How to keep 'fresh' chorizo?
A relative of mine is in food retail, and recently she gave me some chorizo. With the basic advice 'hang it in the fridge'
I am not sure if it is edible as yet, and how long it will be edible for, are there any guidelines for this? Should it be eaten raw or cooked?
Also my fridge is not really suitable for hanging the food is there any advice for this?
edit
Thanks for the answers, I believe that it is cured chorizo, but it is still being cured, is there a guideline on how long it will be before it is safe to eat?
Best Answer
Without knowing the constituent ingredients of the sausage it is difficult to give exact advice. There are generally two types of chorizo fresh (or cooking chorizo) and cured chorizo.
Fresh or cooking chorizo is made with pork, red wine, smoked paprika and salt (along with some other spices depending on the particular recipe). The alcohol and salt combine as a mild preservative and therefore the sausage will last a little longer than a normal fresh sausage but only a few weeks realistically. As the name and the lack of a long curing process suggests it needs cooking before it can be eaten.
Cured chorizo is made using similar ingredients but uses more salt and sometimes some sodium nitrate and nitrite. The additional chemicals create a much stronger preservative drawing out the moisture and curing the meat so that it can be safely eaten raw when finished.
Cured chorizo develops a darker colour and loses around 30% of it's weight as it hangs whereas the fresh chorizo is likely to go bad if left to hang but this is only general advice and not definitive.
As for hanging locations, sausages normally hang best in cool environments, 15 degrees C max, with a humidity of 60-70%.
Hope this helps.
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Quick Answer about "How to keep 'fresh' chorizo?"
The best way to store your vacuum packed Chorizo is in a cool dry place like a cupboard or pantry. You do not need to keep the cured meat in the fridge as the packaging will keep the meats preserved and ensure that when you eat the meat, it is beautifully succulent and all the flavours are as they should be.How long can you keep raw chorizo in the fridge?
Keep chorizo in the refrigerator away from uncooked foods. Sliced chorizo should be used within a week of opening, while whole sausages can be kept for up to two weeks.Does chorizo go bad in the fridge?
Unopened chorizo sausage will maintain best quality for about 6 months in the refrigerator. How long does unopened chorizo sausage last in the freezer? Properly stored, unopened chorizo sausage will maintain best quality for about 10 months, but will remain safe beyond that time.How long can you keep uncooked chorizo?
In the fridge, both unopened and opened fully cured chorizo can last for 6 months. If you want to store them longer than that, the freezer can keep your sausages safe to eat for about 12 months.Can I freeze raw chorizo?
Fresh chorizo can be stored in the freezer and it doesn't matter if you have broken the seal or skin or if have cut it up prior to freezing. Freezing fresh chorizo is similar to freezing other meats. Seal your chorizo in a vacuum-sealed freezer-safe storage bag or airtight container.How to Keep a Mummy | Episodio 1 sub ITA
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Answer 2
From what your friend tells you, it will be a cured Chorizo.
When a cured Chorizo is soft, it could be hung to dry, or it could be used for cooking (or it could be eaten as it is), depending on your preferences.
Cured Chorizo can be kept hanging in a cool dark place for a long time. As the moist evaporates it will dry out. Once it starts to get tough, it will be a good time to start eating it.
The skin will develop a white fungus that's not harmful and the bacteria in the cured Chorizo are lactobacillus that are 'sold' as healthy in yogurt.
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