Do Raisins Become Stale
Do Raisins become stale? What happens to them? How should I store them?
Best Answer
They absolutely do. They're "dried" but they're not really dry. They will continue to dry out until they become grainy and weird. Most dried fruit is this way, with the exception of freeze dried fruit, which has the opposite problem: once you open it, it absorbs moisture from the air, and gets gummy and gross.
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Quick Answer about "Do Raisins Become Stale"
While drying fruit is a reliable preservation method, and raisins certainly have a much longer shelf life than grapes, raisins can still go bad. So long as the box of raisins is unopened, and stored in your pantry, raisins have a shelf life of a year past the expiration date.Can raisins be stale?
Yes, raisins can indeed go bad. Whilst it is rare to come across a moldy package of raisins, since the shelf life is generally pretty long, it can happen, especially when the raisins have been open for some time, and kept in a hot area. Just keep an eye out for signs that they are bad and use your best judgment.How long do raisins stay good for?
Fruits such as dried apricots, prunes, and raisins will keep at top quality in the pantry for six months. After opening, you may wish to store them tightly sealed in the refrigerator to preserve the quality for up to six additional months or freeze them for one month.How do you freshen stale raisins?
Place the raisins in a bowl and pour boiling water to cover. They'll soften in minutes. This also works great when adding raisins (or other dried fruit) to recipes when baking.Science of Stale
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Answer 2
We bulk purchase a variety of bulk dried fruits. Depending on their moisture level when you buy them they will keep for a long time (up to a year)
If they are moist and squishy (typical of apricots), they will need to be frozen to last past a few months
For reasons I don't know dried fruit does not improve with age. They don't taste 'more dried', they just lose flavour and texture. I have not had any go off, they are just not as nice
The exception being Arab figs, which seem to become more intense with storage?
Like most dry goods, store them in a cool dark place in an airtight container
Answer 3
I remember raisins being sold in packets with a little amount of (edible) petroleum jelly on them to keep them moist - 0.5% by weight, if I remember correctly.
My first degree was in Food Science (I graduated 33 years ago so I'm a bit out of date), and as part of my studies I worked for six months in what was called a 'Public Analysts' laboratory, in which we would check the chemical contents of food. Once I was asked how I would check the oil content of a packet of raisins - I would add the raisins to alcohol or ether then separate the solvent and evaporate it. What would be left would be the oil.
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