How to Keep Your Bulk Candy Fresh
Purchasing candy in bulk can mean tremendous savings. Although buying your family's candy a little at a time means that storing it will be easier, the financial benefits of purchasing in bulk far outweigh the minor conveniences of smaller-scale consumption. It's not difficult to keep your bulk candy fresh and intact. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Purchase only candy that has been kept fresh by the seller-supplier. If possible, find out which measures the seller-supplier has employed to keep candy fresh prior to your purchase. If the candy has experienced little exposure to air and has been kept in a cool, dry place, it's probably capable of longer storage. However, if these factors don't apply to the candy, and if it is discolored or smells musty, do not purchase it.
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Store your bulk candy in bags. This step entails several options, the most common of which is a simple sealable food storage bag (such as a sandwich bag). These bags are available in a variety of sizes at all grocery stores and most home-supply outlets. Even more efficient than these bags, however, are the vacuum-sealable food storage bags available at some home-supply stores and online. Vacuum sealing bulk foods removes stray air in the bag, preventing moisture and other foreign substances from entering the food storage receptacle.
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Store bulk candy in durable, air-tight hard containers. While hard containers possess no real food preservation advantages over vacuum bags, they are simpler to store. Hard containers---such as plastic boxes---can be stacked with much greater ease than loose, free-form bags, making the overall storage and organization system with hard containers much more efficient.
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Store all bulk candy---regardless of containment method---in a cool, dry location. Excessive heat and moisture can degrade the candy's composition even if it is stored in an air-tight, vacuum-sealed container.
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Develop a basic organization system for large amounts of bulk candy, marking each container with pertinent details. Keep track of when each container was packed and sealed, and use those marked with older dates first.
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Tips & Warnings
Some low-moisture candies, such as hard candy, can be frozen for extended periods of time, while others, such as chocolate, that contain large amounts of moist ingredients can be frozen only for short periods. Freezers tend to draw moisture out of food products over extended periods of time---a process known as "freezer burn"---and items such as chocolate can't maintain their proper consistency under these conditions.
Never eat food items that exhibit signs of spoilage or rot. Candy that has developed a grayish coating or any other film should not be consumed, as this might lead to food poisoning and severe sickness.
