If you buy Skittles in bulk, you may wonder if there’s a point at which your candies will go bad. Do you have to stuff your face before the date your Skittles expire? Let’s find out.
When skittles expire, they lessen in quality and flavor over time. Expired skittles can’t make you ill or cause major health problems, but it’s best to always go for fresh skittles rather than old, tasteless candy!
This article will share tips on knowing when skittles are past their prime and how to store them.
Signs Skittles Have Gone Bad
Yes, skittles can expire. But expiration date labels don’t mark how long it’s safe to eat something. Instead, they only mention the “peak quality” of a product. So, how can you tell when skittles have gone bad? Let’s find out.
Skittles Are Hard Now
If you see cracks or dots on the surface of the skittles, odds are they’ve dried out and have gone stale. And if there’s mold on the skittles, throw them away immediately. If they look like regular skittles, they will almost definitely taste like skittles!
Skittles Have a Sticky or Grainy Texture
If Skittles appear extremely sticky or have a grainy texture, they are most likely expired due to temperature changes and sugar crystallization.
Skittles Are Discolored
After many years, the sugar in skittles might even dry out and crumble. Expired Skittles will be discolored and lose their shape over time.
Is it Expired? – 21 Year Old Skittles
What Causes Skittles To Expire?
In general, Skittles could last many years past the expiration date, especially if they’re left in their original packaging. Skittles could last over ten years if kept in the right conditions. However, an opened bag of Skittles could go bad faster.
Keep reading to discover what causes Skittles to expire.
Ingredients
Sugar is a natural preservative. Historically, people used sugar to extend the usable life of fruit and other foods.
According to food scientists, the shelf life of some dry candies maybe years. While shelf life depends on the properties of the candy, it doesn’t mean it’ll still look and taste good.
All types of ingredients, like sugar and gelatin, help the flavoring, texture, and shape of skittles. These ingredients are the weak links that make skittles vulnerable to discoloration and changes in texture and flavor.
Basically, the recipe of skittles breaks down over time. Skittles also contain fruit juice, making them susceptible to mold after some time. You should take greater caution with skittles, and none should be kept for more than ten months under the best conditions. Speaking of conditions, they are a huge deal too.
Extreme temperatures And Moisture
Moisture and heat are also big factors. Skittles, in general, don’t like heat. It causes skittles to melt or get sticky, and the more moisture skittles have, the more easily affected they will be by heat.
And for all of you who love putting candy in the fridge or freezer, cold temperatures can also cause this.
If left to sit too long or exposed to extreme temperatures, skittles will be seriously affected to the point where you might not want to eat them anymore. Wrappers can stick, colors can change, and melting and re-solidifying can happen. Skittles can also melt together at high temperatures.
For these reasons, it’s best to store Skittles at room temperature. We recommend storing your pack of skittles in a dark and dry place where it won’t get exposed to airflow.
How to Properly Store Skittles?
Storing a bag of Skittles isn’t tricky. If the bag is unopened, store it in a dry, room-temperature pantry. Proper conditions prevent Skittles from melting, getting too moist, and becoming hard to eat.
If you have opened a bag, transfer the Skittles into an airtight container and store them somewhere dry, cool, and away from direct sunlight. This will ensure the longevity of the Skittles.
Note: Never refrigerate or freeze your bag of Skittles! Cold temperatures will harden the Skittles and even cause them to become moist.
What if I eat expired Skittles?
It’s unlikely that eating a sugar-based candy, like skittles, past its prime will affect your health. In other words, it’s an issue of quality decline, not health. However skittles may exhibit some signs of age on the surface, but eating expired skittles won’t present any health risks.
Generally, Skittles don’t rot or mold because they don’t contain microorganisms thriving on them. Instead, they just become brittle and hard to eat. So a hardened piece of Skittle might cause you to chip or break a tooth.
When should I throw out my Skittles?
A good rule of thumb is tossing your candy when it stops tasting good. You probably won’t get sick — unless you eat all of your skittles in one sitting.
When deciding whether or not you want to eat these candies, smell them and check for signs of mold. If Skittles smell off or weird, it’d be safer to toss them. And if there’s mold on the Skittles, immediately toss it.
Like all foods, mold isn’t a good sign and can be bad for your health if you eat it.
Lastly, if you eat an expired Skittle that is hard to bite through, it would be best to throw it out. It’s not worth risking a chipped tooth and a visit to the dentist.
Related Questions
Why do Skittles last so long?
The main reason skittles can last so long is that sugar is a great preservative! It inhibits the activity of microbes that cause food to spoil, and this is why skittles will keep for ages!
How long do skittles last in the fridge?
Skittles can last in the fridge for 1 to 2 years before going bad if you store them in the right conditions.
Final Thoughts
So can you eat the expired pack of Skittles in your pantry? As long as it’s been left unopened and kept in the right conditions, it’s safe to eat Skittles within 2 or 3 years.
However, always notice the smell and hardness. Especially if you’ve opened the Skittles bag or had the candy for a few years, it’s crucial to check. Most importantly, look out for mold!
In general, it’s not a smart idea to eat candy that is not fresh because expired candy can soften and discolor. Skittles will not expire in the sense that they can make a person ill if eaten, but expired skittles will be tasteless, discolored, and even disfigured.
