How to store macarons is one of the issues that many people are interested in today. Making macarons requires a lot of ingredients and a complicated process, but preserving them is not as difficult as you think if you follow the instructions below.
The following valuable tips will not only help you ensure the freshness of macaron but can also extend its shelf life up to many months. You can comfortably make macarons in advance without rushing to prepare close to the day of the event anymore.
This post will give you detailed information about macarons storage methods and their respective shelf life. In order not to waste your time, check out the article now!
What Are Macarons?
Macarons represent perfection in the culinary scene of dreamy France, not only because of the sophisticated way of making but also the variety of ingredients. Macarons are the perfect combination of icing sugar, egg whites, and almond flour – a dough that must be smooth and requires the baker to grind it manually.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, macarons have added ganache ingredients but have not changed the original recipe (1). That is why macarons are often called the haughty lady of the land of the Seine with the most luxurious price.
Why Should You Properly Store Macarons?
In the typical environment, high temperature will make the surface of the shell easy to dry out because of the air influence, causing the macarons to dry quickly. Usually, if you store macarons without any containers at room temperature, you have no choice but to eat them for a few hours.
In addition, macarons are also sensitive to humid air, so when you store them in a too damp place, the macarons will become soft and somewhat sticky. Storing macarons in the refrigerator, make sure that the temperature is stable to prevent them from getting wet due to fluctuating temperatures.
How To Store Macarons?
So is it challenging to store macarons – this haughty girl? How many methods of storing macarons are there? Let’s take a look at how to store macarons in each different case!
At Room Temperature
Macarons are still fine at room temperature if you do not want to keep them in the fridge. However, their shelf life, when not refrigerated, will be much more limited. When you leave it outside, you are creating a danger zone where bacteria thrive. Therefore, it is essential to keep this in mind when deciding to keep them at room temperature.
When keeping macarons at room temperature, the maximum shelf life is about 24 hours when stored correctly in an airtight container.
Step 1: Store macarons in airtight containers, avoiding exposure to air.
Step 2: Arrange the macarons in straight layers, avoiding stacking them on top of each other
Step 3: If you want to add more macarons to the box, place a few more pieces of parchment paper on the bottom of the box and top of every layer
Step 4: Place the macarons box should be stored in a cool place, away from direct sunlight.
In The Fridge
Storing macarons in the refrigerator is one of the best ways to help you enjoy its freshness to the fullest. You can store macarons in an airtight container, glass jar, or particular container to preserve them at their best. Then, in the cold air, you can eliminate condensation and inhibit the activity of harmful bacteria.
When keeping macarons in the refrigerator, you can use them from 2 to 4 days, up to 7 days. The maximum possible time depends on how you store them in the fridge. There are two standard storage methods as follows.
Filled Macarons
If you need to use macarons for 2-4 days, you can keep them all in the refrigerator.
Step 1: Store the entire shell and filling of macarons in the airtight container
Step 2: Stack all of them side by side, avoiding stacking them so as not to damage the crust.
Step 3: If you add more macarons to the box, You can separate them with parchment paper; separating each layer of macarons will help you keep the perfect shape of the crust.
Step4: Place the box in the middle compartment of the refrigerator – where the temperature is most stable.
Unfilled Macarons
If you want to enjoy the full flavor of macarons, especially the filling, you can completely keep them separate. Keeping the filling separate can help you extend the storage time up to 7 days.
Step 1: Store the shells in the airtight container and put the filling in the piping bag.
Step 2: Line up the shells in the container side by side in a single layer. Avoid stacking them to protect the surface of the crust from being damaged.
Step 3: Use parchment paper on the top of the layer to store more shells in the box.
Step 4: Put the shell box and the filling in the middle compartment of the refrigerator, avoid placing heavy objects on top of the box.
Don’t forget to take your macarons out of the fridge for about 20 minutes before putting them on the table to preserve their perfect flavor. You surely don’t want to enjoy chilled macarons.
Make your simple piping bags for piping the filling. Watch this video to know:
In The Freezer
A freezer is a place that can help you extend the shelf life of any food, and macarons are no exception. You do not need to worry because when kept in the freezer, macarons’ color, texture, and taste do not change too much after a long time.
In the case of freezing, macarons can be kept for about three months, even six months, if stored properly. However, their quality can only be perfect in the minimum time and cannot be guaranteed in the maximum time.
Filled Macarons
If you want to enjoy the macarons for a month, you can store both the shells and the filling in the freezer, then take them out when needed.
Step 1: Consider carefully the filling that is stored with the crust. Some fillings like buttercream can get wet after defrosting.
Step 2: Refrigerate the macarons with cling film for about 24 hours so that the filled macarons can mature
Step 3: Take them out of the fridge and unwrap the cling film.
Step 4: Put your assembled macarons in the airtight container and arrange them side by side in layers. If you want to prevent macarons from sticking together, use parchment paper to separate these layers.
Step 5: When putting macarons in the freezer, wrap them carefully with two layers of paper on top to avoid freezer burn.
