What Types of Sweets Can Be Frozen (and Which Cannot)
Candy has a long shelf life, as we explained earlier this week – chocolates, caramel, and hard candy can last nine months or more at room temperature if packaged properly. But what if some of the bars in your catch are already approaching their expiration date, or you have some fresh candy but want to keep them until next year? Good news: it can probably be frozen, depending on which one.
If your candy is on the frozen list, be sure to prepare yourself for a good experience when it’s finally time to unearth the frozen treasures. The candies should be tightly wrapped either in their original wrappers or in bags or wrappers with as much air as possible. If you can vacuum seal the candy, that’s perfect.
Here are the types of candies you can freeze
Chocolate will last as long at room temperature as in the freezer, so freezing may seem unnecessary, depending on where you are. If you live in an area where the temperature inside your home can reach the melting temperature of chocolate in the summer – only about 85 degrees Fahrenheit – it will be safer to store chocolate in the refrigerator or freezer than in the pantry. Dark chocolate lasts for one to two years; milk chocolate and white chocolate last eight to 10 months.
Caramel and gummies are similar: store them in a cool, dry place and they will last for about a year. This can be anything from a cool room temperature cabinet to a freezer, so freeze them if you want them to survive the year.
The University of Missouri expansion warns that your candy can change its appearance in the freezer. The fat in the chocolate can bloom, causing a dusty appearance that should disappear when the chocolate is thawed. Chunks and nuts in the chocolate can crack in the freezer, but they should also disappear when thawed.
Many homemade candies can also be frozen, the extension says, including “fondant, divine, brittle, toffee, creams and caramel.” Wrap them tightly, ideally in separate portions.
Here are the types of candies that must not be frozen
According to the University of Missouri, chocolate-covered cherries are not suitable for freezing because the filling expands when frozen.
The National Confectionery Association does not recommend freezing candy containing fruits or nuts, but does not specify which ones fall into this category. I’m sure we all had a frozen Snickers bar that turned out great (if not, try this!), But be careful if this is your first time freezing something with fruit or nuts.
Here are the types of candies you can freeze, but not for long.
The National Pastry Cheese Association states that truffles and toffee should only be frozen for two months. Toffee only lasts a few weeks in the refrigerator, at least if it is fresh and homemade, so this greatly extends its lifespan.
Homemade truffle tips seem to vary, with some sources saying that you need to eat frozen chocolate truffles for three months , while I’ve found others that you should be fine for up to 12-18 months .
If you have a specific recipe you’d like to try freezing for a long time (so you can make your holiday candy earlier, for example), see if your recipe has storage instructions, or make a test batch ahead of time and see how good it is. lasts. The exact properties will likely depend on the ingredients you use, so it may not be easy to find a solid answer. When it comes to commercially packaged chocolates, anything that can be kept at room temperature for a while is likely to be good for at least that time in the freezer.
What happens if you freeze candy for too long? Fortunately, this is not a food safety issue. Old candy won’t make you sick. But it may be fired in the freezer or it may have a different texture than fresh.