Cotton candy is a treat that has been around for decades.
The light and fluffy texture of cotton candy make it popular with children, but adults also enjoy the sweet taste.
Cotton candy can be eaten on its own or used as an ingredient in other desserts.
In this blog post, we will discuss how long cotton candy lasts, how to store your cotton candy and how to tell if your cotton candy is expired.
What is Cotton Candy?
Cotton candy is a fluffy, sugary confection that can be purchased at most carnivals and fairs.
The ingredients are sugar or some other high-sugar substance, water, and cornstarch.
The mixture is heated to create a sugary syrup which then becomes cooled into the cotton candy form.
Cotton candy can be flavored with fruit juices or flavorings such as raspberry or strawberry jam for a more intense taste.
This makes for an iconic American snack food loved around the world.
It gets its characteristic “candy cotton” flavor from the sugar and corn syrup mixture.
Cotton candy can be made at home, with an electric mixer, or by hand through cooking over a stovetop burner.
It’s usually served on a cone or in small paper cups to keep it fresh until eaten.
Cotton candy is often marketed as children’s food because of its bright colors and flavors, such as pink cotton candy known for strawberry flavors.
How to Store Cotton Candy?
When you buy cotton candy, it often comes in a plastic bag, which would be okay, except that the bag is usually full of air.
Although cotton candy will stay fresh without any special storage, you should store it in an airtight container to preserve its flavor and texture for as long as possible.
If you use a reusable bag, just put it in there and seal it tightly.
If you use a plastic bag, take out the air by rolling it into a ball and squeezing all of the excess air out until only cotton candy is left inside.
Then seal it tightly with some clip or tie.
Store the container in a cool and dark place to get the best results.
How Long Does Cotton Candy Last? Does Cotton Candy Go Bad?
Cotton candy is one treat you can’t find around every corner like another carnival fare; most people only get to enjoy this sugary concoction once or twice per year at fairs and festivals.
Luckily cotton candy has an extremely short lifespan, so your sweet tooth doesn’t have to wait very long before getting its next fix.
The shelf life depends on what type of packaging you are using, how well-protected it is etc.
Cotton candy or fairy floss lasts about 2-3 weeks under the right conditions.
After that, it should be stored in a cool, dry place to prevent it from turning into clumps and becoming hard like chalk that can’t easily dissolve on your tongue or teeth.
The only caveat is if you open up a package of cotton candy for consumption immediately after purchase, the lifespan can be shortened.
What to do: If you will not consume your cotton candy within a week of purchase, store it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge until ready to use.
This will extend its lifespan significantly since cold temperatures slow down the process of sugar from turning into clumps by slowing down how fast moisture evaporates.
If you want your cotton candy as fresh as possible, then avoid opening it for more than a day or two after buying.
How to Tell if Cotton Candy (Fairy Floss) is Bad?
The hardest part about determining whether your cotton candy (fairy floss) goes bad comes from its texture as well as its color.
- Cotton candy will melt when subjected to open air and can’t be left out of the bag for more than ten to twenty minutes. The prime focus of this treatment is its fluffiness, which diminishes with time.
- If cotton candy (fairy floss) has a waxy or sticky texture, the stickiness may be caused by moisture and humidity in your region, making this treat go bad more quickly than usual.
- Alternatively, suppose fairy floss has an unexpected color other than white with no sugar residue on its surface. In that case, it could have gone bad from leaving out too long in environments where there are high levels of heat and humidity.
- When cotton candy is bad, it can also have a sour smell which could come from the sugar not being properly mixed with water or other ingredients.
Why Does Cotton Candy Get Hard?
Cotton candy is usually made of sugar and other ingredients such as corn syrup, water, and salt.
Cotton candy gets hard because of a process called recrystallization.
The sugar molecules in the cotton candy are aligned and packed together tightly, but the water evaporates, and sugar molecules move freely if they are heated.
When the temperature falls back down to a certain point, these molecules start to recrystallize into an amorphous solid harder than before.
Cotton candy usually starts as fluffy because of air bubbles, allowing for more sugar molecules’ movement when being heated or cooled.
However, these air bubbles will eventually disappear during the cooking process due to their low density compared with molten sugar.
This hardening may also be due to another chemical reaction called dehydration synthesis, where two glucose sugars join together without using any water (a polymerization).
This increases molecular weight and crystallinity, which make cotton candy.
Easiest Way to Bag Cotton Candy
The perfect cotton candy bag can be created by using your hand to make a cone shape and stuffing the sugar loosely.
However, make sure not to pack it too tightly, or you will end up with clumps of stuck-together sugar that are difficult to break apart, which ruins any enjoyment from eating them.
Here are the step-by-step instructions for making your cotton candy bag:
- Make a thick cotton candy on a stick.
- Hold the bag open with one hand while grasping the cotton candy cone with the other hand.
- Twist the serving gently down into the bag and then twist the top of it closed to make a sealed bag.
- Have fun decorating them however you want.
Conclusion
In conclusion, cotton candy lasts for about two hours, which is why we suggest that you enjoy your cotton candy as soon after purchase as possible.
We hope you enjoyed learning about the science behind cotton candy.
If it’s your first time trying out this sweet treat, we recommend giving it a try.
The best way to store it is in an airtight container at room temperature so that all of its flavor and sweetness can be preserved for as long as possible.
Happy eating.
How Long Does Cotton Candy Last? Does Cotton Candy Go Bad?
Ingredients
- Cotton candy
- Air-tight containers or Ziplock bags
- Labels and markers
Instructions
- Read the guide thoroughly to learn how long it lasts.
- Label your container with the content and date and keep track of how much you’re using!
- Make sure to store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place (pantry or fridge).
About The Author
