One of the most recognizable culinary products of Georgian cuisine is churchkhela. It creates a certain Caucasian flavor in any home, which is why people always bring such a treat with them from these places. This sweet consists of grape juice and nuts. If high-quality products were used to make it, the memory of the trip will last for several months, provided that certain rules are followed. Read about how to store churchkhela at home in this article.
Factors affecting shelf life
The storage of churchkhela will last longer if it was produced in an industrial environment. At the same time, sugar and various additives (preservatives) were used for production to increase shelf life. If the product is also in a vacuum, long-term storage is guaranteed.
The classic sweet, which was made according to an old Georgian recipe at home, has a shorter shelf life. Everything here will depend on the manufacturing technology of the product, the conditions of its storage and transportation. Homemade churchkhela is made by hand according to a traditional recipe, usually in the autumn. No sugar or starch is added to it, much less chemical preservatives.
It should be remembered that various additives shorten the shelf life of the product. For example, a peeled walnut can maintain quality for only 1 month. This means that the finished product will not be able to remain fresh longer.
What is churchkhela
The main ingredients from which sujuk is made are nuts strung on a string and thickened juices. Most often grape, but sometimes pomegranate. Calorie content depends on the type of nuts - they use hazel, hazelnuts, walnuts, and sometimes almonds or apricot kernels. On average, the energy value is 400 kcal per 100 g.
This delicacy is not only tasty, but also healthy. It contains a high amount of nutrients necessary for the stable functioning of the body:
- protein - up to 25%;
- potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium - 2 times more than in fresh grapes;
- sugars - glucose and fructose;
- organic acids - up to 1%;
- antioxidants.
How to choose
The best thing to do would be to purchase ready-made sweets immediately after making them and dry them yourself. But when this is not possible, you need to buy churchkhela when its crust has already dried out and the middle is still soft.
At the time of purchase, it is advisable to try to slowly bend the sweetness. If it has increased elasticity, then its taste will be corresponding - “rubbery”.
You should not buy a product that has sugar on the surface. This means that there were irregularities in the process of making churchkhela.
If the surface of the sweet is covered with cracks, it contains too much flour, which indicates non-compliance with the recipe when making the product.
Qualities of a properly made classic churchkhela:
- moderate hardness;
- surface without cracks;
- no signs of mold damage.
How can you tell if it has gone bad?
You should stop eating churchkhela if:
- the delicacy fell into pieces;
- the surface of the churchkhela is moist, and the outer crust has softened;
- traces of mold are visible on the surface.
The presence of these signs is evidence of improper storage or violation of technology in the manufacture of delicacies.
You will find recommendations for storing watermelons on our website.
Storage rules
Churchkhela should be stored in conditions of low humidity, in a ventilated room. High humidity is quite dangerous, as this sweetness is very vulnerable to mold.
The storage temperature of churchkhela should not exceed +22°C. In this case, it is better to wrap it in paper or fabric so that they absorb excess moisture.
If the wrapped product is hung in a dry place where it is quite cool (cellar, basement, attic), it will last for 30 - 60 days until it begins to dry out.
This treat cannot be kept in plastic bags. There will be no air access to it, as a result of which it will “suffocate”. At the same time, condensation will begin to form inside the bag, which will cause mold to form.
Storing churchkhela wrapped in fabric or paper is possible on a dark cabinet shelf, which is located in a cool, dry place.
Adam's root
Looking at the Sochi market or walking through the tourist places of Sochi and Adler, you can meet grandmothers selling brown roots, chopped into pieces. This is Adam's root. Many people pass by, not paying attention to the nondescript object. But in vain! After all, Adam's root is a natural medicine that can improve human health and cure many diseases. This is a living first aid kit “in one bottle”.
Here are just some of the properties of this unique plant:
- Reduces inflammatory processes;
- Slows down the aging process;
- Cleanses the blood;
- Has antiseptic capabilities;
- Reduces swelling;
- Restores damaged tissue;
- Increases the elasticity of vascular walls
- Relieves pain.
Adam's root can be found both in its natural form (chopped root) and as a ready-made tincture of the root.
Adam's root in its natural form
If every kilogram in your luggage is worth its weight in gold, then we recommend bringing Adam’s root in its natural form from Sochi. Buy the rhizomes of this plant, pack them in a bag and put them in your luggage. At home, you can make a tincture from the rhizome or simply dry it and put it in a cool place. Adam's root will not lose its medicinal properties for two years.
It is easy to make an alcohol tincture from the rhizome. Take 200 gr. Adam's root, pour 0.5 l. vodka and leave for 2 weeks, shaking regularly.
Adam's root tincture
Well, if you don’t want to bother with preparing the tincture, then buy a ready-made product. Adam's root tincture is also sold in small markets or private shops. Of course, you shouldn’t look for this folk remedy in big stores. This magical remedy cannot be found there. Alcohol tincture is used to treat rheumatism, osteochondrosis, radiculitis, and sore joints. For treatment, simply apply the tincture to the sore spot and cover with a warm compress.
Product expiration date
Proper storage conditions for the finished product allow it to remain usable for quite a long time. But after 1 - 2 months the sweetness will be impossible to chew after the flour and grape juice have dried and form a hard crust. It is these two months, when the product is still quite fresh, that is its expiration date.
You can try to soften dried churchkhela by placing it in a closed container along with fresh bread. The sweetness will absorb the moisture that the baked goods evaporate and become a little softer.
- Storing homemade churchkhela is possible for 1 - 2 months, subject to the above rules.
