Homemade soup spoils very quickly due to the variety of ingredients in any type of dish. But being busy at work doesn’t allow me to cook soup every day. It's a huge disappointment for the whole family while waiting for dinner when the fresh soup suddenly starts to bubble and foam.
To prevent souring, it is important to observe storage conditions and choose the right dishes. Pay special attention to the freshness and compatibility of ingredients. How long the soup can be stored in the refrigerator directly depends on them. Let's look in detail at how to store various first courses.
What determines the shelf life of soup?
Without refrigeration, cooked food will spoil in a matter of hours. The more degrees the room thermometer shows, the faster the “stew” will be unfit for consumption. Therefore, all first courses at home should be kept in the refrigerator, having previously set the desired temperature.
Several other factors influence storage duration:
- Sterility . Pathogenic bacteria can be found on almost any surface. Preventing premature food spoilage is as simple as keeping your kitchen clean. This means that you need to wash food and hands, change sponges and rags at least once a week, scald dishes with boiling water, regularly wash kitchen towels, clean countertops and cabinets with detergents.
- Cooking technology. Any recipe indicates not only the step-by-step actions of the cook, but also the time allotted for each heat treatment process: frying and boiling the ingredients.
- Quality of components . Using fresh ingredients, you can extend the shelf life of the finished dish by 1-2 days. Stale and spoiled ingredients, even after frying and boiling, can lead to premature souring of food. In addition, you cannot reduce the amount of salt indicated in the recipe. This traditional ingredient is used not only as a flavor regulator. It plays the role of a natural preservative and extends the life of the prepared dish. However, you should not increase the dosage either - a high concentration of salt will spoil the taste and negatively affect the functioning of internal organs.
A matter of taste
Here opinions differ greatly. Of course, there are recommendations from technologists who describe in detail how to store first courses, what conditions need to be provided and over what period of time the product can be consumed. But the rules are one thing, and the taste preferences of each individual family are a completely different matter. Some housewives prefer to serve freshly cooked borscht, piping hot. In this case, the subtle, fresh aroma of vegetables is emphasized.
Others, on the contrary, put the freshly prepared dish aside. Some for a few hours, others even for a few days. Of course, for this purpose the pan is placed in the refrigerator or in the cellar. But that's not the point. The main thing is that the taste of the dish really changes almost beyond recognition. It develops sourness and thickness. But let's look at the sanitary standards that regulate how long borscht can be stored in the refrigerator.
Shelf life of different types of soups
To determine the final date for the sale of soups and broths, workers at catering establishments are guided by sanitary and hygienic rules and regulations (SanPiN), and not GOST. According to accepted requirements, liquid dishes can be kept warm for no longer than 1-3 hours from the moment the stove is turned off. Then they need to be placed in a refrigerator, where it does not exceed +8°C. After 12 hours, the stew should be boiled and poured into plates over the next 30-60 minutes, and the remains from the pan should be disposed of.
Mushroom soup
Soup made from champignons or dried wild mushrooms is nutritious, high in protein, and has a pleasant and rich aroma.
But this is one of those foods that cannot be kept even in the cold for more than 24 hours.
It is advisable to cook mushroom soup in an enamel, heat-resistant glass or ceramic container. Tin, galvanized, aluminum or cast iron are not suitable, as the oxidizing metal will spoil the taste of the product and shorten its shelf life.
Borsch
In the recipe for both Siberian, Moscow and Ukrainian borscht, in addition to pork, beef and beets, a dressing based on tomato paste or sauce, vinegar, various spices and seasonings are used. These additives act as preservatives, so borscht is a kind of leader in terms of storage time.
The dish can be kept in the refrigerator for quite a long time: from 3 to 5 days, without worrying about its safety.
Cabbage soup
Shchi is a traditional Russian dish, the taste of which develops more fully on the second day. Daily cabbage soup is considered the most appetizing. The recipe may contain not only cabbage (including sauerkraut) and potatoes, but also sorrel, mushrooms and even fish. Cabbage soup with the listed ingredients cannot be stored for longer than 2 days, but those prepared according to the classic recipe can be eaten within 3-4 days.
Chicken soup
Various cereals, pasta, vermicelli or dumplings are added to it.
Chicken soup can be kept at a temperature of +2-4°C for no longer than 48 hours. And if there are fresh herbs, chicken or quail eggs, it is advisable to eat it within 24 hours.
Pea soup
Pea soup is cooked in pork or beef broth, with sausage or smoked ribs.
Can stand in the cold for 48 hours.
But before you put the pan away for storage, you need to cool it as soon as possible: pea soup, unlike potato soup, pickle soup or noodle soup, quickly turns sour in the heat.
Fish soup
A dish made from canned fish, river or sea fish (trout, pink salmon) will be tasty if eaten within the first 3 hours after preparation.
Leftover fish soup will not spoil in the cold over the next 48 hours.
Solyanka
The solyanka recipe contains pickled gherkins, capers, spices and various smoked meats. Ingredients pre-treated with marinade can be stored for a long time.
Therefore, the hodgepodge will not deteriorate and will not lose its piquant taste within 72-96 hours from the moment it is ready.
Cheese soup
The basis is meat, mushrooms or vegetables, but cheese gives a refined delicate taste and pleasant aroma. It is better to cook it for once rather than cook it for future use, but if necessary, the leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator.
If Dutch or other hard cheese was used in the recipe, the contents of the pan will have to be disposed of after 48 hours. Cheese soup with processed cheese is stored a little less - 36 hours.
