Semolina porridge is known to everyone; many generations of children have grown up on it. Today, experts express doubts about its benefits: the cereal from which it is prepared contains a lot of vegetable proteins and starch, but very few vitamins and minerals. In addition, it contains phytin, which interferes with the absorption of calcium. Nevertheless, dishes made from it remain popular, especially in Russia.
Shelf life of semolina
It often happens that they buy a bag of cereal, spend some of it, and put the rest away as a reserve. And when they decide to cook something again, they discover that the product has become hopelessly spoiled - rancid or damp. Knowing how to properly store semolina to prevent bugs from infesting you, you can use the packaging for up to 4 months after opening. This is how long it does not change its properties at room temperature. But in special conditions - on the shelf of the refrigerator or after freezing, at a temperature of -5 - + 5°C, semolina does not spoil for 8-9 months.
Interesting! The shelf life of semolina according to GOST depends on the region where it was produced. In Transcaucasia, the Baltic states, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, the Volga region and Central Asia - up to 7 months. In the Moscow region, Leningrad region and Siberia - up to 10 months.
But if you buy low-quality cereal, it will spoil even in sealed packaging. Therefore, it is recommended to visually evaluate what you are purchasing.
It is desirable that the color be cream, or white with a hint of pearl or light yellowness, and that there be no odor. The consistency should be free-flowing, without lumps. Black dots are traces of debris or insect activity, the beginning of damage. If they are in semolina, it is better not to purchase them.
What do State Standards say?
Semolina is coarsely ground wheat cereal; durum wheat is used for its production. Despite the doubts of some experts, semolina remains one of the most popular. If it is prepared correctly, it is difficult to find a replacement for baby food. In order for the dish to turn out as desired, you should pay attention to the recipe and expiration date of semolina. They may develop allergies or intestinal upset. Gluten can also cause diseases such as celiac disease. It is hereditary and as a result of it, disruption of the digestive process begins. The patient's intestinal mucosa begins to thin out, and nutrients are no longer absorbed.
But you can safely eat hard cheese like Parmesan and cheddar for another month and a half. Moreover, if mold appears on the surface of the product, you can simply cut it off - such cheese will not cause any harm to the body.
Moreover, there may be bugs in expired cereals, but they are so small that you won’t notice right away and cook the porridge with them.
Long-term storage rules
In warehouses or during pre-sale preparation, so that semolina retains its quality during the specified shelf life, it is stored in a dry room:
- inaccessible to direct sunlight;
- with stable ventilation at a temperature of 5-25 °C;
- at relative humidity up to 75%.
It is difficult to create the same conditions at home - humidity and temperature change depending on the season. You can only find a place - dry and dark. In order for the shelf life to comply with GOST, it is first necessary to protect the cereal from insects. If the container is sealed and the cereal is dry, the bugs will not get in.
Attention! To increase the storage time, semolina is calcined in the oven for 7-10 minutes at 150 °C, cooled to room temperature, and then transferred to a clean container. Another way is to put it in the freezer for 24 hours, then dry it for a day and then pour it over.
If bags or bags were left at room temperature in the summer, then you should not count on long-term storage. When heated, the product quickly begins to deteriorate, and after 2-3 months it will have to be thrown away.
If bugs infested during storage of semolina
The most correct answer to the question of what to do with semolina if parasites are found in it is to throw away the cereal.
However, it happens that it is a pity to throw away a large volume. In this case, you can try the following methods:
- sift the cereal through a sieve, spread in an even layer on a flat dish and put in the freezer for a couple of days;
- heat the semolina in a frying pan with continuous stirring for 10 minutes;
- send the semolina to the oven at a temperature of 40 degrees for 3 hours, then turn up the heat (up to +60) and keep it like that for another 15 minutes (while the oven door remains slightly open).
Using any of the above methods for getting rid of beetle larvae, the cereal should be stirred periodically.
Where can I store it?
Cereals are afraid of high humidity. Therefore, additional conditions must be created in the closet where it is planned to be placed. To prevent the packaging from becoming damp, you can place bags of silica gel in the corners of the shelves, which are placed in boxes with shoes. Another option is to place garlic cloves or calendula flowers along the shelves in your closet. Insects do not like strong odors.
Attention! To prevent bugs from getting in, place a bay leaf or a piece of foil into the container.
Many housewives believe that it is better to allocate a shelf in the refrigerator for groceries than to throw away food. But according to GOST, in this case it is necessary to maintain the temperature to 5 °C, and in household units it often rises to 8-10 °C. In addition, there are no completely sealed containers, which is why the cereal absorbs foreign odors, which negatively affects its taste.
How to store raw semolina
Pour the semolina from the original packaging into a glass container with a lid and keep it in a dark, ventilated and dry place or in the refrigerator.
A tightly closed plastic container or ceramic container is also a suitable solution to the question of how to store semolina. You can put a bay leaf or a piece of foil inside to protect against bugs. But cereals also deteriorate from excess moisture - mold forms, lumps form, and the taste becomes bitter or sour. Periodically, shake the container with cereal and check that it is free-flowing and does not stick together.
