You’ve already opened your box of beef broth and are wondering how long it will keep in the refrigerator.
Or perhaps you discovered an unopened can of beef broth that was last opened several months ago. You then began to wonder whether beef broth could spoil and, if so, how.
How Long Does Beef Broth Last?
| Pantry | Fridge |
|---|---|
| Canned beef broth (unopened) | Best by + 3 – 6 months |
| Canned beef broth (opened) | 4 – 7 days |
| Homemade beef broth | 4 days |
The shelf life of beef broth is roughly 12 to 24 months, and it typically lasts for at least a few more months. Depending on the brand, you can keep it in the refrigerator for 4 to 7 days after opening.
You can easily freeze the leftovers; I’ll cover how to do that in a moment if that isn’t long enough.
That’s the overview of the shelf life of beef broth.
Next, let’s dive into details.
Depending on the seller’s recommendations, open beef broth keeps for 4 to 7 days in the refrigerator. After that time, the broth is no longer suitable for consumption, and you should throw it away.
Of course, if the broth is kept for longer than 4 to 7 days, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it has spoiled, but it is no longer safe and should be thrown out.
When it comes to the storage period, go with whatever the label says. Usually, the recommendation will be four days, as that’s the official guideline for storing perishable leftovers.
However, some brands offer their broth with a slightly longer storage time; in that case, take advantage of the extra few days. Or play it safe and stick with the 4-day rule. Up to you.
Once more, it’s preferable to freeze the broth rather than trying to get the most out of refrigeration by keeping it for an additional day or two. By doing this, the broth will keep for a lot longer and you won’t have to rely on luck.
Homemade beef broth lasts about four days in the fridge. After that period, it won’t necessarily spoil, but you should consider it unsafe to eat and discard it for safety reasons.
It’s best to freeze any leftover beef broth as soon as you can if you’ve made a large batch and don’t want it to spoil. I handle broth that I know I won’t consume within the next few days in that manner.
Similarly, the shelf life of soup made with beef broth is approximately four days.
The quality of beef broth in cans and boxes typically lasts for at least three to six months after the labeled expiration date. There is no way to know for sure how long an unopened container of beef broth will remain fresh after its “expiration” date, but three to six months is a fairly safe assumption.
Every vendor advises using their broth before the printed date, as you might expect. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the item will expire a day, a week, or even a month from now. Beef broth follows the general trend of canned goods in lasting months or even years past their expiration dates.
Of course, that doesn’t guarantee that the broth will still taste as good in three years, but it almost certainly means that it will be completely safe to consume. Providing the can or box is intact and shows no signs of bulging, swelling, or rust
The simplest method is to look at the printed date and decide whether you feel comfortable using that broth. If not, toss it and call it a day.
However, if you are, carefully inspect the can or box; if nothing seems off, open it up and take a look inside. Next, compare it to the spoiler indicators I list in a later section of the article.
How To Tell if Beef Broth Is Bad?
Discard beef broth if:
- There’s something wrong with the can or box. Assume the broth is bad if it is leaking, bulging, or the can has begun to rust. Obviously, you cannot be certain that it has spoiled, but in this situation, it is better to err on the side of caution.
- It smells off. If the beef broth is fresh, it will smell deliciously meaty when combined with the aromatics and herbs used to make it. So if yours smells funny or has a sour odor, it is no longer there.
- It’s opened for too long. Depending on the brand’s advice, if your beef broth has been opened for more than 4 to 7 days, it is no longer safe to consume. Once more, it’s not necessarily spoiled, and you also can’t be certain that it isn’t. I occasionally keep broth in the fridge for an extra day or two, but that’s it.
- The taste is off. If everything checks out, take a tiny sip to evaluate the flavor. The broth is ruined if it has changed and is sour, “funny,” or otherwise off. It’s pretty uncommon to find a broth that tastes bad but smells good because broths typically develop an unpleasant odor before their flavor changes.
Those are the typical spoilage signs for beef broth.
What if your broth has some white particles floating in it or a white layer covering the surface?
