Desserts and sweets
Macarons are a French dessert made from almond (sometimes with the addition of coconut) flour and filled with a variety of creams. The dough is tinted with natural food dyes, and after baking, the finished products are set aside for 12 hours so that the cookies acquire their characteristic fragility. How to store macarons and their halves - we will tell you about this in our article.
How long to store macarons
- The dessert can last in the refrigerator for 5 days.
- Unfilled halves can be refrigerated for up to 30 days.
- Macarons can be stored in the freezer for up to 90 days.
How to extend the shelf life?
There are several simple secrets that will keep your macarons delicious longer:
- The fresher the product, the better. Look at the baking date and time. If you purchased a product a few hours after it was produced, it will last as long as possible without loss of quality. Plus, you can throw on from several hours to several days, depending on the chosen method.
- If the temperature in the freezer is below -18°C, the shelf life increases by 10-15%. It is important that the packaging is exposed to as little adverse effects as possible by placing it away from the door.
- If you need to carry items home for several hours in the summer, it is better to use a thermal bag.
- If you store the preparations, if possible, apply cream to them about a day before use.
Important! After applying the cream, the products should be placed in a plastic resealable container and kept in the refrigerator for a day.
If you follow these simple recommendations, you can preserve the excellent taste of your macarons for as long as possible. It is best to use the refrigerator or freezer and do not violate the deadlines, since after their expiration the taste deteriorates greatly.
Containers for storing macarons
Ideally, do not unpack the original packaging, but if this happens, you need to ensure its safety. Container plays a big role here. You can’t simply fold products; you need to choose the packaging wisely and follow a number of recommendations:
- Since the microclimate is very important for products, it is necessary to create the right conditions. To minimize changes in temperature and humidity, use only airtight containers.
- Plastic containers of the appropriate size work best. The macarons should be laid vertically so that they touch each other as little as possible. Do not hammer tightly under any circumstances. If you still have to lay it in two layers, be sure to place parchment paper between them.
- Glass containers that close well will also work. It is important to choose an option with a suitable shape and a wide neck so that it is convenient to fold and remove the products.
Storage conditions
To ensure the highest possible safety and preserve taste for as long as possible, you need to follow certain recommendations. They depend on the chosen storage method.
Storage without refrigeration
In this case, you can keep the macarons for no more than a day. After this time, the taste will begin to deteriorate, and after 36 hours it will not be the same exquisite, melt-in-your-mouth delicacy. Regarding the conditions:
- Optimal humidity is from 70 to 75%. Temperature – no higher than 20°C.
- It is advisable to choose a dark, cool place. Place the products in a plastic container and close tightly, placing them as far as possible so that they do not touch each other.
- A kitchen cabinet will also work, but it is better to place the packaging closer to the back wall.
How to store macarons in the refrigerator
Immediately after baking, leave the finished halves to cool completely. In the process, they reach a consistency where a thin crispy crust forms on top with a tender center. Only after this the halves begin to be creamed.
Interestingly, they become most delicious on the third day.
That is why when purchasing, ask for those products that were made 72 hours ago. If stored correctly, they will be maximally saturated with cream and will be juicy inside and crispy on top. If you want to eat now, then this is the best choice to enjoy the right taste of this delicious dessert.
When buying for future use, you need to buy the freshest products. After purchasing, you should pack them in a vacuum container or tightly closed tray. However, remember that on the 5th day after baking they begin to become dry.
Before serving, the dessert should be removed from the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
When preparing them at home, you should organize the storage of macarons under the following conditions:
- temperature 3-5°C;
- humidity 70-75%.
If you order them by mail, you should ask them to pack them tightly. In winter, they retain their properties better, but in summer, special thermal containers should be chosen for shipping such baked goods.
Where and under what conditions is it better to keep macarons?
The main conditions are:
- Room temperature.
- Fridge.
- Freezer.
