Smoked chicken

Few people will refuse a sandwich with smoked brisket. After being treated with smoke, meat products acquire an appetizing appearance, smell and, loved by many, the taste of smoked meats .

Along with lovers, there are also those who are categorically against these delicacies. Explaining my personal point of view not only with gastronomic preferences, but also with the peculiarities of storing smoked meats. It is worth learning more about these “features” and better understanding the issues of storing your favorite delicacy. This will help prevent eating spoiled food and losing its taste and aroma.

Storage of products depending on the method of heat treatment

The choice of smoking temperature is influenced by the fat content of raw meat. Sausages and poultry are most often subjected to hot smoking.

Gastronomically popular:

• Pork belly.
• Pork carbonate, etc.
• Broiler chicken leg.
• Broiler chicken carcass.
• Sausages (boiled-smoked sausages, rolls, etc.).

With this type of processing, products are immediately ready to eat , but due to the high humidity in the product itself, they have a short shelf life . The ideal option for storing at home is to wrap the cooled piece in parchment paper . If this is not available, dry cellophane will do, which must be replaced daily.

Fatty foods are processed using the cold method Long-term smoking with cool smoke destroys pathogens and removes maximum liquid. Animal meat products prepared by cold smoking can be stored freely for up to 3 months . Poultry delicacies are the worst to dehydrate and can be stored for no more than 3 weeks .

Results

The method of heat treatment significantly affects the shelf life of food. Cold smoked products last longer because they are more saturated with salt and smoke. They retain maximum freshness at a refrigerator compartment temperature of 0 to -3 0C. Hot smoked meat and fish contain more moisture, so they are more susceptible to pathogenic microflora. For longer storage, it is recommended to use the freezer. Smoked meats can be left in it for up to 1-3 months.

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Temperature and humidity during storage

Sunlight and high humidity shorten the shelf life of smoked products . These two factors have the worst effect on the safety of deli meats. The sun's rays contribute to an increase in temperature and the formation of condensation; high humidity creates favorable conditions for the development of pathogenic flora. In this case, the quality of the products may not match the expiration date indicated on the packaging.

In a home refrigerator, it is better to store perishable foods in the lower sections . This is the so-called “dry cold” zone. At the top of the refrigerator the air is warmer and therefore has higher humidity.

To maintain optimal humidity inside the refrigerator compartment, a number of conditions must be met:

1. Do not put hot food in the refrigerator.
2. Close the door tightly.
3. Make sure that ice does not form .

The optimal humidity in the refrigerator does not exceed 75% , this is enough to comply with storage conditions. The appearance of condensation on products and shelves indicates that the permissible norm has been exceeded.

Storing in the freezer will help extend the shelf life of your favorite delicacies. It is important to know and take into account a number of features. Freezing should take place as quickly as possible. Before loading the products, the chamber must operate for at least 2 hours , thus the required temperature regime will be established. All types of smoked meats are defrosted in stages, gradually increasing the temperature, but not higher than +12°C .

Recommendations for freezer storage:

How long can raw chicken be stored in the refrigerator?

The shelf life of any product, including chicken, depends on the temperature in the refrigerator. This is also affected by the freshness of the purchased meat and humidity. You should know that chicken meat will last longer if you remove the bones from it, since chicken disappears much faster with bones.

• If the temperature in your refrigerator is from +7 to +10 degrees, then the chicken can be stored in it for no more than a day.
• If the temperature in the chamber is from +4 to +7 degrees, then the chicken will retain its freshness for 1-2 days.
• If the temperature is 0-4 degrees, then the shelf life of the chicken will be 3 days.
• At a temperature of -2-0 degrees, chicken can be stored for up to 4 days.

Thus, if you do not know how long you can store defrosted chicken in the refrigerator, then it is recommended to pay attention to the data above. If you need to keep chicken fresh without freezing in the refrigerator for 2 days, then you should buy only the freshest poultry and set the temperature in the refrigerator to about zero degrees.

The optimal temperature is considered to be 0-4 degrees, while the relative humidity should be 80-95%. If you maintain this mode, the chicken fillet will cool properly and freeze gradually, and ice will not form on its surface.

You cannot store chicken without a refrigerator in a room whose temperature is higher than 15 degrees, as the product will quickly deteriorate.

Storage depending on packaging

Some types of smoked meats are subject to mandatory packaging . Thus, their shape, taste and appearance are preserved. Consumers most often encounter:

• Collagen shells (protein and artificial).
• Different types of cellophane and cellophane mesh.
• Vacuum packaging.

Vacuum packaging allows you to preserve delicacies for up to 3 months . Smoked poultry meat in this type of packaging has a shelf life of up to 6-10 days . After opening the package, the product must be consumed within several hours. Be sure to store in the refrigerator in compliance with the optimal temperature regime: from 0 to +5 - up to one and a half days .

Other types of packaging are designed to maintain shape and comply with sanitary and hygienic standards. They will not help significantly extend the shelf life.

