Those who like to smoke lard themselves are faced with the problem of its preservation. Not everyone knows what is needed to properly store smoked lard at home. As a result of non-compliance with basic rules, the product deteriorates. It's a pity for the lost labor and expenses. You need to learn how to store smoked lard correctly.
Storing smoked lard
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Brine preparation technology
Pour salt with water. Boil the resulting solution with the addition of bay leaves, peas (pepper) and your favorite spices for lard.
Cool the brine. The lard, five to seven centimeters thick, is washed, dried and rubbed with garlic, placed in a container (skin side down). The container for this purpose can be a saucepan, an enamel basin or a simple three-liter jar.
Pour lard to the top with warm brine. When the brine has cooled completely, you need to place the container with lard in the cold. He needs to stay there for three days.
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!
Finally about the benefits
Many people consider lard to be a fatty, excessively high-calorie product that should not be eaten. This opinion is erroneous, because pork fat contains a number of nutrients, mineral components, vitamins, including vitamin F, D, tocopherol and retinol. The product is enriched with fatty acids. It is the component composition that is responsible for the enormous benefits of pork fat in any form.
Despite the large amount of fat contained in bacon, the product is extremely beneficial for the cardiovascular system. Experts note an improvement in brain function as a result of consuming lard.
In addition, with the help of lard you can normalize cholesterol levels and prevent the development of atherosclerosis. And if you season such a treat with fresh garlic, the beneficial properties will double.
Cooking with garlic
Garlic is a winning option in any dish, especially meat dishes. The aroma of one of the best seasonings attracts gourmets. The amount of garlic can be adjusted to your taste. However, it should be understood that its large volume will interrupt the taste of lard.
Preparation consists of the following steps:
- Prepare all products, wash and dry the jar. Boil water in a saucepan.
- Add salt to boiling water, stir and cook until it dissolves. You should not boil for a long time, otherwise the water will evaporate and the proportions will be disrupted.
- The water should be cooled. If you plan to salt a large amount of lard, it is better to boil the water overnight so that it cools down the next morning.
- Place pieces of lard into a jar and fill the contents with water. Cover with a lid and leave for a day.
- After a day, drain the water; this technique will allow the lard to cleanse. The brine will be clear.
- Boil the brine again, if this seems tedious to you, skip this step. Add garlic squeezed through a press and spices to taste into the jars.
- Covered jars are left in the room for two days, then put in the cold. In general, salt lard for 6-7 days.
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.
Smalets
If you need to preserve a piece longer, you can simply melt it. The melted product is eaten, fried, and even used for cosmetic purposes. Refined fat has a much better shelf life than fresh fat. The preparation process begins with washing and cutting the layer into pieces. Then the pieces are placed in a deep frying pan and placed over medium heat. The melted fat is collected with a soup spoon and poured into a container, preferably made of clay. You can strain the lard through cheesecloth. Lard can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three years.
