Spanish Spice Paste

[Arey]

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method

--------  ------------  --------------------------------

          3/8    teaspoon  Coarse salt

          1/8    teaspoon  Ground black pepper

          1                     Garlic clove

          1/2    tablespoon  Smoked paprika

          1/2    teaspoon  Ground coriander

          1/2    tablespoon  oil

          1/2    tablespoon  cider vinegar

Above is a list of paste ingredients from an Everyday Food recipe for Chicken in Spanish Spice Paste. I make the paste by hand using a small morter and pestle and end  up with more than I need. (There is a limit to how much you can downsize a recipe without getting ridiculously tiny amounts)  How long can I keep the excess paste in the refrigerator before it goes bad?  I can't go by odor since I have a very poor sense of small. 

Edited November 10, 2015 by Arey (log)

[Deryn]

I can't say for sure but had you not added the (fresh) garlic I would bet that mixture would keep indefinitely. However, with the garlic and oil, despite those being small amounts, I am not sure I would keep it much more than a few days - maybe 4 or 5. Potential botulin toxins are probably the issue, even refrigerated (and you can't smell those anyway). I am sure others may have a more accurate estimate however.

[Lisa Shock]

With the vinegar botulism isn't such a concern. However, general decay and growth of other organisms would be of concern. The rule in ServSafe is that things get tossed after a week in the fridge. I originally learned a 3-5-7 day set of rules, under those, you would also be at 7 days. try making something else with the mix, like rice pilaf.

[Smithy]

...I originally learned a 3-5-7 day set of rules...

Lisa, can you elaborate on this, please?

[Lisa Shock]

I am probably not going to remember it all correctly, but, it went something like this:

 

Toss after 3 days: custards, cream fillings, whipped cream based desserts, cooked eggs, fresh juice, fresh fruit puree, prepped meat, ground meat

Toss after 5 days: cooked fruit compote, raw meat in larger cuts, raw fish (other stuff I am not remembering)

Toss after 7 days: everything else that is prepared onsite unless it's some sort of pickle or a brined or fermented product

[Arey]

Thanks Deryn and Lisa for your help.  I'll probably just keep on doing what I've been doing, which is making more than I need by following the recipe and throwing out the extra.

Lisa, when you say toss after 3 days includes cooked eggs, are you including hardboiled eggs in that category?  I tend to keep hardboiled eggs forever.  Growing up, after Easter, we'd be having multicolored egg salad or hard boiled  egg sandwiches for quite a while.

[cakewalk]

Couldn't you make a paste out of everything but omit the garlic, storing it for long periods? Then when you want to use it (or several hours before), mix the garlic into it. That might work.

[Lisa Shock]

Thanks Deryn and Lisa for your help.  I'll probably just keep on doing what I've been doing, which is making more than I need by following the recipe and throwing out the extra.

Lisa, when you say toss after 3 days includes cooked eggs, are you including hardboiled eggs in that category?  I tend to keep hardboiled eggs forever.  Growing up, after Easter, we'd be having multicolored egg salad or hard boiled  egg sandwiches for quite a while.

 

Not hardboiled eggs still in the shell. Not even unshelled, I'd keep egg salad for a week maybe it depends, I like putting in brunoise celery and carrots in my egg salad and if the celery seems to be giving off water, I toss the egg salad.

 

I meant things like leftover frittata or quiche. -Or if for some crazy reason you saved runny-yolk poached eggs.

Edited November 11, 2015 by Lisa Shock (log)