How and how much yeast can be stored at home
Yeast products are intended for making dough, beer, kvass. Often consumers do not know how to properly store yeast, what conditions to create to improve baking properties. Live yeast cells are temporarily inactive and their viability depends on water content and temperature. The closer these values are to the optimal values, the better the product is preserved.
Description and main varieties
Baker's yeast is produced in liquid, pressed and dry form. The latter can be active or at high speed. It is important that fungal cells from any of these foods can grow when the conditions are right.
Liquid
This is a semi-finished product, which is obtained by multiplying yeast in a sourdough culture. Liquid baker's yeast is prepared as a water-flour mixture. Various additives are used to accelerate cell proliferation.
Store the yeast product in liquid form, covered with a piece of gauze or fabric folded in several layers. Natural preservatives are added, such as 1-2 teaspoons of honey or brown sugar. Liquid yeast is stored in a cool place for no more than a month.
Press
Dense cubes or sticks of compressed yeast are a cheap and affordable product that is widely represented on store shelves. Weight - 50 or 100 g. The metabolism of fungal cells in the dense mass of the product slows down. In the heat and with the addition of liquid, the microorganisms resume their vital activity quite quickly.
What a yeast product looks like:
- cubes, sticks of cream or almost white color;
- the mass does not stick to the hands;
- the product has a "fruity" aroma;
- matte gloss.
Attention! A cube or a briquette of pressed yeast can be kept for no more than 24 hours at room temperature.
If the product is first treated with salt, the storage period without refrigeration increases to 3-4 days. It is best to place an open cube in the refrigerator, wrapped in foil. Then the yeast will stay fresh for 12-14 days. Polyethylene is not good because it prevents the fungus from breathing.
asset
After drying, the yeast comes in the form of rounded granules, grains. The color is usually light brown, beige. Such a product is more resistant to temperature extremes, it has fewer requirements for storage locations. In addition, the granules are mixed evenly with the flour, which facilitates the rapid preparation of the dough.
Active dry yeast differs from fast-acting yeast in the way it is dried. Before use, activation is required, which is achieved by dissolving in a hot liquid. Leave the mass for a while for the cells to start working. However, granular yeast is weaker than fresh yeast.
Moment
Other names for this product are instant, fast-acting, instant. They differ from active yeast in the method of application.Appearance - cylindrical granules, packaged in sachets of 7-11 g. Fast-acting yeast cells do not require prior dissolution in liquid. The dry product is immediately mixed with flour. This greatly simplifies the process of preparing the dough.
Mixes for quick cooking
They can be used for the quick preparation of pasta with a high oil and sugar content. Remember that these ingredients will reduce the "lift" of any yeast product. The mixtures are enriched with special enzymes, nutrients and vitamins, which accelerate the functioning of the fungus cells. There are additives that provide shape retention of the finished product and a number of other properties. Such multicomponent mixtures can be stored no more than 6 months.
Optimal storage conditions and periods
Yeast cells slow down their vital functions at temperatures below 10°C. If heated to 45°C, the fungus dies. When cooled below -7°C, the metabolism in the cells practically stops, although they remain alive.
Dry
Various manufacturers indicate a shelf life of 12 months on the packaging of the dry pellets. They find a place in the house where the temperature is kept between 10 and 22 ° C, there is no light. These are the optimal conditions for granular yeast.
Attention! If the bag is sealed, the product can be used within 13-18 months from the production date.
Dry instant granules can be stored for 2 years. After opening the package, fast-acting yeast is used for 2 days, active yeast - from 4 to 5 weeks. It is best to keep the opened sachet in a cool place.
The viability of microorganisms decreases over time. The "lifting force" of fungal cells decreases by 5% every month at a temperature of about 10-15°C and a lack of humidity. Next, add more yeast to the flour than the recipe provides. It is best to place the open package on the refrigerator door. Before storing in the freezer, open a large package and fill it with small sachets. To prepare the dough, take out only one portion.
fresh bakery
Pressed yeast can be stored at room temperature for 2 days, sprinkled with salt - 4 days. An open briquette retains its properties better in the refrigerator. The optimum temperature is 2 to 8°C. The product does not deteriorate for 10-12 days.
Advice! Compressed yeast can be dried to extend its shelf life.
The briquette is crushed and ground with flour. This mass is spread in a thin layer on a baking sheet, previously covered with parchment paper. Allow to dry at room temperature, stirring occasionally. The mixture is poured into a glass jar, covered with a cloth and secured with a rubber band. The part is stored in a dark and cool place.
Alcohol
Alcohol-based yeast is produced with low humidity (7%). The product is manufactured in a closed vacuum packaging to protect it from air infiltration. This yeast product can be stored for 2 years.
Freezer storage
At low temperatures, the cells of the fungus fall into a state of suspended animation, but they are able to resume their vital activity after thawing. Before freezing, the cube or bar is divided into parts which can be used to prepare a portion of the dough. Portions are individually wrapped in aluminum foil and placed in the freezer.Another way is to store in a plastic container with the lid tightly closed.
The yeast is left to thaw on the refrigerator rack the day before the dough is prepared. A quick alternative is low-power microwaves. When thawed, the mass becomes liquid, so it is thawed in a deep cup or saucer. Refreezing is not permitted after defrosting.
Signs of product deterioration
Yeast cells need a liquid medium, but they cannot hold water or prevent it from evaporating. If there is little moisture, the yeast loses up to 10% of its mass. The pressed cube dries out, cracks and darkens when stored for a period longer than that recommended by the manufacturer. Over time, a cube or block of light becomes covered with a white bloom, and then with gray mold. The smell becomes unpleasant, the taste becomes bitter. The moldy yeast is discarded.
Important! Stale yeast will lose its potency.
It is not necessary to send a product that has only dried on the surface to the trash. Pieces of dried yeast are trimmed, and the remaining mass is used as usual. If there is no certainty about cell activity, prepare a small amount of test for verification.
Additional tips
Frozen dry yeast is not permanent. The same processes take place as in raw briquette, but much more slowly. It is therefore best to store it in the refrigerator. The "older" the yeast product, the weaker the effect on the dough. After thawing the frozen yeast, its activity is checked.
If in doubt about the good quality, the germination is checked:
- Use only cubes that have not changed color and consistency.
- Cut off the dry, dark top layer.
- Then the yeast is diluted in warm milk (30°C).
- Add 1 tbsp to the resulting mass. I. flour and 1 tbsp. Granulated sugar.
- Live yeast begins to act in 10-15 minutes, gives foam on the surface of the liquid.
The yeast substrate absorbs moisture and various odors. They can affect the quality of baked goods. To prevent this from happening, pungent smelling foods are not preserved with yeast. The dried and granulated yeast cells remain active for 6 to 24 months. Compressed live yeast can be stored in the freezer by cutting it into small cubes. Yeast products will fully reveal their properties only with proper storage and use.