How to store smoked lard correctly: general recommendations and 5 ways

Pork lard is a universal product that, depending on the cooking method, can become a decoration for a holiday table or an everyday snack. Lard can be stored in several ways, depending on its quantity and method of preparation.

The tips collected in our article will help you organize product storage correctly.

Fresh lard is very tasty, aromatic and healthy, but this product is not suitable for long-term storage. To preserve the product, it must first be salted or smoked.

General rules

There are several general recommendations for storing smoked products. If you cook a lot of lard, it is recommended to freeze the lard or preserve it. For this purpose, glass jars with a capacity of 3 liters are used.

Another important question concerns where to store the workpieces. It is important to take into account the humidity level. If the product will not be kept in the refrigerator or freezer, but indoors, it is not recommended to choose places that are too humid. The presence of condensation will spoil the bacon, and it will not be possible to preserve the smoked delicacy.

The question often arises about whether lard can be stored in the freezer and how long lard can be stored in the freezer. Cold is the most suitable option. Therefore, it is recommended to keep fresh lard or smoked meat in the freezer, cellar, or refrigerator. But what material or container should I use for this? Suitable solutions include:

food parchment;
cook's paper coated with vegetable oil on the inside;
banks.

Smoked or boiled lard is often kept in large volumes in jars. You can also store the product in foil.

On a note! It is not recommended to choose cling film or polyethylene as a wrapper for lard at home.

Acceptable deadlines

If you have chosen a refrigerated warehouse as a storage location, you can be sure that within a year the fat will be safe to eat. Be sure to divide the product into medium-sized pieces and wrap each in cloth or paper (this will prevent the pieces from sticking together and make it easy to get the right amount) before putting it in the freezer.

Store salted bacon in the refrigerator for no more than a month, smoked bacon for 2 months. Salted bacon will last a year in the freezer, smoked bacon will last the same period, but it is better not to risk it and not store it for more than 8 months.

Storing hot smoked product

For the smoker, it is important not only to properly process the lard with smoke, but also to extend the shelf life of the lard in the refrigerator. But here it is necessary to take into account the method of preparing the product. Cold and hot processing versions imply different product conditions and storage options.

If salted lard is cooked at high temperatures within 80-100 degrees for 30-65 minutes, the lard turns out tasty. But how long can lard be stored in this form? Not for long. The permissible shelf life of salted lard in the refrigerator is 4-5 days.

How to increase shelf life? To do this, the bacon is wrapped in a thin, clean cotton cloth. But first, the material for salted lard is generously moistened in a strong salt solution. The top of the workpiece is tightly wrapped with parchment. How long can lard be stored in the refrigerator in this form? No more than 3 weeks.

Long shelf life of lard in the freezer is ensured by low temperatures. When frozen, smoked meat can remain in the chamber for 10 months to a year. But even here there are some peculiarities. How to preserve salted lard? You need to wrap each piece of bacon in 3 layers of foil and freeze it.

Transportation of smoked meats

If you need to transport smoked lard over long distances, you can use the following methods:

The easiest way is to wrap each piece in wrapping paper. In such a container, the product will breathe and remain fresh even in hot weather for up to 3 days.

Cooler bag. Ideal for transportation. Thanks to special batteries, the cool temperature in the bag will allow you to deliver the product absolutely fresh.

Sealed metal containers and dry ice. This design makes it possible to transport products over long distances.

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Storing cold smoked bacon

The peculiarity of processing lard without fire is its duration. Cold smoke processes the bacon at a temperature not exceeding 30 degrees. But there are special advantages to this. Proper storage of lard in the refrigerator ensures the freshness of the product for 3 years. It can be sent in a parcel or taken to another city.

But how to store lard after cold “smoky” processing? And where is the best place to store such a product? The recommended solution is in the refrigerator or freezer. How to store lard in the refrigerator correctly? Here you need to take into account some simple rules. Pieces of bacon must be wrapped in thick paper. Then the shelf life of salted lard in the refrigerator will be at least a year.

But the device itself will need to be prepared. Before use, the shelves and walls of the unit should be washed. For this, a soda solution is used. If the device is old or dilapidated, it is recommended to whitewash it. This will avoid the occurrence of:

mold;
insects;
bacteria.

The storage should be ventilated and dried so that no moisture is guaranteed to remain.

But how to store lard in the refrigerator? The main thing is to maintain optimal temperature conditions. It is no more than 3-4 degrees. The regime should be at the same level constantly, without sudden fluctuations and jumps.