Do you use expired food for cooking at home?
Yes, the main thing is to process it if it is meat or expired kefir for pancakes.
27.72%
No, it is very dangerous and not useful.
36.37%
If the products have fungus or mold, then we throw them away; if they are a couple of days past their expiration date, we use them for food, even without heat or other treatment.
35.91%
Voted: 1952
How to choose a container?
How long semolina is stored depends on the choice of container. If the lid fits tightly, it can remain in place for 6-9 months. If the product was packaged in paper packaging, there is no need to pour it in until it is opened. You will have to immediately transfer the semolina into a plastic bag.
The basic requirements for new containers are that all containers must be clean and dry. You should not choose “convenient” jars with sliding spouts or holes in the lid - they allow moisture to pass through.
Packages and bags
Experienced housewives advise storing semolina in cotton bags with drawstrings. To prevent bugs from infesting them, the fabric is first boiled in a high concentration saline solution. Then dry thoroughly - preferably in the sun. The fabric prevents the semolina from drying out, providing good ventilation. Salt suppresses the activity of mold fungi, from which cereals suffer the most.
If there is a small amount of cereal or it is used quickly, then it does not need to be poured. There will be no problems if you leave it in a paper bag.
What happens to semolina over time?
If stored incorrectly, food will spoil. Signs by which you can understand that it’s time to throw away semolina:
- There was a musty smell. Normally it shouldn't be there. Those who are particularly sensitive can detect the sweetish aroma of ground wheat, but no more.
- If lumps appear when shaking, the cereal has become damp.
- The taste has changed - bitterness has appeared. Rarely does anyone taste a raw product; an unpleasant shade is revealed in the finished dish. To prevent this from happening, it is advisable to chew a few grains before cooking or baking.
- Dark spots indicate that there are bugs. And wet lumps are used to colonize the container with food moths.
Over time, the composition of the cereal changes. But despite the fact that dry and clean expired semolina contains much less vitamins and minerals than fresh semolina, it can be eaten. But before you cook the porridge, you should carefully examine and smell it, evaluate its taste properties not only in its raw form, but also in its swollen form. Periodically - at least once a month - you need to pour a small amount of boiling water or milk. If no bitterness appears, you can continue storing it.
Beneficial properties and harm of products
December 7, 2011 kanalie
Cereals are an extremely necessary food product. Cereals are crushed or whole grains of mainly cereals and so-called cereal crops: oatmeal, buckwheat, semolina, barley, rice, millet, pearl barley, wheat groats. There are also several types of legume cereals: peas, lentils.
The presence of a wide selection of cereals on the market today allows a person to diversify their diet so that they can prepare and eat different cereal dishes every day without repeating themselves. Porridges and soups are prepared from cereals. Cereals are easily intertwined with fruits, vegetables, as well as dairy products and seasonings. Cereals are rich in beneficial elements and, if properly prepared, they will help the body overcome any ailment.
Why are cereal dishes so healthy? The thing is that food from cereals is a rich source of energy and nutrients! Porridge and other cereal dishes are especially necessary for our body in winter - the complex carbohydrates they contain can warm our body no worse than a fur coat!
The benefits of cereals originate from the growth of cereals and legumes. Each ripened grain, filled with solar energy, carries the most valuable assistance to the life support of the body. Whole grains are an inexhaustible source of fiber, ballast substances (i.e. substances that cleanse the intestines) and other elements.
Each cereal has its own beneficial properties, and almost each of them can be used in dietary and therapeutic nutrition. Many cereals help remove cholesterol from the body, strengthen the walls of blood vessels, improve the functioning of the heart, as well as the liver and gastrointestinal tract. Different cereals have slightly different beneficial properties; this must be taken into account when choosing cereals for your diet.
Varieties of cereals
Pearl barley (Barley).
Pearl barley is a whole grain of barley. The pearl barley grain is removed from its outer shell and polished so that it cooks faster. Unlike other cereals, pearl barley grows in a variety of climatic conditions. You can cook porridges, soups from pearl barley, and you can also add it to various salads and goulash.
Pearl barley not only adds flavor and texture to any dish, but also thickens it. Barley can be prepared as an independent dish (three parts water, one part cereal and cook for about an hour). It is advisable to soak pearl barley before cooking. Both water and yogurt are suitable for this. And malt barley extract is made from sprouted pearl barley grains.
Corn (Maize).
Corn is a common crop in Russia. People eat fresh corn as a vegetable. Dried corn kernels are most often used to make popcorn. Corn flour, polenta, is widely used for baking pancakes, muffins, and tortillas. Polenta is prepared from one part flour and three parts water, cook for 15-20 minutes with constant stirring to prevent lumps.
It is also used in the form of puree, but the taste is bland, so it is customary to add various cheeses or herbs and spices. Corn grits, thanks to the substances it contains, regulate cholesterol levels, preventing its deposition on the walls of blood vessels. Do not confuse corn flour with corn starch. Cornstarch is used for thickening. Corn does not contain gluten (gluten).
What to do with an expired product?
