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how long can you keep homemade dog treats

by Alvena Schamberger Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Dry, baked, homemade dog treats have the longest shelf life... up to one week in the larder and up to two weeks in the refrigerator, and the crispier/crunchier your baked treats are, the longer they'll stay fresh.

What are the healthiest homemade dog treats?

Your Dog Will Love These Homemade Vet-Approved Dog Treat Recipes!

  • Apple Pretzels Recipe for Dogs. The recipe may look like it has a lot of steps, but this 3-ingredient baked treat is easy to make. ...
  • Blackberry Biscuit Dog Treats Recipe. ...
  • Mini Omelette Recipe for Dogs. ...
  • Frozen Meat Treats Recipe for Dogs. ...
  • Red, White, and Blue Yogurt Popsicles Recipe for Dogs. ...

How to make your own dog treats on the cheap?

Frozen Peanut Butter Yogurt Dog Treats

  • Melt the peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl
  • Combine the yogurt and melted peanut butter
  • Pour the mixture into cupcake papers
  • Place in the freezer

What are the best low calorie dog treats?

  • Vegan, vegetarian, grain-free, low-calorie, and low-protein
  • Contain only dehydrated sweet potato
  • High in fiber
  • Designed for sensitive stomachs and food allergies
  • Only three calories each
  • Company donates to animal charities
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee

How to make the best homemade dog treats?

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • To a large bowl add all the ingredients listed above except the raspberries.
  • If the dough is too dry add shucks of water gradually until you can knead it into a sticky ball.
  • Gently fold in the raspberries. ...
  • Remove dough from the bowl and roll it out on a floured surface. ...

More items...

How do you preserve homemade dog treats?

For long-term storage the best thing to do is to pop the treats into your freezer. You should package them tightly or put them in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn. You can store homemade dog treats this way for several months. Dry dog treats can also be stored for a longer period by using a vacuum sealer.

How long can I freeze homemade dog treats?

six monthsStore your homemade dog treats in an airtight container and place them in the freezer. Allow the treat to thaw for 10 to 20 minutes prior to serving your dog. These homemade dog treats will last for up to six months in the freezer.

How long does homemade dog food last in refrigerator?

about four daysStoring Homemade Dog Food. Once you've prepared a batch of fresh food, store it in the refrigerator for about four days or freeze it for up to six months in an air-tight container or resealable bag. When serving freshly made dog food, use the same precautions you would when serving canned dog food.

How do you make homemade dog treats last longer?

If you freeze a batch right after cooking, you can extend their expiration date for several weeks. Baked treats made with natural preservatives like vitamin C and mold inhibitors can last for up to six months in the right conditions.

How long do dog treats last?

The suggested length of time to keep them on the shelf (unopened) up to four months and (opened) up to two months. Unopened, you can toss them in the freezer up to 6 months.

How do you store dog treats?

Help keep your pet healthy by following these safety tips for storing pet food and treats:Store pet food and treats in the original container or bag. ... If you want to store dry pet food in another storage container, put the entire bag into the container rather than pour the kibble directly into it.More items...•

Why did my homemade dog treats mold?

🐾 The true fact to remember is that "moisture" grows mold, so if you decorate a dog treat or dog birthday cake and refrigerate or freeze it, the icing/frosting will become "wet/moist" again. Meaning it will grow mold unless you air dry it after removing it from the refrigerator or freezer.

How do you dry homemade dog treats?

Treats can be dried after baking by leaving them in the oven after baking with door slightly ajar (or fan operating) while the oven cools or using a dehydrator. Removing additional moisture can, however, make them more prone to cracking and crumbling.

Homemade Dog Treats vs. Commercial Dog Treats

Most commercial dog treats use preservatives and/or low-moisture content to extend their shelf life.

Understanding Dog Treat Shelf Life

The edible life of a homemade baked biscuit or cookie dog treat can vary greatly. Key factors include the treat ingredients, how the treat was prepared, and the conditions in which it is stored. We’ll take a deep dive into all of those factors later in this post.