Cream soup
It has a homogeneous consistency and is easily absorbed by the body, so it is often cooked for children. A variety of ingredients can be used as filling: meat, poultry, vegetables (potatoes, pumpkin, broccoli), mushrooms, herbs (spinach), legumes (green peas, lentils, beans), milk, fish, offal. When serving, it can be supplemented with shrimp, dumplings, and meatballs.
It is advisable to eat the cream soup on the day of preparation. If it is in the refrigerator - after 24 hours, and if the recipe contains milk or cream - after 12 hours.
Vegetable soup
A dish with vegetables without adding meat, fish or smoked meats will not spoil within 24 hours from the moment of preparation.
If the stew is not eaten on the second day, the contents of the pan must be boiled before pouring into plates, and the remains must be thrown away.
Milk soup
The most perishable of all soups are milk and cream. Unlike borscht or cabbage soup, which need to be steeped, freshly brewed milk soup with pasta, homemade noodles, noodles or rice tastes better when heated. Therefore, it is recommended to cook it at once. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated for dinner or breakfast.
The maximum storage time for dishes made with milk or cream is 12 hours.
Freezing
Is it possible to freeze soup or borscht for storage? Many people are interested in this question, especially if the dish is prepared in large quantities.
Unfortunately, this type of storage is not suitable for first courses. Potatoes and cabbage after defrosting are an unappetizing mass, which not everyone will like. But freezing the broth is a very real idea. This will help save time for preparing borscht. You can also freeze the vegetable dressing separately, placing it in portions in small tight bags.
Shelf life of broths
Meat broth
Beef, pork, chicken, turkey, horse meat, rabbit will be edible for 7 days from the moment of preparation. However, it will have to be boiled every 2 days.
Fish broth
2 days is the maximum shelf life of the product. Unlike meat stock, fish stock cannot be boiled again, so any leftovers that are not used within 48 hours will have to be thrown away.
Vegetable broth
The shelf life is not inferior to meat. Can be used for such lean soups as pumpkin, bean, lentil, sorrel, and onion.
It is recommended to keep at +2-4°C for up to 5 days or freeze, after straining and removing all fragments of vegetables.
Signs of damage
The condition of the product can be determined by smell or visually. The following signs indicate damage:
- changing a light shade of liquid to a darker one;
- sour smell;
- cloudy film on the surface;
- change in consistency to more viscous and cloudy;
- foam, numerous or single bubbles floating on the surface.
As can be seen from all of the above, there are many subtleties in the preparation and proper storage of soups. Even taking them into account, sometimes you have to deal with the trouble of a spoiled dish. Signs of stale soup:
- sour smell;
- the presence of a cloudy film;
- foam or bubbles on the surface.
No matter how sorry it is, with such signs, even the most luxurious soup must be immediately discarded.
As can be seen from all of the above, there are many subtleties in the preparation and proper storage of soups.
Rules for storing soup
The following conditions must be met:
- Store food in containers that do not oxidize and do not release harmful substances into the liquid. This can be containers made of glass, earthenware, ceramics, food plastic, as well as utensils made of metal coated with a layer of enamel without chips, scratches or other damage.
- Place the pan in the refrigerator only after it has cooled to room temperature. To cool faster, in winter you can put it outside the window or on the balcony, and in summer you can put it in a bowl of cold water and add ice cubes.
- Place the container with the stew on a shelf with the lowest air temperature. In units with a top freezer this will be the first shelf on top, in models with a bottom freezer it will be the lowest.
- Remove ladle, spoons and ladles from the container, and keep the lid of the pan tightly closed.
- Use a clean, dry ladle each time for serving.
- Do not pour leftovers into smaller containers. If you still need to free up space on the shelf, when changing the pan, boil it again, cool it and only then put it in the refrigerator.
- Throughout the entire storage period, maintain in the refrigerator +2...+6°C.
The last point is especially important, since at low temperatures pathogenic microflora multiply less actively, and the food does not turn sour so quickly. For control, catering experts recommend gluing a thermometer inside the refrigerator compartment.
Is it possible to freeze soup?
It is not customary to freeze first courses. After defrosting, pieces of vegetables will turn into a soft substance that has an unattractive appearance and an unpleasant taste. Unlike ready-made fish soup or solyanka, the broth can be frozen and stored for 6 months. This method allows you to always have a ready-made base for the stew on hand. Meat, fish or vegetable broth should be kept in polymer containers or trays made of food-grade plastic and withstand freezing temperatures. The container should first be scalded with boiling water.
To ensure that the product does not spoil prematurely and retains its nutritional value, it is necessary:
- Before pouring, strain the cooked broth through gauze folded in 2-3 layers. Pieces of meat, vegetables, herbs, herbs and spices should not get into the preparation.
- Cool the hot soup base in a bowl of cold water.
- Skim off excess fat that floats to the surface.
- Pour the clear broth into trays, cover with airtight lids or cover with cling film.
- Place a sticker on each container indicating the bottling date.
- Place containers in the freezer.
- Maintain temperature -15…-18°C.
- Over the next 6 months, the frozen preparation should be used for its intended purpose: defrost and boil, and add fresh herbs and spices to add flavor.
In the freezer
Those who have tried to freeze ready-made soups have experimentally proven that after defrosting they will not be suitable for consumption. The ingredients acquire a loose consistency or become a shapeless mass. And the taste of the dish noticeably deteriorates.
Another thing is to freeze the prepared cooled broth and separately the chopped vegetables for soup. Then it will take a minimum of time to prepare the first dish.
The shelf life of meat broth in the freezer is 6 months at a temperature of -18°C -15°C. But first you will need to strain the broth to remove the thick part from it.