How to keep churchkhela fresh
» Churchkhela is a popular Georgian delicacy consisting of boiled fruit juice and nuts.
Usually tourists buy a lot of churchkhela at markets in Georgia and take it with them to enjoy the unusual sweetness at home. But often, when transported and stored at home, churchkhela becomes unsuitable for consumption.
To prevent the product from spoiling ahead of time, it must be stored correctly.
Only high-quality and fresh products made in accordance with the recipe are subject to longer storage. To choose a good churchkhela, you should follow the rules:
- Evaluate the appearance of the sweetness. The surface of the treat should be smooth, glossy without drops of liquid, grains of sugar or cracks. The lack of shine and a large number of small cracks indicate a high flour content in the product. Stickiness and the presence of transparent grains on the surface indicate the presence of sugar. Droplets of moisture are a sign that the treat was made from low-quality products with violations of production technology. Also, there should be no traces of mold or mechanical damage on the surface of the product.
- Touch the product. High-quality churchkhela has a dense, dried crust, but inside the syrup is soft and plastic. A completely hard churchkhela was most likely produced a very long time ago or was not stored according to the rules. You should also bend the protruding thread of the product - if the thread behaves like rubber, you should refuse the purchase; if it is pliable and remains bent, the churchkhela is fresh and tasty.
- Find out the composition. When purchasing at the market, you should ask the seller about the ingredients of the product: a quality treat consists only of nuts, fruit syrup, flour and natural spices.
Smell the churchkhela before buying - a high-quality delicacy has a pleasant caramel-spicy aroma.
If the product has a sour smell with hints of mold, the product is spoiled. The fresher the churchkhela, the longer it can be stored. However, not only freshness affects shelf life.
We suggest you familiarize yourself with Storing grapes in refrigerators
What affects the shelf life:
Nuts.
Correct transportation
This product should be transported in a cooler bag. If you place it in a paper bag or a closed ceramic container, it will not deteriorate within 40 - 60 days. Those. during the entire permissible storage period.
If you are planning a long move, then:
- the sweetness is pre-dried well,
- then wrapped in dry natural fabric,
- after which it is placed in a clay vessel.
In this form, nothing will happen to her for 30 days. Even without a cooler bag.
If the temperature inside the container does not exceed +20°С -+22°С, churchkhela can move in it over a long distance without loss of quality.
But it is strictly forbidden to transport this product in a plastic bag.
Dried/cured persimmon
This is another delicacy that we recommend bringing from Sochi. The persimmon harvesting season is from late October to late November. Persimmons in Sochi ripen sweet and tasty. Its size depends on the variety. Like churchkhela, it is better to buy dried persimmons at the market. Be sure to try persimmons before purchasing. It should not be very dry. The piece should be easy to chew and have a characteristic taste similar to the taste of dried banana.
The pulp of dried persimmons should be homogeneous and viscous. Ask to cut the fruit lengthwise and look for mold or crumbs inside. This kind of persimmon is not worth taking. This is either an old persimmon or it was not dried properly.
If the persimmon has been sitting for more than a year, worms may appear in it. This persimmon is easy to recognize. Tear off the dry tail from the fruit and see if there are any “tenants” there. Dried persimmons always have a small white coating. This sugar crystallizes when dried. In old persimmons this coating is most pronounced.
Use our tips when choosing persimmons and you will bring a delicious delicacy from Sochi.
Types of churchkhela
Churchkhela is an unusual dessert with a bright taste, which is strung on a string. This is a Georgian national delicacy made from nuts and natural juice. The dessert has also gained enormous popularity in Russia as an Eastern healthy dessert. Churchkhela is a truly delicious, vitamin-filled bar that can fill you with energy and vivacity.
There are a huge number of types of churchkhela. The differences are mainly based on what the product is made from. The classic recipe consists of the following components:
- freshly squeezed grape juice;
- light walnuts;
- corn flour.
The nuts must be protected in such a way that the peel remains intact so that it can be cut into equal halves. Peeled nuts are strung on a strong thread. Depending on the type of churchkhela, walnuts can be replaced with others. Also, the composition of churchkhela is very often combined with dried fruits.
The Armenian version of churchkhela is very popular in southern cities. Freshly squeezed apple juice is used to prepare it. Nuts and dried plums are strung on threads one by one. If necessary, cinnamon and vanillin can be added to the burning mixture.
Churchkhela is also popular in Cyprus. Here it looks like a sweet sausage made from grape molasses. Almonds are used as the main additive here. In eastern countries, spicy churchkhela is popular, to which ingredients such as cardamom, nuts and cinnamon are added.
How to properly store food on the go
The product can only be stored in the refrigerator for a relatively long time. To preserve churchkhela on the road, you can use a portable analogue; only at a low temperature can you guarantee that the delicacy will last a long time. If no artificial additives were used during drying, the product will last longer, which means it is better to try to buy natural churchkhela.
The following transportation rules can be distinguished:
- wrap the treat in a paper bag (this way you can easily store it for several days);
- Use a portable refrigerator if possible;
- To prevent food from drying out, eat it quickly.
The taste of dried churchkhela is significantly inferior to that which has remained fresh. If you store it according to the rules, the fresh sensations will remain longer.
Only at home for storage can optimal conditions be organized. If you store treats incorrectly, they may fall apart or become moldy. There are many reasons why this happens. Eating such food becomes not only not very pleasant, but also dangerous for health. It is better not to risk using a spoiled product.