Note! Proper storage of lard in the refrigerator next to products with a strong odor is not allowed.

How can you preserve lard without refrigeration in the summer? Most often, alternative options are used for this - a cellar or basement. But it is not recommended to store salted lard in such places if there is high humidity. In rooms where it is too damp, lard:

spoils quickly;
becomes moldy;
loses its pleasant smell;
acquires a slippery surface.

Experienced smokers are often interested in how to properly store smoked lard at home if it is prepared in large quantities. When you plan to sell smoked bacon, it is recommended to purchase a special refrigeration unit. Such a cabinet will ensure freshness of products, and the shelf life of lard in the freezer will not raise any questions. In such units you can independently adjust the temperature regime. It is adjustable within 1-10 degrees. You can safely store salted lard in such a cabinet for a long time while maintaining its high taste, aroma, and presentation.

How to store fresh lard

If you bought a small piece of fresh lard with good characteristics, then you often don’t want to salt the product at all. It is worth remembering that in this form, storage at room temperature is completely excluded, and in the refrigerator the period is limited to 3 days.

In order to preserve the taste and not spoil the goods that are purchased in large quantities, it is worth deciding on the optimal storage conditions:

A suitable option would be a freezer, where the cut can be stored for a long time. The piece can be cut into smaller pieces for convenience.
The product can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days. It is advisable not to cut the piece.
You can lightly salt the cut and put it in the refrigerator, this will keep it for 1 week.

Other options and methods are less effective, since they do not imply long-term savings and preservation of product quality.

Storage in banks

Sometimes the question arises of how to preserve lard in a jar for a long time, and whether it can spoil. This option is suitable for smoked meats. Lard with “smoke” can be “canned” if there is a lot of it. What is the benefit of storing lard in jars? The method saves effort, resources, and time.

The finished smoked product is stored in a jar for a long time. The bacon is cut into pieces of a size that can easily be placed in a jar. The brine is made. To do this, combine 1 glass of table salt (topped) with 1 liter of water. An ordinary filtered version or mineral water, but without gas, is suitable.

On a note! Since in the summer without a refrigerator you sometimes have to sell a large amount of product, 1 liter of brine may not be enough. Then all ingredients are increased in the required proportions.

Boil the mixture over low heat. After the first bubbles appear, remove the workpiece from the heat. Send chunks of bacon into it. Leave for 15-17 minutes. Sterilize glass containers in advance. Compact the mixture into jars in layers.

You can put garlic between the rows. Then the salted lard without refrigeration will be more fragrant. But the cloves need to be cut into slices. Pour brine over the product while it remains hot. Roll up glass containers. How to store salty delicacies? Just put it in a cool, dark and dry place. How long does the product remain acceptable for consumption? More than a year. It can be opened at any time or sent in a parcel.

How to store rendered lard

As a result of heating the product, fat is obtained, which is placed in glass or enamel containers. To extend the savings period, caps are required.

If canning is being done, then the workpiece should be taken to the cellar or pantry, where the jar can stand for several years.

If you sprinkle the top layer with additional salt, then the uncorked fat will remain in the refrigerator for 6 months. Without additional ingredients and treatments, the period can be 3 months, since fat is a natural preservative.

It is not recommended to place fat in the freezer, as the product has a viscous consistency.

Hanging

Now it’s clear whether smoked lard can be stored in the freezer. This is a really great way. But in the event that the finished product does not exceed 10-12 kg. What to do if the bacon is more than 15 kg. It is possible to stock it in another way; you can also store salted lard without refrigeration.

Experienced smokers know how to hang lard after salting. Place the lard pieces on hooks in a cool, dark place. But there should be good air circulation in the room. Among such premises are:

underground;
attic;
cellar.

Before hanging, you need to carry out preparatory work. Lard is packaged in cloth or parchment paper. The material should not allow air to pass through. After this, you can hang the workpieces on hooks.

But if the shelf life of salted lard in the freezer is long, then when choosing this method you need to sell the product faster. How long does lard last on hooks without refrigeration? About six months.

If you decide to keep the smoked bacon suspended, it is recommended to evaluate the conditions in advance. If the room is damp, then such a cellar or attic is not suitable. High humidity leads to product spoilage. It's getting moldy. Gets slippery. Takes on an unpleasant aftertaste. Eating it is dangerous!

What to store in

Give up the usual idea of packing lard in plastic bags. Replace them (as well as cling film) with parchment paper, a container with a lid, or a glass jar.

