Hi ,can anyone tell me how long you can keep Korean Yellow bean paste please ? It is in a plastic carton .
Thanks
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Hi Lorna. Glad you found us at last. Welcome.
I’m sure someone will be along in a bit to help.
John
(Folks - Lorna is a friend of mine from the Tripadvisor Tenerife forum. Please give her our usual warm welcome)
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Welcome, Lorna.
First of all, I am not really sure. Check expiry date and open to see if there’s any mould.
I use Korean fermented soya bean pastes in (drink) soup and other things but they don’t last long enough that mould can start appearing. (Also, my fridge is 3C.)
There are number of different kinds of “bean paste”, but since you mention the plastic carton, am I assuming correctly it’s “doenjang” (a fermented soybean paste)? That’s analogous to the Japanese product red miso, so between the salt content and it being full fermented, it will stay “good to eat” for a fairly long time in the fridge after it’s opened, and “safe to eat”, probably until/unless it gets moldy. Some people consider that this and miso last “forever”, but in my own opinion, the flavor starts to suffer after 2-3 months. (If you use it only rarely, you can freeze, and it will stay fresh-tasting much longer that way. And if you freeze it in small portions, you don’t have to worry about letting it thaw out enough to scoop what you need before putting it back in the freezer.)
At room temprature, it will keep for “a while”, but the flavor will decline more rapidly. I would not expect it to keep “good flavor” for more than a month or so at temperatures in the high 60s (Fahrenheit, or the mid-teens Celsius) or warmer, though as long as you don’t see any visible signs of mold or bacterial growth on the surface, it should be “safe” at room temperature as well.
Welcome @lorna! In my (Korean) experience, I have kept doengjang for a VERY long time. Growing up in a Korean household, mom went through it fairly quickly (I go through it a far less quickly nowadays so I keep it longer than mom). Hopefully you didn’t buy too large of a container? I think keeping it in the coldest part of your fridge should help preserve it (?)
Short story is, I’ve never had it go bad. But please use empirical evidence before you use it if it is questionable.
Welcome Lorna!
My doenjang (like my miso and gochujang) has been in the fridge for a verrrrry long time. The only problem with the plastic tub is that it’s not air right, so the top could crust over. To avoid that, add a layer of plastic wrap under the lid, or transfer to a (labeled) jar that seals better.
Thanks ,just seeing this . I’d sent you a message on TA
Thanks ,that’s great ,I’ll do that with the cling film
Thank you . I think it’s about 400 g .I have only a couple of recipes I use it in ,one being black bean sauce ,but I’ll have a look at more ,I’m sure there are plenty.
Thanks for that . Yes it’s in a plastic carton . I actually sent a photo to my friend who’s married to a Chinese man to ask if she or he could translate and she told me it was Korean , felt a bit stupid lol .
I might freeze some as I doubt I’d use it in a couple of months .
Normally would have bought it from Chinese shop but because of situation I bought it from Amazon. Thanks for your reply .
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Thank you ,couldn’t see an expiry date ,but I’ll keep it in fridge .
Morning Lorna. Told you folks here would be able to help.
By the by, if you’re wanting to make direct reference to something in someone’s post, click and drag across the words, then unclick. You get a pop-up box saying “quote”. Click on that and it creates your reply box with the quote already there, like I’ve done with your. Easier to do than explain.
