Shelf life of salads: norms, rules and temperature

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Now, almost all people who strive to maintain proper nutrition introduce various salads into their diet. Therefore, it is very important to know exactly what the shelf life of salads is, so that you can prepare them in reserve if necessary, and not constantly make a new small portion. The norms of SanPiN that apply at enterprises will not apply here, since according to them it is necessary to sell the product in just 1 hour.

But still it is worth remembering that salads are perishable products, and therefore, even if you follow all the storage rules, they will not last long in the refrigerator. This article will explain the conditions and terms of storage of salads at home, which must be observed in order to prevent poisoning by stale food.

Why use retention rules?

As you know, now you can cook a dish from a variety ofingredients that greatly affect the shelf life of salads, as well as their pre-processing. But it is worth remembering that even at home, this product should not be stored in the refrigerator for more than 1 day, and if the salad was previously seasoned with mayonnaise, then its shelf life will be less. However, if you do not follow the rules and terms of storage, then the salad will quickly become spoiled, and therefore not only will not be beneficial, but can also greatly affect he alth, up to poisoning.

In Russia, many housewives, trying to feed a large family, quite often begin to cut huge bowls of salads like "Olivier" or "Mimosa". This is especially evident during the New Year holidays, since it is believed that you can eat leftovers from the table for several more days. However, you should know that even in the refrigerator, the shelf life of salads with mayonnaise is quite short, because pathogenic microflora begins to develop in the components after a few hours, which spoils not only the taste of the dish, but also its quality.

Salad storage rules

To prevent the risk of indigestion or even poisoning, you should carefully adhere to the following storage rules:

1. If a salad was prepared from ingredients that were not subjected to heat treatment, but were seasoned with vegetable oil, then such a product must be stored on the top shelf packed in a glass jar with a lid. The shelf life of the salad in the refrigerator will be only a couple of hours,after which the products will lose their freshness and taste.
2. In the summer it is best not to leave pre-dressed salads in the refrigerator, and if you do, then no more than 12 hours. During this period, the temperature and environmental conditions are such that the activity of pathogenic bacteria is much higher than in winter. Therefore, even the slightest signs of spoilage can lead to indigestion in the elderly and children.
3. Store salads and ingredients preferably in a glass or plastic container. If these are not available, then stainless steel bowls can be used if necessary. However, you should completely abandon aluminum products, since this metal is able to react with products and cause spoilage.
4. It seems to many that if there is no room in the refrigerator, then the balcony in winter can be a great place to store salads. However, in practice, the shelf life of the salad may increase, but the taste and appearance of the products will completely deteriorate, because after defrosting they will give liquid.

How long should salads with sour cream dressing last?

If you decide to immediately fill the salad, then you need to prepare for the fact that it will not stay fresh for long. Usually, the choice of dressing does not greatly affect the average shelf life, however, there are some features that you need to pay attention to.

Sour cream dressing, as the name implies, uses sour cream as the main ingredient. However, this natural product spoils very quickly, so after 30 minutes after itwill stand at room temperature, the dressing will begin to turn sour. Moreover, the shelf life of the dressed salad will not change much if it is transferred to the refrigerator. That is why this dressing should be used at the very last moment, since it is better not to eat such a product 3 hours after adding it to the salad.

Mayonnaise dressing

Mayonnaise has a longer shelf life, but it is still quite small and does not exceed 6 hours. Of course, now such a shelf life is practically not observed anywhere, since a salad with mayonnaise can be stored for longer without any harm to the body, but the dish will lose its taste quite rapidly. Moreover, even nutritionists agree that it is best to use a store-bought product for salads, which, although not as high-quality as home-made mayonnaise, has a longer shelf life due to preservatives.

Vegetable oil dressing

Although vegetable oils are usually considered a preservative that can extend the shelf life of the product, they do not have this effect in salads. Reacting with food, oils only destroy them, and therefore it is generally not recommended to store such salads in seasoned form. They won't last more than a couple of hours at room temperature.

Shelf life of raw vegetable salads

If you like salads that consist of raw vegetables, then it is best not to make them for future use, because even if they are notdeteriorate, they will soon lose their taste. However, the duration of storage can be increased if you follow a few rules:

1. All ingredients that were used in the preparation must be dried and do not contain any signs of moisture.
2. Only vegetables should be kept in the refrigerator, and all other ingredients, like boiled eggs, should be added just before serving.
3. Ready vegetable salad should be covered with a paper towel, and then lightly press it. Further, the container is wrapped well with a film and covered with a lid.
4. The dressing for this salad should be kept separately in an airtight container.
5. After every 3 hours after cooking, an undressed salad should be checked and mixed, and a paper towel should be changed to absorb excess liquid.

If you follow these storage guidelines, an undressed vegetable salad can last up to 5-7 days without losing flavor or spoiling the ingredients.

Shelf life of fruit salads

Fruit salads, like vegetable salads, are best eaten right away. However, an unfilled blank for them, if necessary, can be made usable in a couple of days. To do this, you must first put each of the fruits that will act as an ingredient in a colander so that all excess juices drain.

Then all apples, pears or other components that often darken over time will need to be sprinkled with lemon juice, whichwill give a delicate aroma and an attractive appearance. In order for them to remain crisp and have a normal texture even after a few days, it is recommended to soak all fruits in ice water for several minutes before slicing. Well, in all other respects, the storage rules should be similar to vegetable salads.

Seaweed salad

Now seaweed salads are becoming more and more popular because they are very he althy and contain a lot of iodine. In relation to them, it should be understood that the usual shelf life of salads does not apply at all. You just need to carefully follow the recommendations on the terms and rules of storage, which are indicated on the package. However, once opened, the salad is best eaten a couple of days in advance.

But if you decide to cook this dish yourself from dried seaweed, then it must be stored for no more than 3 months at a temperature of 3-4 degrees.

Conclusion

It must be admitted that now ordinary vegetable salads are coming to the fore more and more, which have minimal dressing, since they are more he althy and low-calorie compared to mayonnaise. In addition, the preparation for such salads can stand for several days, and will not deteriorate in a matter of hours. But even in this case, it is very important to comply with all conditions and terms of storage. Because if you try a low-quality product that has been stored in the refrigerator for a long time, you can seriously harm yourself.

So do not cook large portions of salad at once, because it is still veryit will not be able to stay fresh for a long time, but it will deteriorate very quickly, in this case, instead of the New Year holidays, you will have to soak in the hospital with poisoning.