Gnocchi is a type of Italian dumpling that consists of flour, eggs and potato. 

This dumpling has a concave shape and a ribbed surface which makes it a perfect vehicle for a variety of thick and thin sauces.  

It is easy to make gnocchi from scratch, however it can also come packaged from grocery stores. This helps make the process of preparing mouthwatering meals even quicker. 

Store-bought gnocchi could be found in the frozen sections of grocery stores, however, some brands offer shelf stable varieties.

In this post, we learn more about shelf stable gnocchi, the process that is used to make them and how they differ from the frozen gnocchi.

Shelf stable gnocchi

Shelf stable gnocchi is made from the same ingredients as the fresh gnocchi; however, it is produced differently, and it has a longer shelf life than fresh gnocchi. 

The production process for shelf stable gnocchi involves Pasteurizing and cooling the freshly made dumplings.

Shelf-stable gnocchi is often packaged using a modified packaging process known as modified atmospheric packaging which keeps the food stable.

This process prolongs the shelf-life of gnocchi to about 4-5 months. 

Shelf stable gnocchi can be stored on shelves in the pantry and doesn’t have to be refrigerated as in frozen gnocchi 

How to use shelf stable gnocchi

The shelf stable gnocchi is so versatile and can be prepared in different ways.

It can easily be prepared within a few minutes, and it can just as good as fresh gnocchi if prepared properly.

The methods of preparing shelf stable gnocchi include boiling the dumplings or frying the dumplings in oil.

Shelf stable gnocchi can also use to make stir fry.

It can be paired with a wide variety of sauces and topped with different ingredients 

Shelf stable vs frozen gnocchi

The flavor of shelf stable gnocchi is very similar to frozen gnocchi which makes it a good substitute, however, there are slight differences between the two.

Shelf stable gnocchi has a firmer texture compared to the fresh gnocchi variety. It also holds up better to frying than fresh gnocchi.  

It can also take a bit longer to cook compared to the frozen gnocchi 

The shelf stable gnocchi varieties are typically pasteurized to prolong the shelf life and also packaged using a modified packaging technique.

Frozen gnocchi are packaged by vacuum sealing.

Shelf stable gnocchi lasts longer than frozen gnocchi. Some brands of shelf stable gnocchi can last up to 6 months while frozen gnocchi may last about 2 months.

Conclusion

The gnocchi in the grocery stores could either be the Frozen gnocchi or shelf stable variety.  

The texture of shelf stable gnocchi varies from brand to brand and it is slightly different from the texture of frozen gnocchi  

Although many would argue that they prefer the texture and taste of frozen, adjusting the cook-time properly can bring the texture of your shelf stable gnocchi close to the real deal.