How long will coquito keep in your fridge? Not as long as you think
You scored some coquito for the holidays? Good for you.
Now hurry up and drink that bottle — because come New Year’s Eve, it won’t be safe to enjoy.
All the wonderful creamy and boozy holiday drinks South Florida loves — coquito, crema de vie, kremas and ponche crema, which are all better than eggnog — will only keep in the fridge for four days after they are made, a USDA spokesperson said.
“Past four days, it’s risky to drink it,” said Maribel Alonso, a USDA food safety specialist.
She should know. Alonso is from Puerto Rico and coquito is as much a part of her Christmas as Papá Noel (Santa Claus).
“Being from Puerto Rico, I know people keep it in the fridge for a long time,” Alonso said.
Longer, she says, than is safe by USDA standards.
The culprit? Milk. Every recipe for these holiday drinks, including Puerto Rican coquito, uses some kind of milk in the recipe, from evaporated to condensed. And as soon as any of those cans are opened, the clock starts ticking before bacteria start to grow to unsafe levels, she said.
Plus, many versions of these drinks use eggs. They pose a separate risk, mainly salmonella infection, she said. She said people in the USDA’s at-risk group — children, adults older than 65 and people with weakened immune systems — shouldn’t have a holiday drink with raw eggs. (Not that kids should be drinking spiked coquito anyway!)
For those who like their coquito with the richness of eggs — a separate controversy as some call that version a ponche — Alonso recommends using pasteurized eggs in a carton. Fresh eggs should be mixed with the evaporated milk and warmed slowly in a pot on the stove until the cream reaches a food-safe 160 degrees. Use a cooking thermometer.
“That would be the safest way to do it,” she said.
However, that won’t change the USDA’s stance on drinking any version after four days.
She knows some will drink it anyway long after Day 4 is in the rearview mirror. But she says coquito and the others taste best when they are fresh. Make several batches throughout the holidays instead.
“Think about the quality,” she said. “After four days, the flavors start to change. For safety and quality, it’s best to use it within four days.”
Besides, if your coquito is good enough, it won’t last four days.
This story was originally published December 24, 2019 at 10:12 AM.
