How Long Does Jello Last? Does Jello Go Bad?

Jello is a gelatin-based dessert that people make at home or buy through stores.

These are popular around the world, and as they are high in demand, buy and stock them in large quantities.

However, while storing it, people get perplexed that they can keep it for a more extended period or if do jello go bad.

The dessert will only serve you for a limited period of time as it contains a high amount of water.

Thus you need to have and finish jello within a short span.

One should refrain from consuming bad jello, which can cause diarrhea and stomach infections.

What is Jello?

The main ingredient in jello is gelatin which is extracted from animal collagen.

This is a protein that makes skin, tendons, and connective tissues.

The bones and hides of animals such as pigs and cows are boiled and dried then an acid base is used to filter the extracted collagen.

That dried extract is then converted into a powder form that is further used to make gelatin.

There are two types of jello one is the powdered mix that you have to make and another that is a pre-made dessert.

Store-bought pre-made desserts come in individual cup-size servings.

Powdered jello is highly convenient to make as you just need to add boiling water to it, and after cooling, it will provide you with a jiggly dessert.

How Long Does Jello Last? Does Jello Go Bad?

Jello comes in powdered form in a pack with a specific best-by date.

That is provided by the producer, which indicates the time period till which it’s fine to have.

It is obvious that powdered form will last longer than prepared jello.

Therefore if anyone is sure that they do not want to have it within a short period, do not prepare it or open the pack.

Dried jello can serve you for a period of 1 month beyond the best-by date if stored in the pantry.

Storage of dried jello in the pantry is not advisable; thus, one should not keep this in the refrigerator.

However, if it is a store-bought prepared jello, one can expect the dessert to last 3 to 5 days after the labeled date.

If you have made it at home, the shelf life will be short as this does not contain preservatives.

So you might only be able to preserve their quality for 2 to 3 days.

These are not definite shelf lives because they depend significantly on storage conditions.

Anyone can retain the quality of their jello and increase their shelf life by storing them under favorable circumstances.

How to Tell if Jello Has Gone Bad?

• Close Inspection

Anyone who has preserved it with proper storage can have it even beyond its best date.

However, they must inspect the dessert closely to determine if it’s still edible.

You can see that the desert does not contain any spots or mold.

That is because mold indicates long exposure to moisture and bacteria develop.

Thus if you have seen any mold formation on the surface, you should throw it out.

• Texture and Consistency

Another way to find bad jello is to compare its texture and consistency from its initial position.

If the dessert is prepared, then its texture will surely change if it goes bad.

At first, it has a slimy and shaky texture, but if it gets excess air exposure, then the dessert will become stiffer.

So if, after storage, the jello is not slimy, then one should discard it.

• Try Tasting

The taste will clear out all your queries as it will not offer you a similar taste as before.

However, you are advised to do this test if there is no mold or difference in the texture.

That is because tasting molded desserts can make anyone sick, so this should be the last test if no other bad signs are present.

If the taste is similar, you can indeed have it; otherwise, be ready to discard it.

How to Store Jello?

• Powdered Jello

It would be best if you found a cool and dry place to store powdered jello.

That is because you need to preserve the jello from moisture, as it will make the dessert powder moldy.

One can put the pack in a Ziploc or sealed bag to prevent exposure to other elements.

• Prepared Jello

Store-bought desserts can last a few days because the producers entirely seal them.

Also, these are kept at a specific temperature to slow down the deterioration process.

Thus one needs to ensure that they refrigerate the dessert as soon as they buy it.

• Add Airtight Container

If you keep your dessert as it is in the fridge without adding any covering, then there are higher chances of early spoilage.

That is because food items can get on the dessert or develop a foul odor from the other surrounding food item.

Thus for proper storage, you need to keep it in an airtight container before refrigerating it.

Conclusion

Some people try to freeze jello; however, that is not advisable because freezing can cause crystal formation.

Due to this, the texture of the dessert changes, and the ingredients begin to separate from each other.

Dried jello is much easier to preserve as you must keep it away from moisture.

Be sure to check the changes that have occurred before having old stored jello, as you might experience vomiting and nausea.

For finding bad jello, you can consider the earlier provided inspection methods.