One of the most recognizable culinary products of Georgian cuisine is churchkhela. It creates a certain Caucasian flavor in any home, which is why people always bring such a treat with them from these places. This sweet consists of grape juice and nuts. If high-quality products were used to make it, the memory of the trip will last for several months, provided that certain rules are followed. Read about how to store churchkhela at home in this article.
Factors affecting shelf life
The storage of churchkhela will last longer if it was produced in an industrial environment. At the same time, sugar and various additives (preservatives) were used for production to increase shelf life. If the product is also in a vacuum, long-term storage is guaranteed.
The classic sweet, which was made according to an old Georgian recipe at home, has a shorter shelf life. Everything here will depend on the manufacturing technology of the product, the conditions of its storage and transportation. Homemade churchkhela is made by hand according to a traditional recipe, usually in the autumn. No sugar or starch is added to it, much less chemical preservatives.
It should be remembered that various additives shorten the shelf life of the product. For example, a peeled walnut can maintain quality for only 1 month. This means that the finished product will not be able to remain fresh longer.
Signs of product spoilage
If storage conditions have been violated, then the Caucasian delicacy can spoil, regardless of its own characteristics. If you eat stale churchkhela, you can get quite serious food poisoning. The main sign of spoilage of Georgian sweets is its softness and moisture. You should not eat the product when it falls apart on its own.
Churchkhela is a long-term storage product; it can be stored for a long time without spoiling. This is only possible when the Georgian delicacy is prepared according to a traditional recipe or, in the case of factory-made products, with the addition of preservatives and packaging in sealed bags. Subject to compliance with each of the production and storage standards, the product will not spoil for a long time, but it is advisable to eat it within one week from the date of purchase.
Video: Churchkhela at home - Hungry Man, Issue 79
Churchkhela at home – Hungry Man, Issue 79
Watch this video on YouTube
Video: Churchkhela - tasty and healthy.
Churchkhela is tasty and healthy.
Watch this video on YouTube
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How to choose
The best thing to do would be to purchase ready-made sweets immediately after making them and dry them yourself. But when this is not possible, you need to buy churchkhela when its crust has already dried out and the middle is still soft.
At the time of purchase, it is advisable to try to slowly bend the sweetness. If it has increased elasticity, then its taste will be corresponding - “rubbery”.
You should not buy a product that has sugar on the surface. This means that there were irregularities in the process of making churchkhela.
If the surface of the sweet is covered with cracks, it contains too much flour, which indicates non-compliance with the recipe when making the product.
Qualities of a properly made classic churchkhela:
- moderate hardness;
- surface without cracks;
- no signs of mold damage.
How to choose churchkhela
Only high-quality and fresh products made in accordance with the recipe are subject to longer storage.
To choose a good churchkhela, you should follow the rules:
- Evaluate the appearance of the sweetness. The surface of the treat should be smooth, glossy without drops of liquid, grains of sugar or cracks. The lack of shine and a large number of small cracks indicate a high flour content in the product. Stickiness and the presence of transparent grains on the surface indicate the presence of sugar. Droplets of moisture are a sign that the treat was made from low-quality products with violations of production technology. Also, there should be no traces of mold or mechanical damage on the surface of the product.
- Touch the product. High-quality churchkhela has a dense, dried crust, but inside the syrup is soft and plastic. A completely hard churchkhela was most likely produced a very long time ago or was not stored according to the rules. You should also bend the protruding thread of the product - if the thread behaves like rubber, you should refuse the purchase; if it is pliable and remains bent, the churchkhela is fresh and tasty.
- Find out the composition. When purchasing at the market, you should ask the seller about the ingredients of the product: a quality treat consists only of nuts, fruit syrup, flour and natural spices.
Smell the churchkhela before buying - a high-quality delicacy has a pleasant caramel-spicy aroma. If the product has a sour smell with hints of mold, the product is spoiled.
Storage rules
Churchkhela should be stored in conditions of low humidity, in a ventilated room. High humidity is quite dangerous, as this sweetness is very vulnerable to mold.
The storage temperature of churchkhela should not exceed +22°C. In this case, it is better to wrap it in paper or fabric so that they absorb excess moisture.
