How Long Can Cheese Gift Baskets Sit Out
Hickory Farms offers a variety of gift boxes you can purchase for different occasions. Depending on what you want, you can buy different cheeses, meats, dressings, wines, etc.
If you've purchased a gift box, you might wonder whether Hickory Farms gift boxes need to be refrigerated. In most cases, the gift boxes don't need to be refrigerated. However, this isn't always the case.
If you want to know more, you've come to the right place. This article will discuss different products that can be a part of Hickory Farm gift boxes, their shelf life, and if they require refrigeration.
Table of Contents
- 1 Does Hickory Farms Meat and Cheese Need to Be Refrigerated?
- 2 How Long Do Hickory Farms Products Last?
- 3 Hickory Farms Summer Sausage FAQ
- 3.1 How Long Does Hickory Farms Sausage Last? (Hickory Farms Summer Sausage Shelf Life)
- 3.2 Does Hickory Farms Summer Sausage Need to Be Refrigerated?
- 3.3 What Are the Hickory Farms Summer Sausage Ingredients?
- 3.4 Is Hickory Farms Summer Sausage Cooked?
- 3.5 Is Hickory Farms Summer Sausage Gluten-Free?
- 3.6 How to Eat Hickory Farms Summer Sausage
- 3.7 How Did Summer Sausage Get Its Name?
- 4 In Summary
Does Hickory Farms Meat and Cheese Need to Be Refrigerated?
In most cases, meat and cheese don't have to be refrigerated if they're unopened.
The shelf life of products depends on their type, and it can always be found on the packaging.
After opening the product, you should always put it in the fridge.
Even when not necessary, Hickory Farms recommends refrigeration for some products to preserve their freshness and flavor.
How Long Do Hickory Farms Products Last?
The answer to this question depends on the type of product and how you store it.
For example, summer sausages are shelf-stable. This means you don't have to keep them in the refrigerator if you haven't opened the package, and they will be good for several months.
According to the USDA, the recommendation for keeping summer sausage is about three months. However, Hickory Farms says the shelf life of their beef and turkey summer sausage is nine months.
Therefore, after opening, you can keep the summer sausage in your fridge for about three weeks.
Hickory Farms states that products can last up to a year before opening when it comes to cheese. If you've opened the package, you should put it in the fridge.
Note that the time you can keep it in the refrigerator will depend on the cheese type.
Hickory Farms puts detailed descriptions on its packaging. Along with a list of ingredients, you can find the shelf life and the recommended storage for each product.
Whenever a product is marked as shelf-stable, it means you can keep it outside, at room temperature. If you keep it in a hot and humid environment, it might go bad.
Even though it isn't necessary, Hickory Farms recommends storing products in the fridge to keep them fresh and delicious for a longer time.
Hickory Farms Summer Sausage FAQ
How Long Does Hickory Farms Sausage Last? (Hickory Farms Summer Sausage Shelf Life)
As previously mentioned, the shelf life of Hickory Farms Summer Sausage is about nine months. According to the USDA, the shelf life for summer sausages is three months.
However, this doesn't mean that you shouldn't consume the sausage after three months.
Instead, it means that the product's quality, freshness, and flavor might be affected by the longer storage time.
Hickory Farms states that the product will be good for nine months if properly stored at room temperature. But always keep track of the best-by dates and the recommended shelf life stated on the package.
Does Hickory Farms Summer Sausage Need to Be Refrigerated?
Hickory Farms summer sausage doesn't have to be refrigerated if the package hasn't been opened.
With the closed package, summer sausage is shelf-stable, and you can keep it for several months without affecting its flavor or texture.
Once you open the package, you need to refrigerate it. After opening, summer sausage will be good for about three weeks.
If you want, you can place your summer sausage in the freezer. If it's within the recommended storage date, the summer sausage will remain safe indefinitely if kept in the freezer.
What Are the Hickory Farms Summer Sausage Ingredients?
Below are the ingredients for beef summer sausage and turkey summer sausage.
Beef summer sausage ingredients are:
- Beef
- Salt
- Dextrose
- Spices
- Smoke flavoring
- Natural flavors
- Lactic acid cultures
- Sodium erythorbate
- Sodium nitrite
Turkey summer sausage ingredients are:
- Turkey
- Water
- Brown sugar
- Dried honey
- Hydrolyzed corn
- Protein
- Salt
- Fructose
- Lactic acid cultures
- Sodium lactate
- Potassium lactate
- Sodium erythorbate
- Sodium diacetate
- Sodium nitrite
Is Hickory Farms Summer Sausage Cooked?
Hickory Farms summer sausages are dry-cured and often smoked. In this case, lactic acid bacteria are added to the meat to eliminate potentially harmful bacteria and keep the product safe and stable.
Therefore, there's no need to cook Hickory Farms summer sausage after you've purchased them since they are ready to eat.
Is Hickory Farms Summer Sausage Gluten-Free?
Hickory Farms Summers Sausages are entirely gluten-free.
When it comes to allergens, it's important to note that the meat is produced in a facility that uses milk, soy, egg, wheat, peanuts, and tree nuts in the production process.
This is an important thing to keep in mind if you have severe allergies to one of these ingredients.
How to Eat Hickory Farms Summer Sausage
Summer sausages can be used for different purposes. Since they don't require refrigeration and are ready to eat right after purchasing, you can easily insert them into various dishes.
For example, they're great in sandwiches if you're going on a trip or picnic.
Furthermore, you can include them on your charcuterie boards. Due to their robust and tangy flavor, they are a great addition to every meat plate.
They also pair great with different cheeses and wines and represent an excellent snack for every occasion.
If you want to experiment, you can fry them and make a delicious casserole.
How Did Summer Sausage Get Its Name?
Summer sausage originally comes from Europe. For hundreds of years, when there were no refrigerators, people used various preservation methods to prevent meat spoilage.
By combining different methods, the meat was preserved even during the summer months, hence the name 'summer sausages.'
Different versions of summer sausages are available on the market. The traditional German summer sausage is less dry than other types of cured meats.
In addition, due to lower temperatures in Germany, a certain amount of water could remain in the meat without spoiling it.
In Summary
Due to the manufacturing process, summer sausages have a long shelf life.
So even though they don't have to be refrigerated if unopened, you can put them in the fridge to maintain their freshness and flavor.
If you know someone that would enjoy a delicious combination of meat and cheese, don't hesitate to buy them one as a surprise gift!
How Long Can Cheese Gift Baskets Sit Out
Source: https://homekitchentalk.com/do-hickory-farms-gift-boxes-need-to-be-refrigerated/