How long do different varieties last?
Many who bought any of the varieties of this drink wondered: does coffee have an expiration date? It depends on the form in which the product is sold, on the material used to make the package and the conditions of its storage. A closed vacuum pack of any kind stores much longer than a jar or paper bag.
The most common type is ground. To preserve the taste of the drink longer, you need to buy it in grains, because... The longer it is stored, the longer its aroma lasts.
Soluble is stored thanks to additives that ensure long-term storage without caking and loss of taste.
According to GOST
State regulation of product quality is carried out using documents:
- GOST R 52088-2003 “Natural roasted coffee. General technical conditions" lists and describes varieties, requirements for appearance, organoleptic properties, raw materials, labeling.
- GOST 32775-2014 “Roasted coffee. General technical conditions" contains classification, requirements for appearance, taste, smell.
- GOST ISO 24114-2013 “Instant coffee. Criteria for authenticity."
- GOST ISO 4149-2016 “Green coffee. Odor control, visual, determination of impurities and defects.”
Storage time in grains
Any food product whose quality has expired loses all its best properties. An expired one can no longer be consumed, especially if it has been in contact with air for a long time. To preserve the taste of the drink, you need to know how best to store it, as well as follow its preservation rules.
The shelf life of coffee beans is approximately 1 year. The date of manufacture and recommended storage time are written on the packaging. If the processing of grains was done taking into account established standards, then if the storage rules are followed, it can retain its taste for up to two years.
Packaging during production is also important - when purchasing, it is better to inspect the package for defects - it must be sealed. Defects in the container, leading to loss of sealing, reduce the shelf life of bean coffee and make its taste much worse, because It absorbs moisture and odors well. A violation of the quality of a drink can be recognized by its smell. As long as coffee beans are stored, their taste and smell are preserved.
The shelf life of coffee beans is also affected by the material used to make the container:
- Once opened, paper bags preserve the properties of the grains for up to two weeks.
- Foil bags will increase the shelf life of the drink to 3 months.
- A plastic sealed container or vacuum packaging can increase the shelf life to six months.
Taking into account the bag material and storage conditions, you can calculate how long coffee beans can be stored in a certain situation.
Marking
It is applied to the label and contains:
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- name: natural roasted, instant, coffee drink, insoluble;
- name, address of the manufacturer;
- trademark;
- the standard according to which it is produced;
- variety;
- weight;
- best before date.
The expiration date must fall within the average range for a particular package. Too large indicates additional processing of the product.
How long does ground coffee last?
The shelf life of ground coffee is much shorter than the previous one. If you grind it in a domestic environment, it will lose its quality after three months in an airtight jar, and if you store it in a box under a lid, then the shelf life of ground coffee in this case is two weeks.
To keep it ground for as long as possible, it can be kept in the refrigerator, which keeps it constantly cool and at the required level of moisture. Also, you should not grind it in advance; it is better to cook it immediately after grinding, since the shelf life of coffee beans is much longer than that of ground coffee. If you grind in advance, it is better in small quantities for a couple of servings of the drink.
In production, the beans are ground before packaging, this guarantees longer storage of essential oils. The shelf life of ground coffee depends on the material the packaging is made from:
- Ground from paper or plastic bags retains its quality for up to nine months.
- The shelf life of ground coffee in vacuum packaging increases the storage time to 18 months.
- Stored in glass jars with an airtight lid for up to 1 year.
The shelf life of ground coffee in a vacuum bag is the longest, but opening it accelerates the chemical activity inside and it is reduced to two weeks.
Practical recommendations
There are a great many types of coffee, and each of them has its own storage characteristics. However, there are several rules that apply to all varieties:
- Different varieties are stored in separate containers. Mixing them will not lead to anything good. The same applies to different types: fried, ground, etc.
- The temperature and humidity of the storage area should not be high. Sudden changes should be avoided.
- The drink is protected from direct sunlight, as this leads to a deterioration in its quality and a decrease in shelf life.
Using the recommendations given in the article, you can preserve your coffee and enjoy this invigorating drink for a long time.
How long can instant coffee be stored?
The shelf life of instant is longer compared to grain and ground. If we compare the shelf life of solid and instant, the second greatly benefits in this regard: it is produced using the latest technologies, flavors and anti-caking agents are added to it, which help to increase the shelf life of the drink.
Well-known coffee producing companies print on bags and cans its average shelf life of 3 years. After opening the container, the instant drink does not lose all its best qualities immediately, unlike ground drink, but gradually, after several months.
