How Long Can You Refrigerate Pozole? (Let’s Find Out)
Last updated on October 26th, 2022 at 05:19 pm
Broths are delicious cuisines you can enjoy anytime. But, after preparing that delicious Pozole, would you like to know how best to preserve it?
In this article, I will show you how best to preserve your Pozole and how long it can last.
Your Pozole can remain fresh and delicious for four to five days when you refrigerate it. To keep it preserved for this length of days, you must store the Pozole in an airtight container inside the refrigerator.
How Long Can You Keep Pozole in The Fridge?
Your Pozole can remain fresh in the refrigerator for up to five days. Of course, you can choose to bring it out on the fourth day, but five days works just fine.
The Pozole Verde recipe comprises materials that may be spoiled easily when not properly stored.
Aside from being spoilt, you stand a risk of losing much of the flavor in the Pozole.
The Pozole is a special broth mainly served during cold weather to keep you warm yet taste delicious.
In addition, the ingredients that make up the Pozole recipe are easily perishable and may not last too long if not stored properly.
As an iconic traditional broth, it must always remain fresh. Therefore, there are classically three types of Pozole.
This classification looks at their colors, the ingredients in their recipe, and the style of preparation. There is the Pozole Verde pollo, the Pozole blanc, and Pozole Rojo.
Though some ingredients are considered constant in the recipe, some would vary depending on the type of Pozole you want to make.
The process that leads to the preparation of the Pozole is rigorous and time-consuming.
You do not have that luxury all the time. Notwithstanding, the refrigerator allows you to invest so much energy into making Pozole that can last for four days and if you want, five days.
This storage system will save you time, energy, and some resources.
Is Pozole Good after Three Days?
After three days, your Pozole will still be in good condition. After three days of preparation, you can still enjoy your favorite Pozole, Verde pollo.
You must ensure that you refrigerate the Pozole properly immediately after it is cooled down.
You can still enjoy your pozole soup for up to five days after you have prepared it.
However, every time you are about to scoop from your sweet Pozole, it is essential that you look out for some changes.
Some of the changes you could notice are a sour smell, a change in the original coloration of the Pozole, and a sour taste.
These changes are indicative of spoilage. Hence, it would be best if you did not consume that Pozole.
Your Pozole should smell just like the ingredients you have in the recipe. The smell should be fresh and welcoming.
Any other odor aside from this is considered pungent and indicates that your Pozole is bad.
Another indication of a spoiled pozole is a color change. The pozole Verde Pollo is characteristically greenish in appearance.
Once you notice any other color on the surface or elsewhere, then your Pozole is now unfit for consumption. It would be best to toss it away.
Things to Consider to Keep Pozole in the Fridge.
There are things to note while keeping your Pozole in the refrigerator. These steps work well for all food types, whether pozole Verde Rojo or a chicken noodle soup.
These are essential considerations on how best to preserve your Pozole in a good fridge:
- Divide into small portions
- Use an airtight container
- Cool quickly
#1. Divide into Small Portions.
You may have made a large bowl of your favorite Pozole. Before refrigerating it, you must divide the Pozole into smaller portions.
When you divide the large quantity into smaller parts shortly before refrigerating it, it cools faster and lasts longer in the refrigerator. When in the Fridge, the cool currents permeate better.
A smaller quantity means that the surface area to volume ratio increases.
In this state, the Pozole cools faster and remains preserved for a more extended period. Read more to know the Minimum Hot Holding Temperature Requirement For Pizza.
When you separate the Pozole into smaller portions, it gets easier to deal with those portions than the whole Pozole.
You don’t have to pull out the large chunk constantly. Whenever you need some pozole, all you need to do is take a smaller portion.
#2. Use an Airtight Container.
An airtight container is the best for preserving foods- including your well-prepared Pozole.
An airtight container for refrigerators is a portable packaging system where you can store leftover or freshly prepared foods.
They are made of plastics or glass wares and fit snuggly into your refrigerator. Once you divide your Pozole into smaller portions, you can have them stored in airtight containers. ‘
The airtight containers ensure that air is shut off entirely from the food it stores.
The rate at which food spoils is faster in foods left to contact with air. Even in the refrigerator, they spoil faster once foods are left open.
The airtight container also preserves every other quality of your delicious Pozole. These qualities include the enticing colors and the sweet flavors that spice your Pozole Verde Pollo.
#3. Cool Quickly
Once in the refrigerator, allow the Pozole to cool down quickly. But, again, it would be best if you did so by reducing the refrigerator’s temperature to the bare minimum.
Once the Pozole cools quickly, the chances of getting spoiled reduce significantly.
The optimal temperature that must be maintained in the refrigerator for the Pozole to cool effectively is 41-degree Fahrenheit.
You can also choose to cool the Pozole with the two-step cooling method. The two-stage cooling method brings the temperature from 140 degrees to 70 degrees within two hours.
After the two-hour mark, the temperature drops to the optimal temperature of 41-degree Fahrenheit.
This cooling system ensures that every part of the refrigerated Pozole cools down evenly to prevent microbial growth.
Does Pozole Go Bad?
Yes, the Pozole can go bad. Your Pozole can go bad when you do not handle your Pozole properly after preparation.
A pozole can stay for four to five days in the refrigerator. When frozen, you can keep the Pozole in the Fridge for as long as three months.
However, When the Pozole gets bad, it has a sour smell and taste. The color also changes when it is allowed to stand for a long time.
The Pozole goes bad when left in the open for up to a day. This spoilage is because air moves microorganisms into the surrounding area when left in the open.
Other factors that cause the Pozole to go bad include using dirty and improper utensils to store the Pozole. For your Pozole not to go bad, you must store them in an airtight container.
The table below summarizes your Pozole’s different storage conditions and their viability in time.
| Storage Condition | Viability Period |
|---|---|
| Allowed to stay in the open | Two to three hours |
| Refrigerated at 41-degree Fahrenheit | Four to five days |
| Refrigerated still frozen | Three months |
Is it OK to Leave Pozole Out Overnight in the Fridge?
It is not good to leave your Pozole out overnight. When you wake up in the morning, it will have gone bad.
If you allow your Pozole to keep out for a long time, it spoils because of exposure to air.
As the Pozole continues to admit air, the microorganisms increase along with the air that goes in.
Once your Pozole stays in the open for up to three hours, it is considered spoiled.
Before morning, your Pozole must have gone bad. Within this time, the Pozole encounters a temperature that supports bacteria growth.
This temperature is known as the danger zone. The danger zone is a temperature range from 40- and 140-degree Fahrenheit.
When you leave your Pozole overnight, it usually stands within the danger zone temperature.
Conclusion
At the optimal temperature of 41-degree Fahrenheit, you can refrigerate a pozole for up to five days.
In this state, you can have your Pozole even after three days of its preparation.
To optimize the length of stay of the Pozole in the refrigerator, you must divide them into small portions so they can cool quickly.
Once you keep a pozole overnight, they go bad. If they spoil, you identify them by the Pozole’s change in smell and color.