If the wrapped product is hung in a dry place where it is quite cool (cellar, basement, attic), it will last for 30 - 60 days until it begins to dry out.
This treat cannot be kept in plastic bags. There will be no air access to it, as a result of which it will “suffocate”. At the same time, condensation will begin to form inside the bag, which will cause mold to form.
Storing churchkhela wrapped in fabric or paper is possible on a dark cabinet shelf, which is located in a cool, dry place.
Storage at home
The greatest harm to churchkhela is caused by mold and because of this, it is necessary to keep the prepared traditional Georgian sweet dish in a dry, moderately ventilated (ventilated) room. The temperature range at which a sweet Caucasian dish will sit for a long time and not spoil is in the range of +6…+22 ̊С. Usually, if long-term storage is necessary, the product is wrapped in natural fabric or paper, which will absorb excess moisture and prevent its contact with the treat.
Attention! It is not recommended to keep the product in plastic bags, since in them the delicacy begins to “suffocate” due to insufficient air circulation, and the condensation that forms accelerates the molding process of the Georgian sweet.
The best place where the churchkhela will feel most comfortable is a closet shelf if it is not accessible to direct sunlight. You can also keep the Caucasian sweet dish in a suspended state - the product is hung on hooks in a darkened room with good ventilation (pantry, closet). However, in this option, it is necessary to ensure that the churchkhela is not attacked by insects and dust does not settle on it.
Product expiration date
Proper storage conditions for the finished product allow it to remain usable for quite a long time. But after 1 - 2 months the sweetness will be impossible to chew after the flour and grape juice have dried and form a hard crust. It is these two months, when the product is still quite fresh, that is its expiration date.
You can try to soften dried churchkhela by placing it in a closed container along with fresh bread. The sweetness will absorb the moisture that the baked goods evaporate and become a little softer.
- Storing homemade churchkhela is possible for 1 - 2 months, subject to the above rules.
How to choose fresh?
It is best to purchase ready-made churchkhela, as they say, “from hand” - immediately after production , and then do the drying yourself. If this is not possible, then it is better to purchase churchkhela with a dried crust, but still soft inside.
When buying a treat, you can try carefully bending the thread. If it bends like rubber, then it will taste accordingly.
You should also refuse to buy a product whose surface is coated with sugar . With the classic recipe, this means that the conditions were not met when cooking the syrup from the juice with flour.
Cracks on the surface of the delicacy are a consequence of the fact that there is an excess of flour , which means the recipe was not followed during preparation.
The purchased churchkhela must be:
- moderately hard;
- no cracks on the surface;
- no signs of mold damage.
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Correct transportation
This product should be transported in a cooler bag. If you place it in a paper bag or a closed ceramic container, it will not deteriorate within 40 - 60 days. Those. during the entire permissible storage period.
If you are planning a long move, then:
- the sweetness is pre-dried well,
- then wrapped in dry natural fabric,
- after which it is placed in a clay vessel.
In this form, nothing will happen to her for 30 days. Even without a cooler bag.
If the temperature inside the container does not exceed +20°С -+22°С, churchkhela can move in it over a long distance without loss of quality.
But it is strictly forbidden to transport this product in a plastic bag.
Basic storage rules
The shelf life of churchkhela largely depends on compliance with the traditional preparation recipe. If the product is made in the classic way at home, it is enough to wrap it in cloth and place it in a dry place. This way it can be stored for a long time; after a long time it will be able to retain its original taste.
In large-scale production, churchkhela is made in violation of the classic recipe; it contains sugar and surrogates.
This factor has a negative impact on the shelf life; it is better to eat a store-bought product within a week. If you bite into a dried treat, you can damage your teeth. The following home storage methods are distinguished:
- hang in a dry place (best suited for a natural product);
- in a soft bag on the refrigerator shelf;
- on a shelf at room temperature (if you plan to store it for a short time).
The more artificial additives a product contains, the faster it dries. In production, this is good for speeding up the process, but this makes it difficult to store the delicacy for a long time at home. Using a refrigerator will help extend the shelf life, but it is still better to eat churchkhela within a month. The product from the store dries quickly; even low temperatures do not prevent drying out in the long term.
How to determine freshness when purchasing?