There are some recommendations, following which you can increase the shelf life of instant coffee and preserve its taste:
- At home, the powder can be kept in an opaque jar, tightly covered with a lid.
- It is necessary to place this container in a dry and cool place.
- Soluble should not be placed in the refrigerator, since loose powder perfectly absorbs excess odors and moisture, which is present in excess in the refrigerator.
- If you need to refresh or enhance the aroma of instant coffee, you can put one cinnamon stick in a container with powder.
If the brewed instant drink has an incomprehensible dark color and bitter taste, it means that it is spoiled and is highly not recommended to be consumed.
How to determine that the deadline has expired
Expiration markers will vary between types. Raw grains lose their brightness, the green color becomes heterogeneous. They become brittle or crumble. The aroma is completely absent.
Roasted products whose consumption period has expired can be recognized by:
- oily shine;
- lack of aroma or smell of rancid oil;
- dark color.
Ground very quickly loses its inherent notes of taste and aroma, so after two weeks they will be gone - this is an accurate signal to understand that the expiration date has expired.
Similar changes apply to freeze-dried food. In addition to the loss of smell, it can turn into a single conglomerate or, conversely, crumble. The custard will taste bitter and the color will be too dark.
How long does green coffee last?
The shelf life of green coffee beans, according to manufacturers, is one year. But properly processed grains have the longest shelf life of 5 years. This is how they compare favorably with fried ones - fried ones last much less.
On all packages of green coffee, the manufacturer writes the date and time of packaging; storage time must be measured from this date. It is much more difficult to determine the quality of green coffee bought in bulk - here you have to determine only by its appearance. Fresh green grains should have the following properties:
- The entire mass of grains should have a uniform color.
- Each has a matte shiny surface.
- The grains have a solid, clear structure without damage.
- There should be an even strip along the grain.
- Faint aroma, similar to the smell of cut grass.
Old grains can be identified by a musty smell, dried out jagged edges, and if you press on them they will crack. These are not worth buying.
Green cannot be kept in the refrigerator, because... this will cause them to deteriorate very quickly. It is better to store it in an airtight container, where it will not lose its taste for two years.
If green grains have been stored for a long time and have lost their taste and aroma, then they can be restored in the following ways:
- Fry until very dark, this will leave the grains with some residual aroma.
- Fry with cloves, cinnamon or anise - the grains will be saturated with the aroma of these spices and the drink will be suitable for consumption.
Is it possible to return the taste to expired food?
You can try to partially restore the taste of an expired product. This only applies to grains. If you fry them as intensely as possible with spices: cloves, pepper, anise, then the herbs will give it their aroma, and the high temperature will reveal the remaining flavor properties.
It is impossible to fully restore the taste. It is better to use grain for decorative purposes, and ground - for adding to flowers or as a dye or scrub.
IMPORTANT! Coffee loses its properties irrevocably. All restoration methods can give the grains or grinds the smell of spices, but will not allow you to get the full effect of the drink.
Bottom line
Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Those who don’t want to spend time preparing the drink buy instant – to get it ready, just place a spoonful of powder in a cup of boiling water. But its quality life is shorter than that of its grains. Those who want to enjoy real taste and aroma buy it in beans. It has to be crushed by hand, but the taste of green or fried is much higher. And considering how long this type of coffee can be stored, it is not surprising that it is the most popular.
What is the difference between Arabica and Robusta?
Arabica and Robusta coffee are completely different.
- Arabica has a delicate taste and exquisite aroma; soft, invigorating drinks are prepared from it, leaving a creamy, nutty or chocolate aftertaste.
- Robusta in its pure form is not so tasty. The coffee will be very strong and bitter, because it contains three times more caffeine.
Therefore, as a rule, Robusta is mixed with Arabica. Then the drink has a pleasant bitterness, and a high, creamy foam forms. This is the type of coffee that most people like. In addition, Arabica is more expensive than its mixture with Robusta. This is due to the fact that it is less productive. Its grains have a high density - they contain a larger volume of essential oils. Therefore, it takes longer to ripen.
If, when purchasing, you have the opportunity to look into an open pack of coffee or the beans are purchased by weight, then the quality can be determined by their appearance. Arabica beans have round, regular oval shapes and are 5-8 mm long (except for Yemeni beans - they are small). All Arabica beans in a package should be approximately the same size and shape. Otherwise, there is a chance that it is a blend with Robusta. Beans that have been stored correctly are velvety to the touch and have a strong, fresh aroma. They appear to be the same even color. Only in the melange mixture do they differ in color - this is a mixture specially composed of products of different degrees of roasting.
