How to know if paneer is spoiled (5 easy ways)
In this brief guide, we will answer the question “how to know if paneer is spoiled” and discuss the different methods of identifying spoiled paneer and the potential health effects of eating spoiled paneer.
How to know if paneer is spoiled?
Spoiled paneer may turn yellowish and have a rotten or foul smell. Spoiled paneer may also taste sour. See if the paneer has not absorbed any water. If the texture is slimy, then it means that the paneer is spoiled.
Paneer is a form of cheese that is very much common in the Indian subcontinent. It is made from cow milk and sometimes buffalo milk also. Paneer is somewhat similar to cottage cheese. However, cottage cheese may be salted and may sometimes have cream on it; the paneer is unsalted and doesn’t have any cream.
Six easy ways to spot spoiled paneer:
There are six very easy ways to spot whether the paneer is spoiled or not that are discussed below:
Colour:
If you observe that the colour of the paneer is turning yellow. This is a sign that the paneer is not fresh and may be spoiled. The colour of the fresh paneer should be clear and don’t have any dirt or any yellow spots over it.
Taste:
To confirm whether the paneer is spoiled or not is through the tasting process. Take a little chunk of paneer and see what the taste looks like. If you feel a sour taste, it confirms that the paneer is spoiled and should not be consumed. Fresh paneer might taste cheesy, but it is a guaranteed sign that paneer is spoiled if you taste something off or bad.
Smell:
The most common way to tell whether the paneer is spoiled or not is through smell. If you smell something rotten or smell something sour, it is a sign that your paneer is spoiled. If you sense any foul smell, then it is recommended not to consume any of it.
Texture:
Fresh paneer should not absorb water at all; otherwise, they will spoil very quickly. If the paneer has absorbed water and you feel a gooey or slimy texture on the cheese, then it means that the paneer is spoiled.
Mould:
If you can spot any fungus or mould growing, then this means that it would be unhealthy to consume such paneer. Therefore, it is recommended to throw away such paneer; otherwise, it can cause serious health effects in your body.
Method to confirm spoiled paneer:
If you can’t decide after searching all of the signs and still have doubts about yourself whether to throw the paneer away or not. There is a simple method through which you can confirm. Take a little sample of paneer and add a little water to it. Boil the water and let it cool down.
After doing this, add a few drops of iodine. If the colour changes, then this confirms that the paneer is spoiled. If the colour does not vary, then this means that the paneer is still good to consume.
Health effects after eating spoiled paneer:
If you consume spoiled paneer, then you may get foodborne illnesses. You may feel symptoms like nausea, fever, vomiting, chills, temperature, stomach pain, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, etc. Such symptoms can lead to dehydration which includes a dry mouth. Eating spoiled paneer also causes some infections in your digestive tract.
If you face severe symptoms or are not getting well, you should probably see a doctor.
Mild symptoms are treated with a proper light and fibrous diet like eating bananas, rice, toast, etc. However, if you are feeling any severe symptoms, then you should go and see a doctor.
Other FAQs about Cheese that you may be interested in.
What does blue cheese taste like
Can you eat expired string cheese?
Can you eat expired shredded cheese?
Conclusion:
So in this blog, we learned that we could identify spoiled cheese by smell, colour, texture, and taste. If you feel a sour flavour or you sense a bad or rotten smell, then it means that the paneer is spoiled. If you can spot a mould in your paneer, you should throw your paneer away and don’t consume it. If you feel some gooey or slimy texture, it is also a sign that the paneer is spoiled.
If the paneer absorbs a lot of water, then it gets spoiled quickly.
We also discussed whether we could do a test to confirm the freshness of the paneer. First, boil a little bit of paneer in water and let it cool down. Then, add iodine drops to it and see if the colour changes; this means that the paneer has gone bad.
We also discussed the harmful health effects if you will consume spoiled paneer.
I hope you find this blog helpful. If you have any queries, then comment below.
