Do Jelly Beans Go Bad?
Jelly beans, though resilient, are not exactly immortal. At some point, they will begin to go off. So, to give your jelly beans the best possible chance of survival, here is what to do!
How Do I Store Jelly Beans?
Jelly beans are a pretty tough food product. They can last for quite some time with very little maintenance. All you really need to do is to keep them away from the elements that can harm them. The biggest offenders of these are heat and moisture. Left exposed, these elements will break down your jelly beans pretty quickly.
Unopened packages of jelly beans
I’m sure it will come as no surprise to you that jelly beans do best in cold, dark places. So, the best place to store unopened bags is in a cabinet or in the pantry. Anywhere that is away from direct sunlight and heat will do just fine. Even a drawer is pretty much ideal. If the jelly beans get too hot at any point, they will begin to warp and change shape. The structure of the sugar will change. And, most importantly, the flavor will begin to change. So, keep it simple. Put them away in the pantry or a cabinet as soon as you get them home. That is unless you eat them straight away like I am prone to do!
Opened packages of jelly beans
Really, the storage conditions don’t change much whether the bag is opened or not. The only thing is that the jelly beans will be exposed to air if the bag isn’t resealed. Bugs can also potentially become an issue. After all, flies are attracted to sugar. As are ants. So, to combat this, the best thing to do is to transfer the jelly beans into a better vessel. An airtight container will do just fine. However, they just happen to look so much more aesthetically pleasing in a jar. Overall, just remember that jelly beans will always keep better under 25 degrees Celsius, or 77 Fahrenheit.
Should You Refrigerate Jelly Beans?
Though jelly beans don’t really need to be refrigerated, there are reasons why you might want to do it. In some climates, the kitchen might just get too warm to keep jellybeans in the cabinet. In this case, it is totally fine to do so. However, jelly beans prefer temperatures over 13 degrees Celsius, 55 Fahrenheit. Because of this, we would always recommend storing your jelly beans in a cabinet, if possible.
Can You Freeze Jelly Beans?
Jelly beans that have been kept at 0 Fahrenheit will pretty much keep indefinitely. Simply transfer the jelly beans into an airtight container before freezing and you can pretty much forget about them afterward. However, jelly beans last for quite some time without doing this. So much so, that we are struggling to come up with a good reason why you would need to do it. That being said, if you come up with a reason to do it, you now know that it at least works!
How Long Do Jelly Beans Last?
Unopened packages of jelly beans
No matter who has made the jelly beans, there will always be a sell-by date on the package. Well, the best thing about this sell-by date is that it doesn’t really mean anything. The jelly beans won’t magically go off after this date has passed. Really, the best way to think of the date is as an indicator of their best quality. Basically, if you store your beans properly, they will store for way longer than this date. In fact, they will probably stay good for more than 6 months after the sell-by date. At best, they may even keep for an extra 9 months. In the fridge, the sell-by date becomes more accurate as this temperature is too cold for them. In the freezer, you can keep them forever!
Opened packages of jelly beans
Opening a package of jelly beans won’t really affect how quickly they go off. Once the jelly beans are transferred into an airtight container after opening, they will be fine. As we said earlier, they are a remarkably resilient food product.
How Do I Make Jelly Beans Last Longer?
The most important thing you need to remember when storing jelly beans is to keep them at a steady temperature. Though they are tough, they don’t like too much heat, and they definitely don’t like moisture. But, don’t overthink it. Jelly beans are made up of sugar, corn syrup, and a few other hardy ingredients. Each of these ingredients has a very long shelf-life. On top of this, there are also a lot of preservatives in jelly beans. Basically, jelly beans are built to last. But, if they have been stored at the wrong temperature, or they’ve taken in moisture, this can all change. To learn the signs of spoilage, have a look at the section below.
Signs That Your Jelly Beans May Have Gone Off
Sometimes, no matter what we do, things go off earlier than we would have expected. This is why it is worth getting to know the signs that will tell you that this is happening. The first sign that you should look for is that the jelly beans have clumped together and stuck. This will mean they have become damp at some point, or too hot and have leaked their contents. Apart from this, the signs are generally quite dramatic. You will be on the lookout for such things as mold, color changes, and misshapen beans. If none of these signs are there, the chances are that the beans are still good. The only thing to do in this case is to have a taste. Out of date jelly beans are usually safe to eat. Just bear in mind that they won’t be that good!]]>
