Do Raisins Go Bad? How Long Does It Last?

logo by Editorial Staff | Updated on July 11th, 2022

Is it possible for raisins to spoil? How do you tell if raisins are bad?


Raisins may be eaten as a snack or culinary and baking component. However, no matter how you utilize them, you will eventually find yourself with a large open package that you do not intend to complete anytime soon. The issue “do raisins go bad?” arises at this point.

raisins

Quick answer: Raisins may go bad, lasting far longer than fresh fruit. Unopened raisins may be stored for up to a year beyond the expiry date; however, opened raisins can only be stored for 3 to 6 months.

Grapes are a healthy fruit that may be consumed as part of a dessert, breakfast, or even added to certain meat meals or a fresh salad. They turn into raisins after a few days of drying in the sun.

Although they lose some of the nutritional benefits of grapes, they are still a good source of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

What Exactly Are Raisins?

Raisins are classified as a form of dried fruit. They are created from grapes that have been sun-dried or dehydrated in a food dehydrator.

They are often dark or purple in hue. The dark color of raisins is caused by the drying process, which usually takes three weeks.

Raisins have a soft and somewhat wrinkled feel when eaten on their own. They have a naturally sweet flavor and a high quantity of sugar and calories, making them an ideal complement to sweets or protein smoothies.

Raisins offer several health advantages, including the capacity to increase iron levels in the body, promote bone density, and help digestion due to fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

They also aid in the reduction of blood pressure and the improvement of blood sugar management. They may also assist improve sensations of fullness due to their fiber-rich composition.

Raisins Nutrition Facts

Raisins are fermented grapes. Antioxidants, fiber, potassium, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, phosphorus, vitamin A, B6, C, E, K, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, thiamine, and vitamin D are all abundant.

Raisin Varieties

  • Currants: Tart, seedless, and acidic, with a deep hue. These are of a smaller size.
  • Flame Seedless Raisins: Extra delicious, big, and dark red.
  • Golden Seedless Raisins: Oven-dried to minimize the darkening influence of sunlight, resulting in a yellowish appearance.
  • Monukka Raisins are huge, seedless raisins with an orange-brown tint.
  • Muscat Raisins: These are medium-sized, brown raisins with a delicious flavor. They are often offered with seeds.
  • Sultanas are enormous yellow-green Sultana grapes that are exceptionally tender, sour, and golden brown.

Do raisins go bad?

While drying fruit is a dependable technique for preserving fruit, and raisins have a significantly longer shelf life than grapes, raisins may still go bad. Raisins have a shelf life of a year beyond the expiry date if the package is unopened and kept in your pantry. While the raisins are still safe to consume at this stage, their quality has drastically degraded.

How Long Do Raisins Last?

While grapes have a shelf life of 3 to 10 days depending on whether they are stored at room temperature or frozen, raisins have a significantly longer shelf life.

If stored in the pantry, an open bag of raisins should survive 3 to 6 months beyond the expiry date and 6 to 12 months if kept in the fridge. If properly kept, frozen raisins may survive for up to a year.

Unopened raisins have a shelf life of 6 to 12 months at room temperature and 1 to 2 years in the refrigerator. Unopened raisins may be stored in the freezer indefinitely, but you should check for indications of rotting after they have thawed fully.

What Is the Shelf Life of Raisins? [Graph] Shelf Life

RaisinsPantryRefrigeratedFreezer
Opened3-6 months from the opening date6-12 monthsUp to 12 months
Unopened6-12 months past the expiration date1-2 years past the expiration dateIndefinitely (taste diminishes after 18 months)

How Long Can Raisins Be Kept in the Pantry?

Raisins keep nicely in the pantry or closet since they are already dried and generally hostile to most microorganisms2.

The primary reason raisins would begin to rot when kept in these conditions is an overabundance of relative moisture rehydrating the raisins or the presence of already-developed fungus colonies around the fruit.

To eliminate these rotting causes, keeping the raisins in an airtight, moisture-free container is essential. However, suppose you are storing raisins in a colder place. In that case, it is preferable to allow them to recover to room temperature before storing them since the temperature difference will cause condensation of water inside the walls of the storage container.

Raisins kept in optimal circumstances will survive about a year if no extraneous factors interfere with them.

How Long Do Raisins Keep in the Refrigerator?

Because raisins have a low water content, refrigerating them does not significantly extend their shelf life compared to merely keeping them in your cupboard.

The advantage of preserving raisins in the refrigerator stems from the inherent temperature and humidity control in particular refrigeration equipment in commercial establishments.

A refrigerator may function as a small-scale controlled storage environment since humidity and temperature must be maintained steady at a specified level to minimize the growth of bacteria and deterioration of the fruit’s quality.