How to prepare grape leaves for dolma for the winter

Grape leaves have long been popular in oriental cuisine, due to their specific pleasant taste and beneficial properties. It has been proven that the consumption of such an ingredient relieves pain from varicose veins, relieves swelling, stimulates blood circulation, and enriches the body with valuable vitamins and microelements.

It is important that during long-term storage the product retains the maximum amount of useful substances in its composition, therefore, of the existing methods, many housewives prefer freezing.

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For these purposes, it is better to choose young specimens of medium size with small veins. It is better to choose the 5th–7th leaf from the top of the vine.

The following foliage is considered unsuitable for cooking:

• from wild (maiden and ornamental) grapes;
• affected by sunburn, mold, fungi and pests;
• with a suspicious yellowish, whitish or cream color;
• old (dangerous due to components harmful to human health);
• growing on a vine near busy roads and industrial production.

Did you know? Dolma has become the source of international controversy: the Azerbaijan National Culinary Center has accused Armenia of “appropriating” the dish, and recently the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee recognized the traditions of its preparation in Azerbaijan as one of the elements of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Before freezing, it is advisable to prepare the necessary containers. Remember that thin polyethylene and cling film are subject to crumbling under prolonged conditions of low temperatures. In this regard, dense bags are preferred.

Preparing the leaves

To properly freeze grape leaves, you need:

• cut off the ponytails completely;
• thoroughly rinse the workpiece on both sides;
• dry.

Packaging

Dry leaves are stacked on top of each other in 10 pieces and rolled into a roll. In this form, it is packed into bags and sent to the freezer. It is important that there is as little air as possible inside the package. This will protect the product from foreign odors, allow it to cool faster and be better preserved.

Did you know? Dolma was a dish of the court cuisine of the Ottoman Empire.

For proper harvesting, you need to know when to collect and where best to get grape leaves. For dolma, it is preferable to use white grape varieties. Their plate does not have such a jagged edge as the red varieties, and therefore it is easier to wrap minced meat in it. The foliage is collected when the bush is flowering, in late spring or early summer.

Tender leaf blades five through seven are best, if you start counting from the top of the vine. The average size roughly corresponds to the size of the palm: this will be the most convenient way to wrap the filling.

Leaves are cut off before spraying grapes with chemicals. During the summer, you can also carry out pruning, making sure that after treating the plant with fungicides and insecticides, the period specified in the instructions for the drug passes.

Important! Do not eat products from bushes located along highways!

As with any preparation, the quality of the raw materials plays a crucial role, so it is important to understand which leaves can be used for cooking. They should be a uniform green color, without yellowing, spots or signs of pest damage.

There are several ways to prepare food for the winter, the simplest of which is freezing. But the pickled shell has an additional original flavor. Let's consider all possible ways of harvesting grape leaves.

Freezing

Prepared leaves for freezing must be completely dry. Then they do this:

• Place 10–15 leaves and roll them into a tight roll.
• The roll is wrapped in cling film.
• The rolls are placed in a plastic box, since the product will be fragile after freezing.

To prepare dolma, the pieces will need to be defrosted at room temperature or doused with boiling water.

Important! The number of leaves in one roll should correspond to the amount of dolma that is usually prepared at a time.

Bottled storage

This is an original way to keep leaves fresh for a long time. For it you need to prepare empty plastic bottles. The further procedure is as follows:

• Pour a teaspoon of salt and soda into each bottle, add a little water and shake thoroughly so that the mixture covers the entire inner surface. Then the bottle is rinsed with clean water and dried.
• Small stacks of leaves (3–5 pieces) are rolled into tubes and placed very tightly in the bottle, carefully tamping them down with a stick. The bottle must be completely filled. Sometimes a little salt is added at this stage.
• The bottle is pressed down to release all the air and securely closed with a lid.

This container is stored in a dark, cool place for up to 2 years. To prepare, you need to cut the bottle, remove the leaves and fill with cold water. Sometimes a yellowish coating may appear on the surface, which is not a sign of spoilage.

Did you know? In some regions, fig and quince leaves are used to prepare dolma.

Canning

For preservation, it is necessary to properly prepare glass jars and lids. Sterilization of dishes can be done in a pan of boiling water, in a double boiler or slow cooker, in a microwave or oven. Each jar should be treated with hot steam for 20–25 minutes. With this method, the cuttings do not need to be cut; it will be convenient to use them to pull the workpiece out of the jar. Proceed with the prepared leaves as follows:

• The leaves are rolled into a tube and placed tightly in jars, which are then filled with boiling water for 10 minutes. Afterwards, drain the water and fill the jar with boiling water again.
• Add 1 tbsp per liter of water. l. salt and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar.
• The water from the cans is drained and filled with a boiling solution.
• The jar is rolled up and gradually cooled.

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This product should be stored in a cool and dark place.

Pickling

Containers for pickling are processed in the same way as for canning. Then do this:

• Place 4-5 peppercorns, 1-2 buds of dried cloves, 1-2 bay leaves at the bottom of the jar.
• Rolled leaves are placed tightly on top of the spices and filled with the same solution as for preservation, with the addition of 2 tbsp. l. 9% vinegar.
• The jar is closed and stored in a cool place for up to three months, and dolma can be prepared from such a preparation in just a few days.