Almost always, that will be solidified fat that has separated from the broth. That’s a common occurrence and nothing to be worried about. Skim it if you’d like, or leave it alone; when heated, it will liquefy.
It’s also typical for homemade beef broth to have cloudy liquid and some sediment at the bottom. Unless, of course, you’ve filtered it through cheesecloth or another similar filter
However, if it’s store-bought, there probably shouldn’t be any particles floating in the broth, so that could be a red flag. To make sure the brand does not state that sediment is acceptable, read the label before discarding the broth.
Check out my article on the signs that chicken broth is starting to spoil if you want to learn more. Both broths are quite similar in that manner.
How to Store Beef Broth
Keeping beef broth in storage is very similar to keeping chicken broth or bone broth in storage.
Store-bought unopened cans of beef broth ought to be kept in the pantry, which is a cool and dry place to do so. If you don’t have access to one, a kitchen cabinet will work as well.
The leftovers should be kept in the refrigerator tightly sealed after you open the tin. Pour the broth into a mason jar or another airtight container to seal it. Another option is to use plastic wrap and a rubber band if you don’t have a suitable container on hand.
The refrigerator is the proper place for homemade beef broth.
There are also companies that sell frozen broth. Brodo is one such company. If you buy one of these, follow the storage guidelines that the company provides. In the case of Brodo, you get the broth either cold or partially frozen, and you need to either refrigerate it or refreeze it.
Can You Freeze Beef Broth?
You can freeze both homemade and store-bought beef broth. You can even buy it frozen. To freeze beef broth, you need to portion it based on your needs and place the portions in the freezer.
Here’s how to freeze beef broth:
- Portion the broth. If you need the broth to make soup, large containers or freezer bags work great. But small containers, a muffin tin, or an ice cube tray are all great choices if you want to sip on yours or use it to make a pan sauce.
- Divide the broth. Pour everything into the containers you choose.
- Freeze. Place everything in the freezer.
- Transfer frozen cubes into a freezer bag and put the freezer back in the freezer (if using a muffin pan or ice cube tray). Transfer the cubes to a freezer bag and place them back in the freezer once they are completely frozen. In doing so, you free up the equipment and they take up less space.
That’s it – short and simple.
In the freezer, beef broth keeps its quality for at least three to four months, but it can stay there for up to a year.
(As long as it doesn’t defrost because of a power outage or something similar, it remains safe to use indefinitely. ).
You can defrost beef broth:
- In the fridge. Refrigerate the broth for one to three hours if using cubes and for up to 24 hours or longer if using large containers. The length of time required is the only drawback of this approach.
- On the stove. Remove the frozen broth from its container (e. g. , after briefly soaking it in warm water in a bowl so the sides will defrost), to a pot or pan. Then defrost it on the stovetop on low heat. To prevent the broth from burning, keep an eye on the pot.
- In the microwave. If the frozen broth isn’t already in a microwave-safe container, place it in one and microwave it for 30 to 60 seconds at a time on the defrost or low setting. Stir the liquid after each increment once there is some in the container to expedite the process and prevent having some of the liquid cooked while the rest is still frozen.
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FAQ
Can you use beef broth after 14 days of opening?
No. In general, beef broth opened after 14 days should not be consumed. Even though beef broth may still be safe to consume for a few days after its expiration date, using it after that date could present some risks [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]
Can I use beef broth after 10 days?
Depending on the seller’s recommendations, open beef broth keeps for 4 to 7 days in the refrigerator. After that time, the broth is no longer suitable for consumption, and you should throw it away.
Can you use broth after 7 days?
If the chicken stock has been opened, time is running out if you’re wondering how long chicken stock keeps in the refrigerator. To use chicken broth before it spoils, you have 3–4 days. This recommendation is valid for the majority of stock brands and is direct from the US Department of Agriculture.
How long does beef stock last in the fridge?
If you properly chill the stock, it will last for about four days in the refrigerator. To do that, let it cool first. A large container of hot liquid shouldn’t be placed directly in your refrigerator. The container won’t cool all the way through quickly enough.