Lard is stored in paper

Fabric fabric, foil will do. These materials will prevent the product from suffocating, as is the case with bags. Professionals recommend choosing glass containers, but plastic is also acceptable.

What to do if there is a lot of fat?

Large volumes can be cut and layered on top of each other in a spacious drawer:

The bottom of the barrel is covered with dark paper or parchment and covered with salt.
The lard is placed skin side down.
Several layers are placed in one container, each covered with salt.
The product is covered with paper on top, then with natural fabric and placed on the glacier.

Preservation is also suitable:

Sterilize jars and lids as usual.
For a liter of boiling water, take 1 tbsp. l. salt.
In each container, place 5 cloves, 2 allspice peas, several bay leaves and garlic to taste.
Wash the lard, dry it, put it in a jar and fill it with brine. In this form it is stored for more than a year.
After opening the jar, you can place the bacon in the freezer.

Tip: To avoid accidentally eating expired bacon, mark the date of preparation or purchase on the packaging.

Methods for preparing at home

They are generally divided into:

the dry method is easy and quick, but the resulting product should be stored for no more than a month in the refrigerator;
wet - soaking in salt brine;
hot - boiling followed by salting;
smoking - hot or cold, in which the lard is salted in advance.

Pickling

This method is one of the simplest and fastest. Salted lard is tasty, piquant, and looks good. It can be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than a month, and in the freezer for up to six months. Usually salting is used in a plastic bag.

Approximate recipe for 2 kg of lard:

salt - 150 g;
ground red pepper - 1 pinch;
garlic cloves - several pieces.

Salting technology:

Transverse cuts are made on bars cut about 4 cm thick.
Wipe them with salt and pepper powder.
Insert garlic slices into the cuts.
Wrap the sticks tightly in a plastic bag or several layers of plastic film and keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.

After this, the walls of the pieces are cleaned of salt and used for food.

Smoking

Lard is smoked using hot and cold methods. They differ in temperature parameters and processing time. Hot smoking can be done in a special or homemade smokehouse. A few hours or even a day before, the lard is cut into portions and rubbed with salt. Prepare the smokehouse, put chips of fruit trees in it and prepared pieces of lard on the grate. For complete smoking, half an hour to an hour is usually enough. Then the bacon reaches the desired state in the refrigerator within 24 hours. The finished product will be covered with a thin brown crust.

Cold smoked lard is considered a healthier product, since the percentage of fat in it is lower, and the aroma and taste are more pronounced. The smokehouse used is the same.

Differences in preparation - preliminary boiling of lard in a salty solution, lower smoking temperature, not higher than 20 ° C. Accordingly, the cooking time increases to 2-3 days. Smoked bacon is stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. In the freezer it will not lose its taste throughout the year.

Ghee

This lard is called lard.

For cooking, a product of lower quality is used than for salting and smoking:

Pieces measuring 1-3 cm, small trimmings are placed in a container with a thick bottom and walls.
Simmer over very low heat.
When the fat is rendered and the water evaporates, the lard cubes will become transparent.

The melted product is filtered through several layers of gauze and cooled. Store in a tightly closed jar in the refrigerator for at least a year.

Boiled

For cooking, you can use pieces with streaks of meat. This lard turns out to be especially tender and soft.

How to cook:

A kilogram of lard is cut into large pieces, poured with a liter of water and boiled for 3 minutes.
Add 4.5 tbsp to the water. l. salt, leave the lard in the solution for half a day.
Dry the salted pieces with a cloth and rub with a mixture of spices to taste.
Wrap the prepared slices in cling film and place in the refrigerator for a day.

Conservation

Since lard is of animal origin, its preservation requires a strong salt solution and heat treatment to disinfect possible parasites.

Cooking steps:

A kilogram of product is washed and dried, cut into small pieces.
They are mixed with 1.5 tbsp. l. coarse salt, 3 pcs. chopped bay leaf and 1 tsp. ground black pepper.
Place the mixture in sterilized small containers.
Place them in a pan filled with water so that the jars stand up to their shoulders and cover with boiled lids.
Keep on low heat in boiling water for 2.5-3 hours.
Take out, roll up, cool and store in a refrigerator or cold cellar.

In brine

Another recipe for making bacon that is evenly salted, tasty, and “tender.”

How to cook:

To make the brine, boil a liter of water with a glass of coarse salt.
Add bay leaves, spices, and garlic to the cooled solution to taste.
1.5 kg of lard is cut into long large pieces and immersed in brine.
Press down with a weight and keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Salted lard

We are gradually moving on to answering the question of how to store salted lard so that it remains tasty and tender for a long time.

