How To Tell If Your Candy Is Expired

Candy, whether it's the world's most sour, the sponge variety from Buffalo, or even Aldi's house chocolate brand, has a shelf-life. Even if you don't strictly have to eat your candy by its expiration or best-by date, it can still reach a point where it's no longer great to consume, either through poor storage conditions or simple age. Here's how to tell if your candy has seen better days and should now see a trash can.

Basically, candy has "gone bad" if it looks, tastes, or smells different from fresh candy. For example, the texture of spoiled candy can get granular or gritty, or it may become excessively tacky or even syrupy. It might smell slightly off or, in the biggest tell, it could develop mold. Most candy is relatively inexpensive and easy to get, so if you have doubts as to the freshness of your chocolate or lollipops, it's best to just toss it out and buy new.

Of course, if you can keep track of when you bought the candy, this can help you decide if you should chance eating it or just throw it away. (It's particularly helpful when you buy candy for a specific holiday, like Halloween or Easter, as you can gauge how old it is based on those dates.) However, some types of candy naturally have a longer shelf life than others. Chocolate has a lengthy shelf life, with the dark stuff lasting for anything up to two years (thanks to the fact that it has more cocoa and fewer milk fats in it), while milk chocolate lasts for around 10 months.

Hard candy, like Jolly Ranchers, may last up to a year, while jelly beans, gummy peach rings, and the like might last for up to nine months if the packet is unopened. Anything with caramel or other soft ingredients, like peanut butter, can also last about nine months, but you may want to throw them away at the six-month mark. In general, firmer candies have a longer shelf-life than softer ones or anything that contains fresh ingredients like fruits or nuts.

For candies that come individually wrapped, it's best to keep them in their packets for storage. If you do get into that large chocolate bar or bag of gummy bears, simply place the rest in an airtight container like a zip-top bag or sealable tub. This should help keep it fresh for at least a few more months.

Where you keep your candy is likely the most important factor when it comes to shelf-life. You'll want to store your sweets away from any heat sources, like the stove, outside of the fridge, or sources of direct sunlight. Heat can melt ingredients, like chocolate or caramel, and can cause moisture to form inside candy wrappers, leading to faster spoilage. A cool, dark pantry is the best spot for candy storage. Chocolate actually freezes well too, so use the power of your ice box if you're saving a bar or a chocolate figure for a special occasion months down the road. If it's not been stored correctly, chocolate may develop a white or grayish film called a bloom. Although it looks weird, it's totally safe to consume.