There are a lot of options for New Year’s dishes. Nevertheless, there are several products that are traditionally present on the festive table. Therefore, it is important for every housewife to know how to choose products for the New Year and what should be considered when buying them.
Bird
Duck, turkey, or goose can be purchased a couple of weeks before the New Year, so as not to stand in lines later. You need to buy them frozen and store them in the freezer until the holiday. Note that already thawed carcasses are most often sold in the markets. Make sure you buy frozen food. Also pay attention to the observance of hygiene rules in the store, so as not to buy a poor-quality or spoiled product. But if you are going to cook festive dishes from chicken, pork, or beef, then it is better to purchase them right on the eve of December 31st.
Red caviar
According to the technical specifications, caviar must be rolled up in jars no later than one month after salting. Salmon spawning occurs in July-August, so the right jar of freshly salted caviar closes no later than September. If there is a different date of production on the label – inside, at best, caviar made from frozen raw materials.
Look at the label. There should be three rows of signs on the metal lid: in the first row, the date of production (salting), in the second row, the assortment mark “caviar”, in the third row, the factory number, shift number, and fishing industry index “P”. The numbers must be pressed from the inside, otherwise, it is a fake. Shake the jar: the caviar should move, but not gurgle.
Green pea
When you buy this product for the New Year, ask for the production date. Young peas, which are best suited for canning, are harvested in late May-early June. If the jar is rolled up in autumn or winter, most likely, soaked dry peas are inside. The shelf life of peas is 2 years, but the fresher the product, the better.
Read the ingredients carefully – a good quality product contains only four ingredients: peas, water, salt, and sugar. Properly cooked peas do not need any preservatives. By the way, experienced housewives prefer to buy peas in a glass jar – this way you can evaluate the appearance of the peas and the degree of transparency of the brine.
Mayonnaise
The packaging should indicate who the manufacturer is, the date of production, and the expiration date. The shorter it is, the fewer preservatives in the composition. Mayonnaise with a minimum content of preservative additives is stored for no more than three months, and in warm conditions (up to +18 ° C) for about 1–1.5 months.
Read the ingredients: high-quality vegetable fats, put back on the shelf: modified trans fats are unhealthy. In the so-called light mayonnaise, part of the oil is replaced by water with thickeners, stabilizers, and emulsifiers.
Chocolate candies
When buying a box of chocolates, pay attention to the expiration date. Fruits in the chocolate glaze can be stored no more than 4 months, chocolate platter – 2 months, sweets with marmalade filling and jelly – no more than 1 month, and bird’s milk soufflé – only 14 days. The shelf life of chocolates for more than six months indicates a large number of preservatives.
Need a baby gift set? The ideal option is to assemble it yourself from loose sweets. In the store, be sure to ask the seller to show the boxes. On the packaging in which the original sweets are packed, the composition, expiration date, storage conditions, dates of manufacture, and packaging are indicated.
Meat and smoked cuts in vacuum packs
You can easily buy different types of meat and smoked sausages a couple of weeks before the holiday. The main thing is that they are stored in vacuum packages. The shelf life of such a product is three weeks, but you also need to take into account the time for which it was delivered to the store. Note that the packaging must be exactly the factory. The product, folded in a box covered with a film, will quickly deteriorate.
Vegetables for salads
In order not to run for vegetables for salads in the turmoil of December 31, buy them in advance. Beets, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic – all this is easy to store at home. But it is better to buy eggs closer to the New Year. In this case, be sure to check the date of packaging of the product.
Be sure to check the expiration date of the purchased products, so that later you do not get sick after the festive feast! And before going to the store, make a list so as not to forget anything and not to take too much.
