Cottage cheese is a very healthy and tasty fermented milk product, which is actively used in various diets, because it can be eaten even by infants and for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (gastrointestinal tract). It is also used as an independent dish, and very often cottage cheese is the main component in baked goods. This product is rich in nutrients, vitamins and is very nutritious.
All types of fermented milk products tend to spoil quickly, cottage cheese is no exception. The fermentation process, even after processing, does not stop, so the shelf life of such products is very short.
How long does cottage cheese last in the refrigerator? The shelf life of cottage cheese depends on many factors: whether it contains preservatives, how and where the product was stored before purchase, whether GOST standards were observed during production.
Is it possible to freeze cottage cheese in the freezer for storage? Definitely, in sub-zero conditions the fermented milk product will last longer.
The harm and benefits of cottage cheese
There is no debate about the usefulness of cottage cheese. It contains many vitamins and microelements that are beneficial to the body. The product is rich in protein, vitamins A, E, P, B2, B6 and B12, and folic acid. The big plus is that cottage cheese has lipotropic properties:
- helps normalize metabolism and cholesterol;
- improvement of teeth, hair, nails;
- strengthening bones;
- mobilizes fat from the liver and oxidizes it, which leads to a decrease in the severity of fatty infiltration of the liver.
Fermented milk products, most often low-fat, are often preferred when losing weight. After all, the calorie content of such cottage cheese is very low, and the protein content is high.
Like any food product, cottage cheese has its own contraindications, which include:
- presence of gastritis;
- lactose intolerance;
- kidney diseases.
The main danger of cottage cheese is overeating. This can lead to swelling, which can lead to kidney problems. This product can be consumed in small quantities, namely 200–250 g per day. There is a risk of constipation.
The digestibility of cottage cheese is also quite slow - 3 hours. The product should be eaten in the morning.
What is useful to consider
I want to share my experience and tell you what happened. This is not the first time I’ve tried this simple recipe, and all in order to sweep away false paths and check some options. Now I know for sure that:
- To ensure that the yield of cheese mass is not small, it is desirable that the fat content of kefir should not be less than 3.2%. This is important, since the quality of the final product, and in general, whether the cottage cheese will turn out, depends on this. The lower the fat content of the original product, the less curd you will get, if at all.
- You can use kefir both in bags and in tetrapacks, it makes no difference. It freezes well in any package, as well as without it. You can even pour the kefir into an iron bowl.
- The curd will be very tender, with a soft, creamy structure. This is important to consider if you plan to prepare any dishes from it. This type of cottage cheese makes excellent cottage cheese cookies, very tasty!
No additional steps are needed for this recipe. Cottage cheese from frozen kefir does not need to be kept under pressure or squeezed through cheesecloth. Since it takes no more than 12-18 hours to prepare the curd, the product is fresh and therefore suitable for both adults and children. The taste of the cheese is slightly salty, suitable for both desserts and first courses and appetizers.
Sources
- https://MayonesGuitars.ru/medicina-i-zdorove/zamorozhennyj-tvorog-teryaet-poleznye-svojstva.html
- https://DecorObot.ru/tehnika/mozhno-li-zamorozit-tvorog.html
- https://sovets.net/16929-mozhno-li-zamorazhivat-tvorog.html
- https://hobby-love.ru/mozno-li-zamorazivat-tvorog-v-morozilke-i-ne-poteraet-li-on-svoi-svojstva/
- https://vibor-a.ru/pitanie/zamorazhivayut-li-tvorog.html
- https://vcusnyatina.ru/konservirovanie/zamorozka/tvorog.html
- https://OptTorgSar.ru/tehnika/kak-razmorozit-tvorog.html
- https://KeepOK.ru/mozhno-li-zamorazhivat-tvorog
- https://kuhniug.ru/himiya-dlya-doma/kak-razmorozit-tvorog.html
- https://isfine.ru/hranenie/produkty-pitaniya/mozhno-li-zamorazhivat-tvorog-dlya-hraneniya/
- https://culinarya.ru/kak-bystro-razmorozit-tvorog
- https://luojatar.ru/eda/kak-razmorozit-tvorog.html
- https://StabMarket.ru/chistota-poryadok/kak-razmorozit-tvorog-iz-morozilki.html
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Store-bought cottage cheese
Pasteurized cottage cheese in vacuum packaging is best opened immediately before use. Do not rush to throw away the packaging after opening, because the expiration date is written there. If vacuum packaging is not available, you can use cling film for storage.
Note! Any fermented milk product that has expired is dangerous to consume. This can lead not only to digestive disorders, but also to serious poisoning. If the expiration date was just a couple of days ago, it can be used as an ingredient for casseroles or cheesecakes. During heat treatment, harmful substances are neutralized.
The shelf life of purchased cottage cheese in the refrigerator in vacuum packaging can last up to 1 month, but after opening - for 5 days at temperatures from 0 °C to +8 °C.
Proper defrosting
When you need the product, you need to remove it from the freezer and move it to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Defrosting should be gradual. If the product will be cooked in the future (baked, fried), then you can leave the container with the contents on the kitchen table. Defrosting takes from 6 to 10 hours, depending on the initial volume.