At room temperature ( +18-20 degrees ) and at a relative humidity of no more than 70-75%, macarons can be kept for no more than a day. This is naturally due to the fact that the cream filling contains eggs, cream or milk, and butter, and these products cannot withstand long-term storage at such temperatures.
Macarons are, one might say, a unique dessert that fully reveals its taste and is saturated with filling after a certain time. Therefore, after preparation, it is recommended to place the dessert in the refrigerator for a period of 5 to 7 days . The optimal temperature is considered to be +1°C - 7°C , the top shelf of the refrigerator is the most suitable place and during this time they will not have time to dry out.
If you need to preserve macarons for a longer time, you can freeze . It is believed that the maximum storage time for dessert in the freezer is 180 days . But it is unlikely that in six months the cake will be suitable for consumption; at least the taste will clearly deteriorate. Therefore, the optimal period would be 90 days , the taste and texture will be intact. Before eating, the treat should be left at room temperature for half an hour.
Cold storage
The pastry is filled with cream only after it has completely cooled, when a crispy crust forms on it, and the center remains tender.
The taste of macarons becomes most vibrant on the 3rd day after they are made, when the halves are well soaked in cream. Therefore, when buying this dessert in a store, it is better to choose one that was made about 3 days ago. If the product was stored correctly, then its center should be juicy and the crust should be crispy. It is the three-day product that meets all the necessary standards and taste qualities for consumption right now.
Store macarons on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator at +1°C -+7°C for 5 - 7 days.
If this confectionery product is purchased for the future, it is better to buy it fresh. The cookies are then packaged in a container with an airtight lid or a vacuum bag. But even proper storage will not help prolong their freshness for more than 5 days (then they will begin to dry out).
After storing in the refrigerator, the product is kept in natural conditions for 15 - 20 minutes so that its taste is fully revealed.
For home baked goods, storage should be carried out at a humidity of 70 - 75% and a temperature of +3°C -+5°C.
When ordering at home in winter, it is better to ask that the dessert be packed airtight. And in the summer it needs to be transported in thermal bags.
Shelf life of macarons
The products are delicious almond cookies with coconut flakes and cream. It is distinguished by a very delicate taste, light and airy structure. It is not surprising that if the terms and conditions are violated, the taste deteriorates and the product becomes hard.
The two types of products are often confused due to their similar appearance and names, so it is worth examining this point in more detail:
- Macaron is a cake made from two halves, specially baked in a mold and a layer of cream in the middle. It saturates the product from the inside and gives that same structure - tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. Vibrant colors are provided by food coloring.
- Macaroon – almond cookies with coconut flakes and cream. Less common, but gourmets prefer it.
But the most important thing is that the storage conditions and periods are the same for both types. Therefore, you can understand this issue once and use the recommendations for both types:
- If the products are in original packaging, their shelf life should be verified according to the information provided by the manufacturer.
- After unpacking, cookies must be consumed within 24 hours. However, it should not be placed in the sun or near heated surfaces.
- When stored in the refrigerator, macarons can be kept for no more than 5 days. During this period, it is advisable to eat them.
- If frozen, the products can be stored for 3 to 6 months.
Important! If you purchased the product frozen, place it in the freezer until you need to defrost it. If the products thaw, there is no point in re-freezing them; this will greatly deteriorate the structure and taste.
If possible, do not buy too many macarons, buy as needed so as not to worry about how to store them. If you bake them yourself, it is best to freeze the preparations, this way they will remain fresh for the longest time.
Storing macarons at room temperature
Almond macarons can indeed be stored at room temperature, but it should not exceed +20. And even in this case, the shelf life of the product is no more than a day.
Eggs, butter, milk, cream are perishable products that are usually present in macaroon filling, so filled pastries are stored in the refrigerator.
The appearance and taste of the cakes will be preserved at a relative air humidity of up to 75%. Macarons should be kept in a place out of direct sunlight.
If possible, it is better to store almond cakes in a cooler place than living quarters. The optimal conditions for preserving macarons may be in the pantry or cellar.
