3. Freezing. Freeze the product in small airtight containers at -5C for no more than 2 months.
4. Defrosting. Thaw the dish in the microwave until liquid, and then simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into the mold again and place in the refrigerator to set.
5. Type of cookware. To store jelly, use shallow molds with an airtight lid. To get jellied sausage, pour the broth into an eggplant and keep in the refrigerator for 6 hours.

How long can a homemade product be stored?

How to determine the shelf life of jellied meat when making it yourself? Each housewife will store the prepared jelly for a different amount of time. Some argue that it is best to eat the dish within the first day after hardening, while others say that jellied meat can last up to a week without losing its taste.

Strictly speaking, jelly and jellied meat are different dishes. The first is prepared only from beef, the second - from beef, pork and chicken

The shelf life of homemade jellied meat in the refrigerator depends on the following factors:

• dish components;
• compliance with temperature conditions;
• selected dishes.

Tip of the day

It’s best not to risk your health and try to eat meat jelly within 4-5 days, this is the optimal shelf life for homemade jellied meat.

Some useful tips for preparing jelly will help housewives to prolong its freshness:

• Carefully approach the issue of choosing the main ingredient. Meat must be purchased not frozen.
• If you plan to add vegetables, add them to the broth while cooking. Components that have not undergone heat treatment will significantly reduce the shelf life of the finished dish.
• Use small bowls to harden, then you won’t have to expose the jelly to air unnecessarily. Portioned jellied meat looks very aesthetically pleasing on the table.
• Sterility will extend shelf life, so boil containers before adding broth. When removing cooked meat from bones, use medical gloves.
• Select a storage container with a tight lid to protect the dish from the penetration of pathogenic microflora. If the bowl does not come with a lid, use cling film or foil.
• Cover the container with jellied meat only after the liquid has completely cooled.

After 4-5 days, before consuming the jellied meat, make sure that it is not spoiled. To do this, place the dish on the table and wait 15-20 minutes. If you notice a grayish coating of mold on the surface, cloudiness of the jelly or an unpleasant odor, stop using the jelly.

Note to the hostess

Another sure sign of spoilage is the “melting” of the jelly even in the refrigerator. If you notice liquid, hurry to dispose of the uneaten dish.

Buy it or make it yourself?

Homemade jellied meat

Homemade jellied meat is prepared from one or several types of meat with bones; due to the bones, the broth turns into a gelatinous mass when cooling. Housewives add carrots, eggs, green peas, bell peppers, garlic, and hot peppers to the jellied meat.

Homemade jellied meat should be stored at a temperature from 0 to 8 °C . If the meat composition is stored for 5 days , then jellied meat with the addition of eggs and vegetables, except garlic and ground pepper, for no more than 3 days . Garlic, black and red pepper, on the contrary, extend shelf life.

Suitable storage space:

• Fridge.
• Cellar.
• Balcony.
• Freezer.

Having a porous structure, jellied meat perfectly absorbs foreign odors , so either there should be no strong-smelling foods nearby, or the dish should be stored in airtight packaging.

Suitable packaging:

1. Glassware with lid.
2. Ceramic dishes with a lid.
3. Enameled dishes with a lid.

foil as a lid . Plastic is contraindicated for jellied meat; it absorbs odors.

Store-bought jellied meat

Jellied meat, prepared in a factory, contains preservatives and is vacuum . As a rule, the expiration date indicated on the package is 7 days . But if preservatives are used, jellied meat can be consumed within 60 days . Once opened, the product is good for no more than a day . You should also store purchased jellied meat at a temperature not exceeding 8 °C .

If the product is purchased in bulk in a store, the shelf life is no more than a week .

Frozen jellied meat

You can extend the shelf life of jellied meat by freezing it. The product can last 2 months . Before you put the dish in the freezer, you need to divide it into portions. This will make it convenient to take out and use. The temperature should not be lower than 15 °C , otherwise the product will lose elasticity, lose taste and begin to crumble.

Packaging for storage in the freezer must be airtight. Even at minus 15, the product absorbs foreign odors.

Thawed jellied meat

After defrosting, the jellied meat should be consumed within 24 hours . You cannot send it for re-freezing! If the jellied meat loses its shape after defrosting, this can easily be corrected by digesting it and pouring it into molds again, but also consume it within 24 hours. You can melt frozen jellied meat in the microwave and then pour it into a clean container.

The table contains basic recommendations for storing jellied meat:

Influence of ingredients on preservation

For the holiday, housewives decorate jellied meat by adding boiled carrots, fresh herbs, peas, and halves of chicken or quail eggs. This approach will make the dish more elegant, but will significantly reduce its shelf life. When using products that have not been subjected to heat treatment, the jelly will begin to deteriorate within 1-2 days.

