What is the shelf life of donkey-hide gelatin? How to choose donkey-hide gelatin?

From a traditional perspective, the longer the donkey-hide gelatin is preserved, the purer its quality is. However, according to relevant national drug and food supervision regulations, the shelf life of donkey-hide gelatin is five years. Of course, as long as it is stored properly, it can be preserved for a longer time, especially in the Jiangnan area, where many families have the habit of eating old donkey-hide gelatin. Of course, the most important thing is to choose pure donkey-hide gelatin.

How to choose pure donkey-hide gelatin?

1. Observe its color.

The genuine donkey-hide gelatin blocks are flat, with neat edges and corners, a shiny brown or black surface, and translucent edges. Fake products often have films of different sizes and thicknesses, pores of uneven sizes, a darker color, and a rough and dull surface.

2. Smell it.

Authentic donkey-hide gelatin has no skin odor and does not become soggy even in summer. After crushing it, put it in a cup, add appropriate amount of boiling water, cover the cup and let it sit for 1-2 minutes. When you open it again, the glue aroma will be strong. Or remove the outer packaging of the film, wrap it with a hot and damp towel for 1-2 minutes, and there will be a glue fragrance after opening it. The fake product has no glue fragrance, but has a fishy smell. When heated in water, there will be a layer of "oil" on the surface of the liquid and it will have the smell of pork skin soup.

3. Break it with your hands.

The genuine product is brittle and hard in texture. It will not bend when bent and is easy to break. There are no pores on the cross section. If you hit it hard, it will break into several pieces, that is, it is "hard and brittle". The fake ones are tough, not easy to break, and may even bend.

How to preserve donkey-hide gelatin

1. There is a saying among the people that "the older the donkey-hide gelatin, the better", but if the donkey-hide gelatin is not stored properly, it will easily become moldy and melt. So, how should donkey-hide gelatin be preserved and stored at home?

2. Experts suggest that donkey-hide gelatin can be stored in a wooden box or a sealed box, with a little ash or other desiccant at the bottom. This can prevent the donkey-hide gelatin from becoming swollen and forming urine due to moisture. The container for storing donkey-hide gelatin also needs to be placed in a cool and dry place.

3. In addition, donkey-hide gelatin softens easily when exposed to heat and moisture, and easily breaks in dry and cold places, so it should be wrapped in oil paper and stored in a sealed manner to isolate external moisture and thus play a protective role. In summer, it can also be stored in sealed quicklime jars. Only by storing it in the correct way can its efficacy be guaranteed.

4. Donkey-hide gelatin is not suitable for being refrigerated. As long as it is not opened, donkey-hide gelatin can be stored at room temperature for many years. However, donkey-hide gelatin tablets with sesame and walnuts should be eaten as soon as possible within the shelf life.

According to the "Dictionary of Chinese Medicine", "After the real donkey-hide gelatin is steamed, it has a fragrant smell with a smell of sesame oil. The juice is yellowish-white, thick but not greasy, and tastes sweet and slightly salty. The original block is green and firm if it is less than 50 or 60 years old. The color turns yellow and the texture becomes crispy if it is more than 50 or 60 years old, which is even better. It has miraculous effects on patients with tuberculosis." It is hard to find old donkey-hide gelatin nowadays, so you can buy high-quality new donkey-hide gelatin, keep it at home, and wait for a few years until it becomes old donkey-hide gelatin before using it.