The lard is placed in a glass jar, already well salted and seasoned with seasonings (garlic, pepper). It is better to lay the bars with the skin down, so the juice will not drain from the product and leave it. In addition, for greater reliability, lard placed in jars is sprinkled with salt. Do not add too much product. A tablespoon of salt will be enough to sprinkle on each 15 by 15 centimeter block. The bars are stacked one on top of the other. Several of them will fit into a jar, depending on the volume of the container. For a more aromatic and bright taste, dry salt can be mixed with dry seasoning. Of course, the product will absorb some excess salt. But this is not very critical. Before serving the appetizer, the salt must be cleaned off with a knife.

General recommendations

To keep it fresh and tasty, use the following tips.

lard can absorb foreign odors, which is why it is so important to wrap the pieces and isolate them from odorous products;
if the lard has already acquired a foreign aroma, then soak it in garlic water, but before putting the snack in the refrigerator, thoroughly dry each piece;
lard cannot be wrapped in film, the product must breathe;
if there is no parchment, natural materials, for example, cotton or linen, can completely replace it;
Protect the product from sunlight, otherwise it will deteriorate and turn yellow; moreover, a snack that has been left in the sun can be seriously poisoned.

Lard is a product of Russian and Ukrainian cuisine that perfectly satisfies hunger and saturates the body with vitamins. Knowing how to store smoked and salted lard, you don’t have to worry about it spoiling and losing its taste and aroma. The main thing is to remember the shelf life and follow all recommendations.

How to choose the right one

Factors you need to pay attention to in order to choose a product that is truly tasty and aromatic:

The best quality product is found in the back of the animal and on the sides. However, despite the fact that belly fat is considered to be of worse quality, many people prefer it because of its meat layers.
The color of a good fresh product is white, light pink or light yellow.
The surface of the skin should be smooth, even and thin. A thick skin is a sign that after cooking, the salted or smoked product will become tough.
The consistency of good lard is elastic and dense.
Lard obtained from a boar smells like urea, while lard from an old pig smells tough. The product from young female animals is preferable.

When purchasing at the market, it is important to make sure that the lard has been checked by sanitary services and has the appropriate stamp and documents permitting sale.

Save on the go without a refrigerator

It happens that you need to preserve a product without a refrigerator, and even on the road. And someone, bypassing the prohibitions of postal services, sends the delicacy to another city using forwarding. How to preserve the product in such cases?

Here are a few important and not complicated rules:

Never send or transport fresh unsalted lard on your own in hot weather. It will spoil as soon as the sun comes up. Fresh lard is a very capricious and delicate product.
Salted lard can survive such a journey only if it is not placed in a plastic packaging bag. You should also not wrap the product in cling film to avoid an unpleasant odor. Lard will “suffocate” in such airtight packaging. It is better to wrap each block in special food paper (parchment) in several layers.
It's good if you have a cooler bag. These bags can keep the cold at bay for some time. Provided that the product has been refrigerated, or even better, frozen earlier. You will have approximately five hours of safe transportation of the product if you use this bag.
Long-term transportation for salted and smoked lard must begin with careful and reliable freezing of the product. After the lard freezes, it must be wrapped in several layers of parchment paper. If such paper is not available, then ordinary newspapers will perfectly perform this function. The thicker the layers of wrapped newspaper, the longer the time during which the lard will not melt and spoil. Newspapers and parchment are excellent at keeping temperatures low. Hence the good preservation.
If you have a long trip ahead, then salted and smoked lard can be rolled into a steamed jar. This way the pieces will be well preserved and pathogenic microorganisms will not gain access to them. This method of preserving lard in transit does not affect the quality of the product's taste after uncorking.

Using these simple rules, you can preserve the taste of your favorite product for a long time.

Delicate boiled lard

A fragrant and tender product is boiled lard in brine with spices. Many people adore its taste and are ready to enjoy it again and again. How to preserve lard after cooking it?

Typically, such a snack is prepared in small quantities in order to keep the finished product in the refrigerator for some time. And the delicacy is eaten quickly, which helps you not to worry about its long-term storage.

In fact, boiled lard can retain its taste, without harm to health, for several months. It is enough just to send it for storage correctly.

Pieces of boiled lard must first be wrapped in paper (parchment). Then place it in the main compartment of the refrigerator. That's the whole trick.