How long are Johnsonville brats good for in the fridge?
In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “how long are Johnsonville brats good for in the fridge” with an in-depth analysis of the shelf life of Johnsonville brats.
So without much ado, let’s dive in and figure out more about it.
How long are Johnsonville brats good for in the fridge?
Uncooked Johnsonville brats last for about 1-2 days if stored properly in the fridge all the time at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
On the other hand, after cooking Johnsonville brats last for about 3-4 days when stored properly in an air-tight container or plastic zipper bag in the fridge at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Thus, the cold temperature of the fridge will decrease the rate of bacterial growth and will subsequently prolong the shelf life of your Johnsonville brats.
You should store your Johnsonville brats on one of the shelves of the refrigerator rather than the door as there is a lot of temperature fluctuation at the door of the fridge that can mess up the quality of the Johnsonville brats. Moreover, always store your Johnsonville brats away from strong-smelling foods.
So all in all, you should always store your Johnsonville brats at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below provided that you are going to use them within a few days, or else it is better to freeze them. Bacterial growth takes place at a faster pace between the temperature of 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, therefore it is always advised to store your Johnsonville brats at a lower temperature to preserve their freshness.
How long can Johnsonville brats last at room temperature?
Johnsonville brats last for about 2 hours when left out of the fridge at room temperature.
You should discard the Johnsonville brats that have been left in open for more than 2 hours as bacterial growth takes place at a faster pace between the temperature of 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, therefore there are greater chances of the Johnsonville brats being already contaminated with bacteria when left out for more than 2 hours.
Moreover, if the temperature of the surroundings is about 90 degrees Fahrenheit, then the process of spoilage takes place at a faster pace and it is recommended to discard Johnsonville brats that are left out in the open for more than an hour at 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
How long do Johnsonville brats last in the freezer?
Properly stored raw Johnsonville brats last for about 1-2 months in the freezer if stored in a heavy-duty freezer container or plastic freezer bag. Cooked Johnsonville brats last for about 4 months if stored properly in the freezer.
Thus, the shelf life of Johnsonville brats increases owing to the cold temperature of the freezer that halts the microbial growth on it.
The proper way to freeze Johnsonville brats
You can easily store the Johnsonville brats by wrapping them in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and afterward putting it in the plastic freezer bag or heavy-duty freezer container before storing them in the freezer to protect your Johnsonville brats from freezer burns.
Moreover, to preserve the quality of the Johnsonville brats for quite a long time you can opt for vacuum sealing which is quite effective in prolonging their shelf life.
Vacuum sealing involves the process of putting the Johnsonville brats in a plastic zipper bag, removing air from it, and almost sealing the bag with a little space left while lowering it into water. Afterward, press out the bubbles from the bag starting from the bottom of the bag and once you reach the sealed end, you should press the seal closed.
The reason behind doing vacuum sealing is to ensure that there is minimum air present in the plastic zipper bag with the Johnsonville brats. As air has moisture and oxygen in it that favors bacterial growth, so by removing air, Johnsonville brats can retain their freshness for a long time. You can also use a vacuum sealer pump for easy vacuum sealing at home.
It is a good practice to divide the Johnsonville brats into portions or serving sizes that you generally need. By doing so you will be able to just thaw the number of Johnsonville brats that you need while the rest of the Johnsonville brats can stay in the freezer untouched.
Thus keeping the Johnsonville brats in the freezer will increase their shelf life considerably owing to the cool temperature of the freezer that halts the bacterial growth on the Johnsonville brats.
How to thaw frozen Johnsonville brats?
The recommended way to thaw the frozen Johnsonville brats is to leave them in the refrigerator overnight and let them thaw there. The previously cooked Johnsonville brats thawed this way can stay in the fridge for additional 3-4 days before reheating and eating them while raw Johnsonville brats thawed in the fridge last for about 1-2 days before cooking.
Conversely, you can thaw the frozen Johnsonville brats in a bowl of cold water or microwave but you should reheat/cook them immediately after thawing.
You can read the best way to cook Johnsonville brats here.
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we answered the question “how long are Johnsonville brats good for in the fridge” with an in-depth analysis of the shelf life of Johnsonville brats.
