Does matzah go bad?

If you head down to the east side of Manhattan, you will realize how trendy and up-and-coming this area has become over the years. But tradition doesn’t always subside to trends that the younger generation imprints on the city’s landscape. In the same area, a matza factory turns out 25,000 lbs of matza daily.

Did you know Matzo represents the unleavened bread the Jews ate while fleeing Egypt?

This article will look into matza and let you know how fast it goes bad and if it has an expiry date so you can chow down on your matza with confidence.

Let’s get into it.

Does matza expire?

Yes, it takes some time and depends on the environmental conditions, but if it’s stored correctly, it should last for a year or more.

Flour is used to create matzah. A considerable amount of natural oil is present in flour (from the original wheat grain). Oil ultimately tarnishes

The oil in the matzah will eventually turn rancid due to exposure to oxygen, heat, and humidity. Matzah, which has been appropriately stored in a plastic liner, a cardboard box, and some exterior wrapping (paper, plastic, waxed paper, etc.), is probably not going to get rancid for a very long time. Years.

The matzah will become “stale” and lose its crispness long before it may go rancid (since the amount of oil is so little). However, that hasn’t “gone bad” per se.

Does matza need to be refrigerated?

Matza needs to be kept dry. Your refrigerator has a lot of moisture from the door opening and closing constantly. Storing matzah in the fridge has no benefits to the product and may cause it to degrade prematurely.

How long can matza sit out?

If the humidity is low, then matza can sit out for an hour and not be compromised. In high humidity, the matza is dangerous to absorb moisture and lose its crisp snap. However, this does not necessarily make the matza inedible.

Does unopened matza go bad?

It is a fundamental food source with low moisture content, with some oil from the grains in the flour. Over time, matza will become stale and go bad, but that will take many years if stored correctly.

Even manufacturers state that the matza is good for 1 year, and then if it’s okay, just continue eating it.

Does frozen matza go bad?

It’s not recommended to freeze matza. It provides no benefit to the bread as it has a long stable shelf life due to the basic ingredients.

However, preparing matzo dough can be placed in the freezer for a month or more without affecting its quality.

How to store matzo balls?

The problem with matzo balls is they can disintegrate if left in the broth for too long, so removing the broth from the matzo balls is essential.

Once the broth is drained away, and the matzo ball is still firm and not crumbling, place the individual matzo balls in Ziploc bags. If the matzo balls are placed in one bag, it’s good night, Vienna for the matzo balls; they will stick to each other and pull apart when you need them for a meal.

When placing the individual matzo balls in the fridge, make sure nothing is going to rest on them from the top or the sides; this will crush the balls and cause them to lose their shape.

The good news is matzo balls in the fridge will last for 2 to 3 days if they are kept separate from the broth. Mushy matzo balls are a duster, and no one will enjoy them.

You don’t need to throw the broth away. Drain the broth into a Ziploc bag and store that in the fridge. It is a ready meal waiting for you and your family.

Can you freeze matzo balls?

Yes. You just need to follow the same steps as for refrigerating the matzo balls. The matzo balls must be separated from moisture, even more so when freezing the balls. Any saturation with moisture will cause excessive ice crystals to form in the matzo balls.

Excessive ice crystals will crush the structure of the matzo ball, making it sloppy when thawed. It’s essential that when freezing the matzo balls, they are super fresh and show no signs of aging and turning bad.

You can freeze the broth if you wish. It will remain good with the matzo balls for three months in the freezer before degrading.

The bottom line

Matza takes a long time to go bad if stored correctly. It takes years, and the product is good to eat years after it has been purchased if it does not hint at a rancid odor.

Keep matzo balls separated when refrigerating and away from the broth. Matzo balls will last for 2 to 3 days in the fridge and frozen. You can expect a minimum of three months of shelf life.