Step 6: Write on your box the date you put them in the freezer. A date label will help you calculate the exact shelf life of your macarons.
Unfilled Macaron
If you want to extend the storage time up to 6 months, it is better to keep them separate.
Step 1: Keep the crust in an airtight container and the filling in a piping bag.
Step 2: Stack the crust next to each other in layers, do not stack them on top of each other.
Step 3: Use parchment papers to separate the crusts, wrap two more layers of stencils on top to avoid freezer burn.
Step 4: Chocolate or ganache filling can comfortably be stored in the freezer. However, other fillings such as fruit, jelly, milk, and buttercream should be considered. Therefore, you should only freeze the crust; you can prepare these fillings on the day of serving.
Step 5: Before putting the crust box in the freezer, your box should be labeled the date you prepared them.
You will know how to store macarons in a proper way:
Thaw Macarons Before Serving:
You can defrost the macaron for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Take the frozen box and put it in the fridge, do not remove them from the box to avoid any condensation inside.
There is no difference in defrosting method between filled and unfilled macarons, so just follow the instructions above to defrost macarons.
Once defrosted, the maximum shelf life of macarons is 2 – 4 days from then. Do not freeze and defrost them more than once. Careful consideration should be given to the using amount to avoid repeated defrosting and damage to the cake.
How To Transport Macarons – Several Hacks
A picnic or holiday vacation with colorful and sweet macarons is one of the ideal things. If you want to transport macarons within a day, I recommend that you keep them in the freezer. Then, keep the macarons in a portable refrigerator for shipping.
In the case of not using a portable refrigerator, you should only transport it within 30 minutes so as not to affect the crust.
Step 1: Pack macarons in specialized containers. It would help if you did not use glass jars to limit the impact.
Step 2: Put macarons in the refrigerator to develop their flavors or freeze macarons if shipping for a long time. Do this task before transporting your macarons.
Step 3: Prepare a portable refrigerator or use an ice pack to maintain the cool temperature for macarons.
Step 4: Next, you can put extra non-slip mats under the refrigerator or ice packs to prevent macarons from breaking or being damaged by slipping along the way.
Step 5: Pre-start the AC condenser – the air conditioning system to cool the air in the vehicle before transporting the macarons. When you transport macarons during the summer with high temperatures, you should bear in mind that.
I will show you how to use a portable fridge/freezer for your vehicle:
Signs Of Expired Macarons
Preserving macarons, especially with fillings, is a big challenge. Incorrect storage temperature, wrong recipe, and moisture in the containers can be the leading causes of spoilage.
You should keep the following characteristics in mind to avoid eating expired macarons:
- The quality of the macaron is degraded
- The color is not as fresh as the original.
- Green spots, white mold, and pink.
- Spicy taste, like the smell of wine, and it is grout.
- A sour or bitter taste.
- It shows signs of being soft and wet.
When your macarons show the above signs, even though it is still within the expiry date, you should destroy them immediately. You can put spoiled macarons in plastic bags, tie them up, and throw them in the trash. Do not be sorry if you want to experience terrible symptoms from a spoiled cake.
What Happens If You Consume Bad Macarons?
Consuming expired macarons can bring you many dangers, the most serious being health effects. When you consume spoiled macarons, you are exposed to harmful bacteria such as E.coli or Bacteroides. In addition, some bacterial toxins in expired food can be life-threatening.
When you have food poisoning, the symptoms will vary, and the duration of symptoms depends on the source of the infection. Usually, the time can range from 1 hour and as long as 28 days. Therefore, the following symptoms should be noted:
Some dangerous symptoms that damaged cakes affect your health such as:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Food poisoning
- The potential risk of liver cancer, kidney disease, cirrhosis
- Life-threatening
Therefore, to avoid the above harms, besides paying attention to these signs of spoilage, you should also pay attention to the time you start preserving the cake. In addition, it is better to eat the meringue-based treats within the minimum shelf life and limit the maximum extension of its shelf life.
Frequently Asked Questions
You already have many helpful tips on preserving macarons, and if you have any doubts, please refer to the additional questions below. To help you better understand, I have compiled the frequently mentioned information about this haughty lady of the land of the Seine.
Is The Actual Usage Time As Expected?
This article summarized valuable ways and tips to help you preserve macarons most reasonably. Depending on your purposes, you can choose the suitable method to enjoy the sweetish taste of macarons excellently.
You can expect the maximum storage time depending on your recipe and the temperature when you store them. Sometimes, the actual time may be shorter than the expectation.
It would be best if you discarded bad macarons immediately, even though they have not expired when you detect any unusual signs. Expected retention times should be for your reference only, not a certain standard of accuracy.
Always remember to enjoy all kinds of desserts best before the expiration date! What do you think about my tips? Do not hesitate to share your ideas in the comment section.
References
1. “Macaron – Wikipedia”. En.Wikipedia.Org, 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macaron.
2. “What Is “Freezer Burn?”.” The Library Of Congress, 2021, https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/food-and-nutrition/item/what-is-freezer-burn/.
