Tricks for freezing jellied meat in the freezer

What is aspic

Jellied meat is pieces of meat in a gelled strong meat broth. Another name for this dish is jelly. The firm consistency of jellied meat is achieved without the help of gelatin and other substances that help thicken the broth. The broth is simply boiled for a long time - from 8 to 12 hours.

Jelly has become very widespread in Russia, Ukraine and Georgia.

Secrets of preparing delicious jellied meat

Jellied meat is prepared from various types of meat and poultry (pork, beef, chicken, goose, duck), and in order for the broth to gel well, pork legs, knuckles, ears and tails can also be used, you can also use poultry legs. Combining different types of meat in one dish will create a more interesting taste.

The most delicious jelly is obtained from meat that has not been frozen before, so you should purchase meat products on the day of preparation at the local market where fresh meat is sold.

The golden color of the meat broth will be given by the onion, boiled in the husk. After the cooking has come to an end, the vegetable is removed from the broth.

Jellied meat containing large pieces of meat, rather than minced through a meat grinder, will look most appetizing. The meat must be separated into fibers by hand.

To make the broth clear, you need to strain it through a fine sieve.

Watch the video from Svetlana Budnikova - How to cook delicious and transparent jellied meat

Shelf life of jellied meat

Jellied meat bought in a store should be stored according to the rules reflected on the label. The recommended storage temperature and expiration date are clearly indicated there.

As for homemade jelly, the timing is determined by where the product is stored:

• Jellied meat should be stored at room temperature for no more than a day;
• in a refrigerator compartment with a temperature of 0...+4°C - no more than a week.

Important rule: Jellied meat should be stored in a tightly closed container. This can be a glass container with a lid or a food container.

Is it possible to freeze jellied meat in the freezer?

There are situations when a lot of jellied meat is prepared and it is not possible to eat it within the expiration date. Then it is better to freeze the jellied meat.

To do this, close the container with the jelly with a lid and, to prevent the absorption of foreign odors from the freezer, wrap it in several layers of cling film.

However, it should be taken into account that after defrosting, such jellied meat will slightly lose its taste and slightly change its consistency.To avoid this, further freezing of jellied meat should be taken care of at the stage of preparing the dish.

If you know that you will be freezing some of the jellied meat, then prepare special containers for freezing. Place the meat in them and fill them with broth.

Important: No need to add spices or garlic!!!

Close the containers tightly with a lid and wrap in cling film. In this form, place the preparation for jellied meat in the freezer for storage.

How to defrost jellied meat correctly

When you want to make jellied meat, remove it from the freezer and melt it in the microwave. Pour the liquid broth with meat into a saucepan or stewpan and boil for 5 minutes, adding salt and spices. Add the garlic when the preparation is removed from the heat. It is necessary to boil the workpiece so that some of the liquid evaporates. If you simply defrost the jellied meat, it will have a liquid and uneven consistency.

Pour the liquid jelly into molds and cool in the refrigerator. The jellied meat will be as if you had just prepared it, dense and elastic.

Frozen shelf life

You can store frozen jellied meat in the freezer for no more than 2 months, provided that during this time there were no temperature changes inside the freezer.