What is the shelf life of Cremas (Kremas)?

By : HaitianCooking | 6 Comments | On : December 31, 2013 | Category : Cooking Tips

So you just finished making some Cremas (Kremas) and you are trying to figure out the best storage method to preserve it. Many Haitian say you can leave it out and it will last forever. Well not so much.

About Cremas (Kremas)

Cremas (Kremas or Cremasse) is a popular drink in Haiti and is served regularly at social events and during the holidays. It is usually consumed along with a sweet pastry of some sort. The beverage possesses a creamy consistency similar to a thick milkshake and varies from off-white to beige in color.

Pantry Storage

Similarly to Baileys Irish cream, Cremas contains dairy. Even though the alcohol in it will keep it from going bad quickly, it will not last forever. Some manufacturers add various preservatives to their product to extend the shelf life. The shelf life of homemade Cremas is about 2 years stored in a typical home if it has not been opened since bottling. If opened, this gets cut down to about 6-9 months. The best indicator would be to check if the drink has separated in the bottle. Once the Cremas reaches this point it will taste really bad. Drinking it after this point could make you really sick. Symptoms of drinking bad Cremas is a sour stomach or stomach pains. The symptoms are very similar to individuals who are lactose intolerant so try not to get them confused.

Refrigeration

So what about if you refrigerate the bottle? Refrigerating it will definitely increase the shelf life, but it causes another problem. Lumps. Drinking Cremas with lumps is not very appealing. If you are going to refrigerate the Cremas you should limit constant temperature changes. Constant temperature changes will cause the Cremas to solidify and eventually form a block of what looks like cheese at the top of the bottle. To limit this from happening, you should return the Cremas to the fridge immediately  after serving.

No matter which preservation method you use, you just need to enjoy this wonderful drink and if it goes bad just check out our recipe for Cremas and drink responsibly.

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