If the nutritional properties are preserved after the shelf life has expired, it is better not to cook porridge from semolina for children, but to use it for adding to baked goods - together with flour. But if rancidity has already appeared, it cannot even be used as a breading. Fungal spores in old semolina, once in the human body, cause intoxication, digestive disorders and other unpleasant symptoms.
If you hate to throw away the product, you can use it in the garden. Cereals will help get rid of ants. To do this, sprinkle semolina around the anthill and the path. Insects eat dry grains, and then they swell in the stomach and the pests die. To increase the effectiveness of the bait, mix:
- with sugar - 3:1;
- with jam - 12:1, and then laid out on a horizontal surface to dry and crushed into powder;
- with soda and powdered sugar - 1:1:4.
Those who do not have a summer house will have to dispose of the product, even if a large amount has spoiled. But there is no need to regret it - health is more valuable.
Interesting! Semolina is coarsely ground wheat. The letters on the packaging indicate quality. “M” means that soft grains were used for grinding - it is more suitable for baking. "T" indicates durum wheat. It contains fewer calories and is more suitable for cooking.
Can I eat expired cereal?
Starch is stored normally, unless it decomposes partially, but this is not critical, the molecules still remain large. Fiber and pectin substances too. But proteins can turn into toxic substances (various azo compounds) at high humidity. Fats can become carcinogenic (rancid) at elevated storage temperatures.
Well, the smell, appearance and taste are the most important determinants of whether it can be eaten or not.
the author of the question chose this answer as the best
Is it possible to eat expired cereal?
If for food, it is undesirable. Even with a normal, non-expired expiration date, “animals” of various sizes can develop in an open package of cereals. The whole point is that in the warehouse where this cereal was stored, an infection occurred and these living creatures in larvae were packed in bags for sale. Even in a store, you should try to carefully examine the packaging.
If the cereal is expired, but in a normal, uninfected condition, you can use it as a foot massager. My child designed such a massager: he poured multi-colored beans and buckwheat into a box and periodically massages his feet - he really likes it!
add to favorites link thank
My mother always said that if there are no lumps, small bugs or food moths in the cereal, if the cereal has a normal, natural smell, then it can be used in cooking, definitely. You can’t get poisoned from cereal, that’s for sure. Well, unless, of course, it is 1 year expired and more. If it’s expired from 1 to 3 months, it seems to me that it’s edible. Recently, I cooked semolina that was expired for 1 month and nothing happened, it turned out to be a normal porridge. Do you think in stores that the sellers don’t exceed the date?
Victoria 2803 [3.7K]
No, they don’t interrupt the date, at best they pour it into a packaging bag and go. like a weight. As you yourself have already noticed, about lumps, food moths, and bugs, if these are not there, then the cereal is suitable. You're not buying it blindly, are you? This is at the level of potatoes, if they have not sprouted. it means it is suitable. - 4 years ago
Expired grains may taste bitter after you cook them.
Some types of cereals are more bitter, and some not so much
For example, rice will not be very bitter, but buckwheat and millet are bitter.
Moreover, there may be bugs in expired cereals, but they are so small that you won’t notice right away and cook the porridge with them.
Look at the cereal carefully and if there are no visible changes (mold, small cobwebs or foreign powder), then it is possible that it has not spoiled at all.
Sometimes we store cereals for a long time or even buy ones that are already expired.
Which exit? Just throw it away or...
Shelf life of porridges and semolina dishes
Cereal dishes are best consumed immediately after preparation. However, it happens that the quantity was not calculated and there is food left over.
How long can semolina porridge and baked goods be stored?
- Desserts - souffles and casseroles. Eggs are used in cooking. Even such dishes will have to be removed from the dessert table after 4 hours - they begin to spoil. Jelly-like consistency is an ideal environment for the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. The shelf life is short and in the refrigerator - no more than 8 hours.
- It is better to give semolina porridge to small children immediately after preparation. Within 2 hours, children - especially under 3 years of age - can become poisoned. On the refrigerator shelf, the product does not lose its nutritional qualities during the day, and at room temperature – for 4-5 hours. If the porridge is cooked in water, then the storage time at 8-10 °C increases to 36 hours, if at 18-24 °C - up to 8 hours.
- You can store manna, the recipe of which includes eggs and sugar, in the refrigerator for 8 hours, at room temperature - no more than 5. The vegetarian version - 36 and 24 hours, respectively.
- Semolina halva. In a closed package or glass container with a lid, it remains fresh for 1.5 to 2 months.
- Pancakes and pancakes are often prepared in advance. Frying increases shelf life. At a temperature of 18-24 °C they do not spoil for about a day, at 8-10 °C - up to 3 days.
Attention! Pancakes or casseroles can be frozen. In this case, they are suitable for use for 4-5 months.
Semolina can be used for more than just food. Semolina is very popular among fishermen for catching crucian carp, roach and bream. It is not difficult to prepare, and the result of its use is very good. The shelf life of mash is short. If you prepare it a few days before fishing, then it is better to store it in the freezer without subjecting it to re-freezing, and keep it in an airtight container while fishing.
