Any Way to Re-Use Marinade?

[thecactuswill]

I know its not recommended, but can it be done safely? Say I took a package of boneless skinless chicken breasts, put them into a ziploc, then poured the marinade in. Then take the chicken out to use later that day, and immediately replace it with another fresh package in the same bag for the next day, without the marinade bag missing more than a minute or two of refrigeration. Could this be done for maybe several times within less than a weeks period with any margin of safety? I just find it so painfully wasteful to always be discarding all this marinade after one brief use.

 

[kitchenelf]

If raw chicken goes bad in about 3 days then your marinade will go bad too. You can boil it for 15 minutes but by that time it's boiled down to ooey gooey messes!

I guess technically, you could get another use out of it. I guess you are talking about just making the same thing again?

Safely, I just wouldn't do it though. However for the exact same thing the next day it should be fine. I've marinated chicken for 3 days in marinade before. But like I said, after 3 days even chicken goes bad.

 

[thecactuswill]

Well yeah just making the same thing over again. I know probably the biggest danger of this idea would be to cross-contaminate different meats. I'm just thinking I could maybe stretch one use of marinade over a few days using the exact same meat?

 

[kitchenelf]

A "few" days is the key. I wouldn't even think using chicken breasts one day and then that night putting in pork chops is going to be bad - you will still be cooking everything. It just can't be used for a whole week.

 

[karadekoolaid]

I know its not recommended, but can it be done safely? Say I took a package of boneless skinless chicken breasts, put them into a ziploc, then poured the marinade in. Then take the chicken out to use later that day, and immediately replace it with another fresh package in the same bag for the next day, without the marinade bag missing more than a minute or two of refrigeration. Could this be done for maybe several times within less than a weeks period with any margin of safety? I just find it so painfully wasteful to always be discarding all this marinade after one brief use.

I don't think I'd even think about it

Dump the marinade - it's not wasteful ; it's practical . There are some things that, unfortunately, have to be discarded. However, if your marinade is organic you can toss it on your garden, and the plants will grow better!!

 

[amber]

Maybe I dont understand what your saying, but couldnt you just use some of the marinade on your chicken and save the rest of the marinade for another time? I wouldnt reuse the marinade if you already had chicken in it. Dump it and make a smaller batch next time.

 

[Hades]

Well thecactuswill, I don't think using the same marinade with the same kind of meat within say 48 hrs would realy hurt.
But if you realy don't want to see your marinade go to waste, then use it in your sauce next time. No waste, delicious sauce... what more could you want?

 

[kitchenelf]

Well thecactuswill, I don't think using the same marinade with the same kind of meat within say 48 hrs would realy hurt.
But if you realy don't want to see your marinade go to waste, then use it in your sauce next time. No waste, delicious sauce... what more could you want?

You just have to be careful though and heat it to the boiling point long enough to kill everything. Unless there's a LOT of sauce I find it reduces too quickly and gets thick and gooey depending on what type of marinade.

What type of marinade ARE you using thecactuswill????

 

[thymeless]

I wouldn't expect the next use of the marinade to produce food of equal flavor. There is an amount of flavor that the food absorbs and some liquid released into the marinade so the flavor balance willl shift. I don't think you're gaining much economy considering the flavor shift and risk.

However, there is a classic Chinese cooking method that reuses the cooking liquid over and over with just small additionf of flavor ingredients again over time. Looing, Red Cooking, are the common terms for it. The more it's used, the better it's supposed to get as it absorbs flavor from the different meats, (never fish). Granted, the liquid is reboiled before use every time. I've got a batch in my freezer between uses right now.

thymeless

 

[bullseye]

I wouldn't expect the next use of the marinade to produce food of equal flavor. There is an amount of flavor that the food absorbs and some liquid released into the marinade so the flavor balance willl shift. I don't think you're gaining much economy considering the flavor shift and risk.

However, there is a classic Chinese cooking method that reuses the cooking liquid over and over with just small additionf of flavor ingredients again over time. Looing, Red Cooking, are the common terms for it. The more it's used, the better it's supposed to get as it absorbs flavor from the different meats, (never fish). Granted, the liquid is reboiled before use every time. I've got a batch in my freezer between uses right now.

thymeless

Don't mean to get off topic, here, but it sounds as if there is some stylized/codified Chinese cooking text(s) behind your post. I am interested in any of this type of text; can you tell me where to learn more?

 

[Katie H]

As for reusing marinades, most marinade ingredients are not too expensive and, after use, one doesn't cry about tossing it out. I'd rather throw it away than to risk a food-borne illness because of cross-contamination or such.

 

[Hades]

You just have to be careful though and heat it to the boiling point long enough to kill everything. Unless there's a LOT of sauce I find it reduces too quickly and gets thick and gooey depending on what type of marinade.

What type of marinade ARE you using thecactuswill????

you're probably right about the food safety issues
When I think marinade, I think lots of red wine, a (flavoured) vinegar and the usual flavourings (pepper, oignons, celery, carrots,...). In the sauce it would be strained and reduced by half or so in a constant simmer.

 

[jennyema]

Reusing marinade means that you are multiplying the bacteria in the marinade many times over when you add another pack of chicken to it. The chicken will be soaking in that.

I wouldn't consider it.

Throwing away bologna that has been in your fridge for a month is wasteful, too. But you'd do that rather than eat it, right?

 

[mish]

I would not re-use the marinade or re-use the bag. A more cost-effective and healthier method (less sodium, etc) -- make up the marinade, funnel it into a bottle, store it in the fridge & use as needed.

 

[YT2095]

Don`t re-use it!
seriously, it`s courting disaster, what you CAN do is make a Gravy/Dip with it after a good hot reduction. and you can even freeze that if you want to.

the Guys/Girls saying about bacteria multiplication are quite correct, and it`s Not proportional to the amount of raw food you use, it`s a Time/Temp thing, AND it exponential, Not a linear in the MX rate!

add some beer to it, heat it up and reduce it down

 

[Robo410]

Some recipes have you use the marinade as a basting sauce or the basis of a pan sauce etc. other than that there is no safe way to reuse it. You will have to boil it down and it will have changed properties and be a different marinade.

THere are further problems in that heat may not kill all the bacteria that could grow over time. SO it is best to toss it and start fresh. THe taste iwl lbe better anyway with fresh ingredients.

 

[VeraBlue]

You all already know what I would say......

Hope everyone is having a nice evening....

 

[TexanFrench]

I always use the leftover marinade as a basis for a sauce -- a cooked sauce, of course. Used either with the meal for that day, or a day or two later. Thought everyone did that. But I guess I'm weird. Ah, well...

 

[thecactuswill]

What type of marinade ARE you using thecactuswill????

Just basic stuff, like italian dressing

 

[Nicholas Mosher]

It's kind of a hassle when most marinades are so cheap to make, but I have read about popular Japanese Yakitori shops that have been using the same heated marinade for over thirty years. I guess they keep it just simmering, and they have a continual process of adding more ingredients as needed. Many marinades are loaded with salt, sugar, and acid which together make for a bacterial wrath of god. People say that you can't have BBQ chicken anywhere else, because no one has the intense development of flavor that these yakitori shops have in their marinade/dipping sauce.

Personally I avoid the hassle and just make new marinades every time. To be honest I really don't have the time or room to heat and freeze my marinade everytime I use it.