• Adding garlic, onions and spices will not protect meat jelly from spoilage.
• Even the aromatic horseradish root, rich in phytoncides, is not able to extend the shelf life of your favorite jellied meat.

The listed ingredients are added only to enhance the taste, but do not affect the preservation. Table salt, which is a natural preservative, can extend the shelf life. With a low salt content, the jellied meat will begin to deteriorate faster. The main thing is not to oversalt the dish.

Do you know that…

Many people do not like the fat that accumulates on the surface of the frozen mass, so they try to remove it as soon as possible. But it protects the jelly from contact with air, which prolongs the shelf life of the jelly.

To learn how to properly prepare jellied meat, watch this video:

Recipe and storage conditions

If you purchase ready-made jelly in a store, the packaging will indicate storage standards in accordance with the requirements of the SES. Typically, it is recommended to store the finished product for no more than 72 hours at a temperature of +8 from the time of production. It makes no sense to preserve the dish longer, since the snack will lose its taste and value for the consumer. The situation is completely different with homemade jelly.

Every housewife, trying to prepare not only a healthy, but also a tasty dish, adds vegetables, herbs and other ingredients to the jellied meat. In this case, the SES does not recommend storing the dish for longer than 36 hours from the date of production. And although many housewives note that a home-made dish can easily be stored in the refrigerator for a week, it is still not worth risking the health of your household.

Jellied meat in the refrigerator

Is it possible to freeze a meat dish and how to do it correctly

When preparing jelly at home, it is very difficult to predict the amount of the finished dish. If after the festival the refrigerator is full of bowls, then a reasonable question arises - is it possible to freeze jellied meat in the freezer to prolong its freshness?

Yes, this option is acceptable, but you can save meat jelly until the first defrosting and only on the condition that the temperature inside the freezer does not fluctuate greatly.

Helpful Tips:

• To ensure that the quality of the product does not suffer, freezing must be quick.
• It is advisable not to add chopped garlic and onions to the broth if freezing is intended.
• It is best to freeze the jelly in small portions in plastic containers.
• If necessary, remove the container and defrost the contents at room temperature.
• To return the jelly to its original state, boil the broth and let it harden again in the refrigerator.
• Repeated freezing is unacceptable, and the jelly itself must be eaten as soon as possible.

Now you know whether jellied meat can be stored in the freezer, but let’s reveal another little secret - defrosted broth with pieces of meat can form the basis of a delicious goulash or rich borscht.

Tip of the day

If during the cooking process you find that you have prepared much more broth with meat, it is better not to season it and do not wait for it to harden, but immediately send it to the freezer. When you want to turn the broth into jellied meat, defrost it, boil it with swollen gelatin and add spices.

Is it possible to freeze jellied meat in the freezer?

There are situations when a lot of jellied meat is prepared and it is not possible to eat it within the expiration date. Then it is better to freeze the jellied meat.

To do this, close the container with the jelly with a lid and, to prevent the absorption of foreign odors from the freezer, wrap it in several layers of cling film.

However, it should be taken into account that after defrosting, such jellied meat will slightly lose its taste and slightly change its consistency. To avoid this, further freezing of jellied meat should be taken care of at the stage of preparing the dish.

If you know that you will be freezing some of the jellied meat, then prepare special containers for freezing. Place the meat in them and fill them with broth.

Important: No need to add spices or garlic!!!

Close the containers tightly with a lid and wrap in cling film. In this form, place the preparation for jellied meat in the freezer for storage.

After the celebration

Often after a feast there is a supply of jellied meat left on the table and in the refrigerator. To extend the shelf life of homemade snacks, it is recommended to transfer them to ceramic or glass dishes with a tight-fitting lid. It is important that foreign aromas do not penetrate inside. You should not place jelly near salads, fish and garlic dishes. The peculiarity of jellied meat is that it quickly absorbs any odors that can worsen the taste of the jelly.

Small portions of jellied meat

Increased shelf life

There are some tricks to influence the shelf life of the finished product. First of all, you should choose your meat wisely. It should be as fresh as possible and under no circumstances be frozen. Otherwise, an unpleasant surprise may await you during the cooking process - a not-so-fresh smell. Of course, you can cook it from such meat, but this jellied meat should be eaten immediately after hardening.

In addition, you can increase the shelf life by several days by creating conditions of maximum purity:

• Handle meat with gloves; regular medical gloves will do.
• Sterilize the container in which the jellied meat will be stored. We heat metal containers in the oven, and heat glass and plastic containers in the microwave.
• Cover the bowls tightly before storing them in the refrigerator. The less contact with air there is, the longer the frozen jellied meat can be stored.
• Jellied meat cannot be re-frozen. To store it in the freezer, use very small containers.
• Every hour spent in a warm place reduces the ability to store jellied meat for a day. Serve it on the table immediately before meals. It is better to stock additional small portions in the refrigerator.