They will survive around twelve months if kept in the pantry, as they would if they were stored in the refrigerator.

Is it necessary to refrigerate raisins once they have been opened?

Raisins do not need to be refrigerated after opening the packet; they may be stored in the pantry. However, refrigeration will make them stay much longer if you live in a hot, humid region and don’t have access to a somewhat cooler pantry.

In “normal” settings, raisins keep their quality in the pantry for the same time as they do in the refrigerator. As a result, keeping them in the refrigerator is ineffective.

When storing these dried fruits in the refrigerator, use an airtight container or freezer bag. Otherwise, they will rapidly dry up.

Signs That Your Raisins Have Turned Bad

There are many indicators that your raisins have gone bad. Raisins have a delicious scent while fresh, but their smell turns sour when they deteriorate.

Checking for mold is another approach to ensure that your raisins are still edible. While mold growth in dried foods is uncommon, it may occur if they are exposed to dampness. If you wish to keep your raisins in the fridge, use an airtight container.

Raisins may also get discolored, indicating that the process has begun, even though they haven’t yet been ruined. You can sample one or two raisins if they still have their typical sweet scent and no mold symptoms. If the flavor is off, discard the whole bag. If the taste is satisfactory, try to devour them as quickly as possible before they harden and lose their flavor.

How to store Raisins

Raisins have a long shelf life due to their lack of moisture, which may be extended by properly storing them. It’s critical to keep them away from sunshine and heat if you don’t want them to get drier and harder. This implies you shouldn’t keep them anywhere near the oven.

The raisins will stay in the pantry for a long time after the bag has been opened, but only if the bag is firmly secured. You may even move them to a container, ideally one with an airtight top, so that they are only exposed to air when you decide to consume them.

If you often consume a whole bag of raisins in a short period, you may extend their shelf life by keeping them in the refrigerator. But, again, it is critical to utilize an airtight container to prevent any moisture contact.

The third alternative is to put the raisins in the freezer. This may be the best option if you purchased them to create a certain meal but do not intend to use them again for a long time. Because they are naturally low in moisture, their texture does typically not alter greatly when frozen.

How to Freeze Raisins – Extend the Life of Raisins!

This is one method for extending their shelf life. Because of their low moisture level, frozen raisins have a consistent texture. To freeze raisins, you cannot just place them in a zip lock bag and put them in the freezer. Instead, spread the clumps out in a single layer on a baking sheet to ensure they are broken up.

Freeze them for an hour on the tray before transferring them to an airtight container. The standard may deteriorate with time. You may do it on the counter or in the refrigerator when thawing them. If you wish to bake or cook with them, you can place them in the dish without thawing them.

Freezing raisins effectively stops the aging process. However, they will appear the same when you take them out of the freezer as when you place them there.

How Do You Thaw Frozen Raisins?

Transferring the container from the freezer to the fridge and letting it thaw overnight is the best approach to defrost raisins. You may acquire a container and put it on your tabletop to thaw at room temperature.

It’s worth noting that if you’re using frozen raisins for cooking or baking, you don’t need to thaw them. Instead, add the frozen raisins to the meal or baked goods, and you’re done!

Will Raisins’ Quality Be Affected by Freezing?

The freezing of raisins has no discernible effect on their quality. However, when an organic product is frozen, any water in or near the cells crystallizes and expands, rupturing the cell walls and other biological components.

When this happens with organic food, we notice a loss of textural quality and a decline in the intensity of taste it delivers. This is especially noticeable in water-rich fruits and vegetables like lettuce and watermelon.

On the other hand, Raisins do not suffer from this impact due to their low water content of just 15% 3.

Make Your Raisins at home.

Making your raisins is easy and only takes a few steps! Follow these procedures, and you’ll have raisins in no time:

  1. Remove the big stems from the fresh grapes and thoroughly wash them in cold water.
  2. Place them outdoors on a tray with openings for air circulation (if it is dry and sunny)
  3. Rotate them to ensure that they get equal sun exposure.

That’s all there is to it, and you’ll be able to enjoy your handmade raisins in only 2-3 days!

Conclusion

Raisins may be preserved in the appropriate circumstances for 6 months to over 2 years.

Keep raisins away from heat sources by keeping them away from windows and ovens. Allowing them to come into touch with any moisture might hasten their deterioration.

When you open your bag of raisins, remember to put them in a suitable container with an airtight top to ensure they stay as long as you need them to.

Raisins are a nutritious food that may help prevent anemia, alleviate constipation, and preserve your bones and teeth. They are a fantastic energy source while exercising, but they should not be taken in excess because of their high sugar content.

There are several ways to include raisins in your meals; you have to pick the ideal recipe for you and get cooking!

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Editorial Staff

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