Pickling

Salting consists of placing the product in a solution of table salt. To pickle grape leaves, do this:

• The rolled rolls are placed tightly in a clean container and poured with boiling water. After 10 minutes, the water is drained.
• The saline solution is prepared based on the proportion: 20 g of salt per 1 liter of water. Add the required amount of salt to the drained water, bring the solution to a boil and pour it into the jar.
• Cover the container tightly, cool and store in the refrigerator.

Dry storage

For this method, brine filling is not used, but the container must be sterilized beforehand. The sequence of further preparation of the workpiece is as follows:

• Place 10–12 leaves at the bottom of the jar, press down and lightly sprinkle with salt.
• The next layer is compacted tightly and salted again.
• The filled jar is sterilized for 10–15 minutes in the oven or steamed, and then closed with a lid using a special key.

Grape leaves are an integral part of dolma. And although this oriental dish is in many ways reminiscent of cabbage rolls, traditional for Slavic cuisine, they cannot be replaced with white cabbage. In order to enjoy the spicy taste of the dish all year round, you should prepare the future “wrapper” for the rice and meat filling in advance for the winter. Is it possible to freeze it, and how to do it correctly, find out further from the article.

Grape leaves have long been popular in oriental cuisine, due to their specific pleasant taste and beneficial properties. It has been proven that the consumption of such an ingredient relieves pain from varicose veins, relieves swelling, stimulates blood circulation, and enriches the body with valuable vitamins and microelements.

For these purposes, it is better to choose young specimens of medium size with small veins. It is better to choose the 5th–7th leaf from the top of the vine. This wrapper is easy to work with, which is not the case with wrappers that are too small or too large. Leaves should be picked between late spring and mid-June, when they reach their peak growth. Healthy, well-developed specimens of regular shape without damage or signs of disease are preferred.

Oriental dishes have long been part of our lives. For example, dolma, beloved by many. It is very similar to our cabbage rolls. Only for its preparation they use grape leaves instead of cabbage leaves. Fans of this unusual dish for our area may be interested in how to store grape leaves for dolma so that it can be prepared even in winter.

Let's take a closer look at each of them.

The easiest way to store grape leaves for dolma is to sterilize them and roll them into jars.

• In order for them to retain their qualities for a long time, they are collected in 10-15 pieces and rolled into a tight roll.
• Then, the leaves folded in this way are placed in a glass jar and sterilized for 20 - 25 minutes, having previously closed the lid tightly.
• After the jars have cooled, they are rolled up and placed in a dark and dry place.

• The optimal period for collecting grape leaves is the time when the vine begins to flower.
• It is recommended to use leaves of white grape varieties for preservation, since they differ favorably from others in their sweet and sour taste, which will positively affect the taste properties of dolma, giving the dish a wonderful piquancy. If you decide to use red grape leaves for harvesting for the winter, remember that their disadvantage is their uneven surface and hardness.
• Only young leaves are suitable for dolma, and it is important to cut them from the vine, which is located as far as possible from the roadway.
• Never use damaged or torn grape leaves for preservation. Take only smooth, whole leaves, preferably the same size.

• Cooking time: approximately 35-50 minutes.
• Number of blanks: 3 blanks of 20 leaves.

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When should a smoked product not be eaten?

Smoked meat delicacies, as a rule, are not bought in small pieces, but after just a couple of days of lying on a shelf in the refrigerator, they lose their appetizing smell and taste.

In order to understand whether a delicacy is suitable for consumption, it is not necessary to try . Spoiled and unfit for food products emit an unpleasant sour smell and are sticky to the touch. If in doubt, the piece must be heated well, for example in the microwave. High heat treatment will enhance the unpleasant properties of the spoiled product and will allow you to accurately determine its quality.

Products prepared using the cold smoking method become covered with a white coating .

When storing, be sure to observe the product proximity and pay attention to this when purchasing in a store or market. Smoked meat will quickly become saturated with the aroma of strong-smelling products, thereby losing its unique aroma.

There is no way to restore a spoiled delicacy and make it suitable for consumption. There are “experts” who claim that in this case it is enough to soak the piece in a strong saline solution. This is a dangerous method that does not guarantee health safety; moreover, a strong salt solution will deprive the smoked meat of its true taste and smell. Therefore, it is better to immediately dispose of a questionable product in the trash, and for the future understand that smoked meats do not last long.

Benefit and harm.

Chicken meat contains a lot of protein, vitamins A and E, minerals and amino acids necessary for the human body. Consumption of the product has a positive effect on brain activity, improves vision and relieves insomnia. People suffering from diabetes are recommended to include chicken meat in their diet.

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Chicken skin contains a large amount of fat, which is converted into cholesterol, so when cutting the carcass, it is recommended to cut off the skin. If the product is not fresh, as evidenced by mucus and a characteristic unpleasant odor, it is better not to risk it. Otherwise, there is a risk of developing salmonellosis - an intestinal infection.