Ingredients and Homemade Dog Treat Shelf Life

Quality homemade treats start with quality ingredients. Whether for people or for pets, freshness and safe storage of ingredients is important. Read ingredient labels, trust your sources, select with care, store properly, and pay attention to use-by dates.

Moisture and Homemade Dog Treat Shelf Life

In most cases, the drier the treat, the more stable it will be. Crunchy dry and dehydrated treats are more stable than soft cookies as the environment is less hospitable for bacteria and mold, which helps to delay spoilage and extend shelf life.

Ambient Conditions and Homemade Dog Treat Shelf Life

The ambient conditions will also affect stored shelf-life, so store the container in a suitable location. Treats last longer in cool, dry, dark conditions. These are the least favourable conditions for the common modes of food spoilage that can affect baked biscuit dog treats.

What's the Best Way to Store Homemade Dog Treats?

Well, that’s a matter of personal opinion, but I prefer to freeze homemade dog treats for extended safe storage. In addition to being the safest option and super easy, it also allows me to keep a variety of treats on hand so that there’s always something different available to the treat jar and a walkies pocket treat bag.

Keen to Try a Few Treats?

Check out the full mini-series topic for an introduction to the main categories of different homemade dog treats we make and share here on the blog:

What affects shelf life in dog treats?

When you use fresh and natural ingredients, the shelf life of your treats will shorten significantly. The benefit of full nutrition without additives comes at the price of a shorter usable life. Most of the recipes can last for up to a week when stored properly and under refrigeration.

Most common homemade treats for your dog

There are some very popular dog-treat recipes that are easy to make and will have your four-legged friend drooling for more. We have put together a list with a few to get you started:

How to properly store your treats

There are a few ways that you can extend the life of your homemade treats just by improving your storage methods. Lack of proper storage is the main reason why food of any kind goes wrong. Make sure you follow these best practices and your dog will enjoy those treats for longer:

Do dog treats expire?

Just like human food products, dog treats do indeed have any expiration date. You should find this printed somewhere on the packet of any store-bought treats, but you’ll usually find that most dog treats have a pretty long shelf life.

Do milk-bone treats expire?

A popular type of treat are Milk Bones. You should find that even this type of treat lasts a long time - with an average shelf life after purchase of about a year - 18 months.

Can dog treats go bad?

This will largely depend on the composition of the treat itself - those with fresher or meat / dairy type composition will typically have a shorter shelf life than those which mainly consist of grains and so on.

Do dog treats go stale and taste bad?

Although dog treats that have expired are unlikely to be hugely problematic for your dog, you might find that expired treats have gone stale and are therefore not hugely tasty for your dog.

Can expired dog treats cause diarrhea or make my pet ill?

There’s no definite answer to this, as it will of course vary from dog to dog. Those who have sensitive tummies or perhaps have allergies should probably avoid expired dog treats just to be on the safe side.

How long should I keep dog treats for?

You can keep most store-bought dog treats for a fairly lengthy amount of time, especially if you’re keeping them in sealed or unopened packets.

How should I store dog treats?

Keeping dog treats in their original packaging until you’re ready to use them is the best idea. It might be tempting to tip lots of treats into special storage containers, but if you’re not going to use them for a while, they’ll last longer in their store packets.

Cool Treats COMPLETELY Before Storing

At the end of every recipe on my site you'll see the instruction to 'allow to cool completely'. That little sentence is hugely important when it comes to how well, and how long, you can store homemade dog treats.

Ingredients & Dog Treat Storage

The ingredients in a specific dog treat recipe have a big impact on where you should store the treats, and how long they'll stay fresh.

Best Place to Store Homemade Dog Treats?

For the majority of homemade dog treat recipes, for the majority of the time, the best storage option is an airtight container in your refrigerator.

Where You Live Can Matter

This is the last, and least important factor when it comes to how you store your homemade dog treats, but it can still play a role. So can seasonally changing temperatures.

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