If you want to order a HelloFresh delivery, you may want to know how long these meals will stay fresh in the fridge.
This is important to know since you may not be planning on cooking these meals immediately.
It is an issue that customers frequently have with meal delivery services as they may not eat the meals in time.
This is part of why HelloFresh is such a good option, as it doesn’t deliver cooked meals, but rather meals that you cook yourself.
This allows you to create fresh meals when you are ready to eat them and helps you to get more familiar with the kitchen. Keep reading to find out just how long HelloFresh meals will last once delivered.
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How Long do HelloFresh Meals Last?
Most HelloFresh meals can stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 to 5 days as long as they are properly stored. The best way to store them for the best freshness is to store them in the fridge in the packaging that they were sent to you in.
HelloFresh meals are made to be eaten within three days, but you can usually stretch this to five days if necessary. Meals made without any meat can usually, be kept for up to seven days as veggies will not spoil as quickly as meat will.
This gives you a bit of lenience if you skip one of your meals since it can last up to a week. Though meals with seafood should be rated as soon as possible as seafood can go bad as quickly as three days in the fridge.
HelloFresh meals are not made ahead and shipped to you rather, you get the ingredients with a recipe card to make the meals yourself. This allows you to make the meals fresh and make them when you feel like it.
This is why HelloFresh meals can last a bit longer in the fridge as they are not already made. Meals that are already cooked will last as long and won’t taste as good after several days of sitting in the fridge.
Can HelloFresh Meals be Frozen?
If you have ordered your HelloFresh meals but ran out of time to eat them or just don’t feel like it, you may want to freeze them instead. The good thing is that you can freeze HelloFresh meals as long as the ingredients can withstand it.
If you decide to do this, it is important to only freeze foods that won’t become gross once frozen. You can freeze different meats and seafood, but starchy foods like potatoes, carrots, and pasta will change their flavor and texture.
You may have to leave certain ingredients out and eat them in a different way as they won’t freeze well. Keep in mind that frozen veggies will be more watery and will change in texture, this cannot be helped.
To make your HelloFresh meals easier to eat after being frozen, you can chop them up so that the recipe is ready to go. Keep in mind that some HelloFresh recipes may not work well with being frozen, depending on how they need to be cooked.
How Should You Store HelloFresh Meals?
Once you receive your HelloFresh package, you should put it in the fridge as soon as possible. Though HelloFresh can stay out of the fridge for up to 24 hours, it is best to get it safely stored away.
Most HelloFresh meals consist of dry ingredients, sauces, meats, and raw veggies. These can be stored in the fridge in the packaging that they come in to keep them cold and fresh.
If the food that you ordered is ready-to-eat meals, they should also go into the fridge immediately to hold in the freshness. Meals that are ready to go should be eaten first as they will go bad the fastest of the raw foods.
If you ordered snacks along with your HelloFresh, you can store these where you store your other snacks. They should last for several weeks if not longer, while dry goods like crumbs, spices, and bread, can be stored in your pantry.
If you are unsure about how long certain ingredients will last, you could always go to the HelloFresh website. The FAQs should have these details to help you to know when to eat your food.
As a rule, it is a good idea to eat your HelloFresh meals at the beginning of the week or the few days after you receive your box. This way, you get to enjoy them at their freshest instead of several days later.
How Do HelloFresh Meals Stay Fresh During Delivery?
HelloFresh is very thorough in how it ships its meals out to its customers. It does this by packaging the food individually and storing it in styrofoam cooler boxes surrounded by ice packs.
The cooler box is placed inside a cardboard box meant for shipping. The ice packs help to keep your food very cold but not quite frozen during the journey.
HelloFresh also ships all orders using a quicker route so that the food is not on the road for long. Once you get your HelloFresh box, it could sit out for an additional 24 hours and still stay cool and fresh due to the ice packs.
This is how HelloFresh ensures that every customer gets their order while it is still fresh and cold. If something happens to your order and it goes bad, HelloFresh will take care of it for free.
How Long Will HelloFresh Meals Stay Good?
HelloFresh meals can stay good in the fridge for up to 5 days if they contain meat, while seafood meals should be eaten within 3 days. Meals without any meat or seafood can last as long as 7 days if kept very cold.
Ready-to-eat meals from HelloFresh, should ideally be eaten within 3 days for the best flavors. You can freeze some HelloFresh meals, but it could have a negative impact on the flavor of the meals, making them less enjoyable.