Do unopened Swedish fish and Sour Patch candies go bad in a year?

October 29, 2023 1:31 PM

I have lots of nice fresh Halloween candy to give out, but I just discovered I also have a bunch of last year's Swedish fish and Sour Patch candy. They're all in their little individually sealed packets. Should I give them to trick-or-treaters, or toss them?

Obviously I don't want to give them out if they're stale or hard or weird, but if they're the same as when I bought them, I'd just as soon let kids have them.

(I can try some, and probably will, but I didn't like them when they were fresh and may not notice the difference if it's not huge.)

Give them out, or throw them out?

Thanks!

posted by kristi to Food & Drink (11 answers total)

I would find someone who generally likes those candies and ask them to try a pack or two.
posted by likedoomsday at 1:51 PM on October 29, 2023 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I'll eat them
posted by kensington314 at 2:39 PM on October 29, 2023 [8 favorites]

Best answer: Fresh are soft and chewy and expired are hard and dry. It’s not a hard stop but a continuum. If they’re not getting stuck to your teeth in a way that’s difficult to get off when you eat them then they’re probably fine.

I had a friend who worked for sour patch and fresh ones are divine, fluffy and perfect sour-to-sweet ratio; after about two weeks from press date they’re just average across the board. Hard ones are obvious.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 3:06 PM on October 29, 2023 [4 favorites]

Best answer: Do you want to send them to me and I'll test them out for you?
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 3:39 PM on October 29, 2023 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I like them extra chewy, though the sealed packages are effective at keeping them moist. Pinch a few. Unless they're rock-hard, give them out and enjoy seeming generous.
posted by theora55 at 4:20 PM on October 29, 2023 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Pure-sugar candy (as opposed to chocolate, nuts, etc.) keeps a really long time. I would be wiling to bet that if you still had the outer container they came in, it would show an expiration date still in the future. It certainly won’t be “bad” in any way that might be harmful or taste off; the texture is really the only concern.

This is literally a “beggars can’t be choosers” situation... give them out!
posted by staggernation at 5:05 PM on October 29, 2023 [2 favorites]

Yeah, stale Swedish fish do get stiff and chewy. Sincerly, my childhood dentist whom my parents bought a new Oldsmobile.
posted by credulous at 6:03 PM on October 29, 2023 [2 favorites]

The gummy bears I purchased today have a "best by" date a few days before Halloween next year ("convenient," I say, making a suspicious-Hermione face). Honestly, if the neighborhood kids don't snag them all, I'll probably save them for next year and hand them out.

Your candy probably has a "best by" date as well. I would exceed it by like, a month, for individually packaged gummy candy.
posted by potrzebie at 8:43 PM on October 29, 2023

I would eat them myself, but if they have a best before date that is past I would not give them out because I do not want to be known as that one neighbour who gives out expired candy.
posted by Iteki at 1:25 AM on October 30, 2023

Or I would save them for like teenagers or adults trick or treating.
posted by Iteki at 1:25 AM on October 30, 2023

Response by poster: Thanks for all the great answers - especially the specifics on what to look for when testing.

When I squeezed the packets, the candies seemed pretty squishy, and when I tried one of each, they were still soft ... and actually tasted better than I remembered.

kensington314 and If only I had a penguin... , I would totally give them to you for testing or just noshing if we were within any kind of reasonable proximity.

Thanks to everyone for the excellent assistance!
posted by kristi at 10:15 AM on October 31, 2023