If you’re stocking up on dried fruits, it’s important to know how to store them correctly. Leaving them exposed to the air, for example, can leave them vulnerable to reabsorbing moisture, as well as attractive to insects.
The question is, how should you store dried fruit safely? If you want to ensure your dried fruit doesn’t become ruined, below you’ll discover some great tips on how to store it.
Make Sure You Have an Airtight Container
All dried fruits need to be stored within an airtight container. This ensures the air doesn’t cause issues with the reabsorption of moisture. If you don’t store them in an airtight container of some kind, they will spoil much faster and the taste could be impacted.
Plastic freezer containers and dry home canning jars tend to be the best options for storing all kinds of dried fruits.
Store Them Separately
Now, this doesn’t mean store one dried raisin in one container and one in another! What it does mean, is that you’ll want to store different types of dried fruits separately.
While you can serve them together, storing different types of dried fruits together will really impact the flavor. The longer they are stored together, the more the flavor will be affected. So, stick to storing dried fruits in categories where you can.
Consider Storing Portions
Another thing you’ll want to consider is storing the fruits in portions. This means storing just enough for one serving in each container. This is because as soon as you open the storage, the fruits are exposed to the air. Over time, this is going to reduce their quality, change their flavor and cause them to spoil much faster. Storing just one portion per container eliminates this issue completely.
Where Should You Keep Them?
When it comes to where to store the dried fruits, they are best kept somewhere dark and cool. It should also be a dry storage area to ensure the moisture doesn’t seep through.
It’s also important to check your dry foods regularly during storage. This will help you to see whether moisture has become a problem. You can use glass storage containers to help you detect potential issues with moisture much faster.
Avoid Metal Storage
Ideally, you’ll want to avoid using metal containers to keep your dried fruits in. This largely applies to fruits which have added sulphur. This is because when the sulphur interacts with the metal, it can cause the fruit to change color. If you need to store them in a metal container, be sure to place the dried fruit in a plastic bag beforehand.
In terms of how long you can store dried fruits, at the right temperature they can typically be stored for up to one year. However, this will depend upon the type of dried fruit you have and whether you’ve made it yourself. Store-bought dried fruits will usually have an increased shelf life due to added preservatives. When you make your own however, they don’t have those same preservatives included.