- It is safest to buy traditional churchkhela immediately after making it and dry it yourself.
If this is not possible, then it is better to choose one with an already hard, dried crust, but still soft inside. To determine this, you need to bend it a little. If the churchkhela is elastic and bends tightly, then it is better not to buy such a product. - Another sign of a stale product: the outside is coated with sugar. This means that the cooking technique was not followed.
- Non-compliance with the recipe can be detected by the presence of cracks on the surface; this occurs when there is an excess of flour.
Fresh churchkhela with the correct cooking technology should be:
- moderately hard;
- no cracks;
- no traces of mold on the surface.
If the product you purchased was of poor quality, then you can return it to the seller, who is obliged to exchange it or return the money.
Conditions for proper transportation
Leaving warm countries, many tourists bring gifts to their loved ones, among which oriental sweets have a special place. You need to know how to choose and transport churchkhela correctly so that the freshness of the product does not suffer during the trip.
What to do:
- When preparing to leave, buy fresh treats that should be well dried. To be on the safe side, you can dry it a little more before going on the road.
- During transportation, wrap the nut sticks in a cotton cloth or towel. You can use paper or a clay container.
- On the train for dessert, choose a place with good ventilation without hot air. During a long trip, keep treats out of sunlight.
To transport nut and fruit sticks with your own hands, you can purchase a cooler bag or a clay container. Inside such a container, even during long-term transportation, nothing will happen to the nutritious product for 40-60 days. If you pack churchkhela according to the rules described above, it will definitely not spoil over the course of a month.
Advice: Do not send churchkhela by postal parcel. The sweet delicacy should not be kept in a sealed package for a long time. Without ventilation, due to dampness or severe overheating, the contents of the parcel will become moldy.
If you cannot do without the services of a postal company, choose a reliable carrier whose services you or your friends have already used. You need to be sure that the parcel will not get lost on the road, and that relatives will be able to enjoy edible churchkhela.
When transporting, provide the treat with fresh air.
How to properly store at home?
Real churchkhela retains its taste and properties even at room temperature.
It is recommended to keep oriental sweets on a cabinet shelf or in a ventilated pantry.
Dessert should be protected from moisture, dust and insects.
If the temperature at home exceeds +22 degrees, the churchkhela needs to be put in the refrigerator . However, it is worth considering that when refrigerated, the delicacy will dry out faster.
It is not customary this dessert in plastic bags: they can form condensation.
The product should be wrapped in a towel or clean paper . It is also possible to store treats in clay dishes.
Find out what shelf life sour cream has in this article.
What determines the shelf life
Churchkhela, made according to traditional recipes, is not a perishable food product.
The shelf life of churchkhela depends on the production technology: factory-made churchkhela, in the production of which preservatives and sugar were used, and it itself is vacuum-packed, can be stored for a very long time.
Classic churchkhela, made according to the traditions of Georgian cuisine, is stored for a shorter period, which depends on compliance with the manufacturing technology and conditions of transportation and storage.
How long can churchkhela be stored?
Some manufacturers use other types of nectars or sugar syrup instead of grape juice. To increase the shelf life of the finished product, preservatives are added, and vacuum packaging of sweets is provided with false information about the expiration date.
If a dessert is purchased at the market, the conditions for its production are unknown, and the product itself may be of poor quality. Therefore, it is better to eat churchkhela quickly and not store it for a long time.
For safe storage, it should be taken into account that a thick mass of flour and juice will quickly become moldy in a warm room with high humidity. Compliance with optimal conditions will help preserve the freshness of oriental delicacies:
- choose a well-ventilated room with dry air;
- provide a temperature regime corresponding to 15-22 degrees Celsius;
- keep the natural product in low humidity conditions.
Note: It is recommended to store high-quality churchkhela for no more than a month, since this is the shelf life of walnut kernels.
Too damp air will lead to mold. A sweet gift wrapped in paper or cloth will preserve its wonderful taste for several weeks. At room temperature, the Caucasian dessert lasts for a month.
It is safest to store nut and fruit sticks in the cool of a dry cellar or basement, where the wrapped churchkhela remains fresh for up to 2 months. A longer storage period leads to the fact that the delicacy begins to dry out.
