Sprats (lat. Sprattus) are fish from the herring family. They are very tasty in the form of preserves, for which they are cleaned, smoked and then preserved in sunflower oil with salt and without spices. Their calorie content is 365 calories per 100 grams, they consist of 20% pure protein and 30% useful fat. Sprats are rich in vitamins A, B and PP, as well as calcium, magnesium, sodium and other trace elements. In this article, we will tell you how to store sprats correctly.

How much to store sprats:

  • Closed sprats are stored for 2 years.
  • Opened fish can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  • Homemade sprats, rolled up with lids, can be stored for up to 6 months.

How to store sprats

In a closed jar

The correct storage conditions for this product are regulated by GOST 7452-97 “Canned fish, natural. Specifications”. The storage terms are also indicated there, which are 2 years at the temperature indicated by the manufacturer. As a rule, it is:

  • temperature from 5 °C to 25 °C;
  • relative humidity is not higher than 75%.

Sprats in oil have long ceased to be a delicacy, but if you have already found “your” brand, stocks are usually made. The optimal storage conditions at home, where they will remain fresh throughout the shelf life, are:

  • refrigerator;
  • cool dry balcony;
  • pantry;
  • kitchen cabinet;
  • dry cellar

After opening the bank

If you opened the jar and did not eat it, then you should store canned food in the refrigerator. Fish spoils very quickly. Even if it is not visible from the outside and there is no smell, rotting processes can take place inside it, which lead to very severe poisoning. Therefore, open sprats are not stored on the table at room temperature.

Remember that the metal oxidizes, so you should not leave them open for a long time in the jar. If you are going to finish them during the day, you need to fill the fish with oil, and wrap the can in cling film. The shelf life of sprats in this form is up to 12 hours at a temperature of 5 °C on the middle shelf.

Also, immediately after opening, you can transfer the remains of the canned food into a dry, clean glass container with a tightly closed lid, fill with oil and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days at a temperature of 5 °C.

Summarizing the above, you can derive the basic rules for how long you can store open sprats:

  • 1-2 hours in an open jar (factory) in the refrigerator;
  • up to 12 hours in a jar in oil, in cling film;
  • up to 5 days in a glass container in oil at a temperature of 5 °C.

how to store sprats

House sparrows

You can buy ready-made smoked fish on the market, which is then used to prepare canned food. This is a ready-to-use product that is practically no different from store-bought except for one important fact: proper heat treatment.

Find a recipe according to which sprats will need to be stewed in oil, and roll up in a hermetically sealed jar. In this form, they can be stored for up to 6 months at a temperature not higher than 20 °C (like the rest of preservation).

If you bought raw fish, it should be thoroughly washed, gutted and prepared for placing in cans. To do this, add tea for color, a little liquid smoke and heat treat. You can store it by putting it in a jar and filling it with oil. They can be kept open in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days at a temperature of 5 °C.

Importantly! It is strictly forbidden to store homemade or open sprats without a refrigerator.

You can also freeze them, but they will lose their shape. In the freezer, the temperature is critical for storing heat-treated fish. Therefore, if it is not possible to store it for a long time, it is better to prepare canned goods in oil, as in the store.

How to store sprats