Today we’ll cover the shelf life, spoilage, and storing beef broth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So your boxed beef broth has been opened for a couple of days already<\/strong>, and you’re wondering how long beef broth lasts in the fridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or maybe you found an unopened can of beef broth that’s a few months past the printed date. And you started thinking: does beef broth go bad, and if so, how do you tell?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sounds familiar?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If so, this article is for you. Let’s jump right in.<\/p>\n\n\n Canned and boxed beef broth typically comes with a suggested shelf life of between six months and two years<\/a>, but it usually keeps for at least another three months beyond the printed date.<\/strong> And if you store it in a cool and dark place away from heat sources and ensure the seal stays untouched, it’ll likely keep for much longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, commercially packaged beef broth usually lasts well past the date on the label.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, most brands recommend using their beef broth within those two years of canning<\/a>, but that printed date is only a best-by date. It basically means the seller guarantees quality up until the printed date, but that doesn’t mean the product will suddenly go bad a couple of days or weeks later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And in the case of beef broth (and canned and boxed foods in general), the product tends to keep for months beyond its date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That might make you start wondering:<\/p>\n\n\n Unfortunately, there’s no way to give you an exact period.<\/strong> It all depends on the production process, the ingredients used, storage practices you follow, and probably even a bit of luck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That said, there’s a simple approach you can take that works in almost all cases. All you need to do is pick a period you’re comfortable with before you check the printed date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, it might be three months for boxed beef broth and six months for canned, as canned tends to come with a longer storage time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then you read the date on the label, add the period you came up with, and check if the product is within the resulting date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If it is, and the broth doesn’t show any signs of spoilage (more on that later), you use it. Otherwise, you discard it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This way, you decide how to go about this upfront instead of bargaining with yourself for 5 minutes until you reach a conclusion that you’ll probably not be happy about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, let’s talk about what to do after opening the broth.<\/p>\n\n\n After opening the can or box, beef broth typically lasts 4 to 5 days<\/a> if you seal it tightly in an airtight container or lidded pot and refrigerate it.<\/strong> If that’s not long enough, you can freeze the leftovers for later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This 4- to 5-day period is a pretty safe estimate you can go with no matter the brand you’re buying. That said, some brands recommend longer storage times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some examples might be FOND which suggests you can store their broths for up to a week<\/a>, or Zoup! that gives you a generous two weeks<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wouldn’t feel particularly comfortable having a half-open canned broth in the fridge for longer than those 4 to 5 days, however. That’s why I suggest you freeze any leftovers instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (We’ll talk about freezing in a moment.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n What about homemade beef broth?<\/p>\n\n\n Homemade chicken broth keeps for 3 to 4 days of cooking<\/a> if you refrigerate it sealed tightly in a lidded pot or airtight container. Let the broth cool to about room temperature before you place it in the fridge, but limit the cooldown period to two hours<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might find some recipes online suggesting that homemade beef broth lasts for up to a week. Sure, your beef broth might keep quality for a whole week, but the 3 to 4 days period is much safer and limits the chances of finding a spoiled broth in the fridge to a minimum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I mentioned a couple of times, freezing the broth is a much better option than hoping it’ll last an extra day or two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, let’s talk about the spoilage signs.<\/p>\n\n\n Discard your beef broth if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those are the typical spoilage signs for beef broth. But if you notice anything else that doesn’t seem right, err on the side of caution and toss the broth. Better safe than sorry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (As you might imagine, you can use the list above to tell if your chicken broth is bad<\/a> and whether your bone broth is okay to eat<\/a> too.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n But before I wrap this section, let me remind you of two things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next up, let’s talk about storage.<\/p>\n\n\n Once you open your can or box of beef broth, you need to refrigerate the leftovers.<\/strong> Let the broth cool to about room temperature and place it in a sealed container or lidded pot within two hours of cooking or opening.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTable of Contents<\/h2>\n
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Does Beef Broth Go Bad?<\/h2>\n\n\n
How Long Is Beef Broth Good After the “Expiration” Date?<\/h3>\n\n\n
How Long Does Beef Broth Last in the Fridge?<\/h2>\n\n\n
Homemade Beef Broth<\/h3>\n\n\n
How to Tell if Beef Broth Is Bad?<\/h2>\n\n\n
Does Beef Broth Need to Be Refrigerated?<\/h2>\n\n\n