If after thawing a white liquid (whey) appears, it must be drained. To do this, transfer the defrosted curd to a colander or gauze folded in several layers and leave for a couple of hours, then squeeze by hand to remove all excess moisture. A high-quality product after defrosting has a snow-white color and a pleasant milky smell, indicating that the process was completed correctly and all the beneficial properties were preserved. After defrosting, cottage cheese can be consumed fresh as an independent dish, or with additives (raisins, honey, prunes, dried apricots, fruits), or added to food when cooking. It is suitable as a filling for cheesecakes, pies, flatbreads; it makes excellent cheesecakes and curd dough.
How long does frozen cottage cheese last?
If there is a lot of cottage cheese left, freezing is best to preserve its freshness and taste. Can cottage cheese be stored in the freezer and for how long? The product can be kept in the freezer even for up to 2 months, the exact period depends on the temperature:
- From 0 to -2 degrees, cottage cheese will last well for up to 6 days.
- Up to -18 °C - no more than 2 weeks.
- At temperatures from -18 to -24 - 21 days.
- The fermented milk product can be stored at -25–35° for 2 months.
Cottage cheese can be kept in the freezer for up to 6 months, provided the temperature is maintained at -18 degrees.
Is it possible to eat a product that has expired?
Cottage cheese is a living product, therefore, if the storage terms and rules are violated, the bacteria and enzymes included in the composition can cause serious poisoning. That is why it is not recommended to consume cottage cheese that has expired.
However, if the storage period has already ended, but this did not affect the other qualities, the product is allowed to be eaten, but only after heat treatment. For example, in the form of cheesecakes or casseroles.
Remember that cottage cheese poisoning can cause irreparable harm to your health. Therefore, in order to get the maximum amount of useful microelements and vitamins, be sure to follow the rules for storing curd products described in this article. Using these tips, you can prevent damage to such a valuable product.
How to properly store cottage cheese at home
The best solution for storing cottage cheese is the refrigerator. It should be taken into account that after 24 hours of storage, the product is not recommended to be consumed directly; it is better to subject it to heat treatment.
There are also situations when there is no refrigerator in the house (for example, it has fallen into disrepair). How long does cottage cheese last at room temperature? The maximum permissible period is up to 5 hours, if the product was lying next to heating devices - no more than 2 hours.
There are several unique ways that have been used since ancient times to increase this period:
- Wrap the curd in a clean white cloth, previously soaked in cold water. Place the “bundle” in a cooler place, with a temperature no higher than 15 degrees.
- Use foil or parchment paper. Then place in an enamel bowl and close the lid tightly. If you put a few pieces of sugar in the container, the shelf life will increase.
Unique qualities
Cottage cheese has outstanding nutritional properties, as it has a high content of calcium and protein.
It can be eaten in its pure form, because a small portion of the product can replace a full breakfast. This dietary product is perfectly absorbed by the body, having a beneficial effect on the digestive functions of the body. Thanks to this ability, cottage cheese occupies a significant place in the diet of older people, as well as expectant mothers. Little children love cottage cheese. For this category of the population, this lactic acid product has long become a nutritious treat. Children eat it with special pleasure when the milky-white mass is flavored with yogurt, sweet syrup and other tasty additives. But along with the benefits, curd products can become hazardous to health. If the product is stored incorrectly, pathogenic flora begins to actively grow on it.
Therefore, the issue of storage worries many fans of this valuable product. Consumers are especially interested in the possibility of freezing curd mass and the rules for this process.
Is it possible to freeze cottage cheese
You can prolong the freshness and taste of fermented milk products by freezing, but some storage rules should be taken into account.
Here are a few conditions for storing cottage cheese in the freezer for a long time:
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- Only fresh grain products can be frozen.
- Cottage cheese must be kept in a ceramic or glass container with a tightly closed lid. In a regular plastic bag, this delicate product may darken and acquire an unpleasant odor. There is an option to purchase a special package called a ziplock. In such packaging, the cottage cheese freezes and defrosts faster, but when it comes into contact with polyethylene, the product becomes wet and sticky.
- Do not fill the storage container to the brim with the product; after freezing, the volume of the whey will increase.
- To store cottage cheese in the freezer, you need blast freezing: first place the product in a place with a temperature of -30 degrees and only after 6 hours move it to a compartment where the temperature reaches -18 °C.
Note! Cottage cheese can only be frozen ONCE, so you should freeze the product in portions. Repeated freezing will change the taste and structure of the curd mass.
Which curd products are best not to freeze?
As a rule, any cottage cheese product can be frozen (even ready-made cottage cheese casserole). But you must remember that after defrosting, the product can lose its once attractive appearance so much that the thought immediately gets into your head that it is spoiled and unfit for consumption.
Curd cheese falls under this category. The already crushed structure will turn into porridge when defrosted due to the release of moisture. Now imagine that the cheese was covered in chocolate. Agree, you won’t want to eat this. The same applies to the curd mass. When defrosting, all the liquid seems to be absorbed back, and the consistency will be liquid. If you decide to experiment and the result is disappointing, then there is always the opportunity to use such masses in cottage cheese casserole.
