How Long Can Mooncakes Be Stored Before Going Bad?

Every year when the Mid-Autumn Festival arrives, families all around the world partake in the timeless tradition of indulging in the beloved mooncake. This savory delicacy, capable of remaining edible for up to seven days with proper storage methods, is seen as a necessity on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.

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Mooncakes are an essential food during the Mid-Autumn Festival. However, it’s common to encounter problems with mooncakes spoiling or becoming moldy before they can be finished at home. Additionally, many people are unsure about how long mooncakes can be kept in order to buy them at the right time for their families. But now, there’s no need to worry anymore when you know the secrets below.


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1How long can mooncakes be kept?

How long can mooncakes be kept?

According to PGS.TS Nguyen Duy Thinh, from the Institute of Biotechnology and Food Technology at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, homemade mooncakes can be kept for a maximum of 7 days, depending on the type of mooncake. Homemade sticky mooncakes can be kept for 4 days from the packaging date, while baked mooncakes can be kept for 1 week. This is because mooncakes have a high sugar and fat content and are baked, which helps to resist moisture.

Mooncakes produced by regular brands often contain a small amount of preservatives within the permissible limit, which gives them a longer shelf life of usually 3 months.

Once you have unpacked the mooncakes, it’s recommended to consume them within 1 day to ensure the flavor and the health of your family. Eating spoiled mooncakes can cause digestive disorders or even food poisoning.

2 Reasons for spoiled and moldy mooncakes

Reasons for spoiled and moldy mooncakes
Reasons for spoiled and moldy mooncakes

  • The ingredients such as flour, eggs, meat, spices, nuts, etc. are not processed hygienically.
  • The selected ingredients for making mooncakes are not fresh and delicious.
  • The utensils used to make the mooncakes are not clean.
  • The packaging is not careful, it is torn or crushed.
  • The mooncakes are too pale, lacking enough sugar.
  • Too much cooking oil is added to the mooncakes.

3 Signs of spoiled and moldy mooncakes

Signs of spoiled and moldy mooncakes
Signs of spoiled and moldy mooncakes

  • The mooncakes are deformed, distorted, or inflated, no longer in their original shape.
  • The mooncakes are leaking water and have an unusual odor, no longer fragrant.
  • Mold is present on the outside of the mooncakes.

4How to store mooncakes

How to store homemade mooncakes

Homemade mooncakes need to be fully vacuumed or placed in a moisture-absorbing bag before tightly packaging to prevent air and moisture from causing mold. They should be kept in cool and dry places, avoiding high temperatures or humid weather. You can also wrap the mooncakes and store them in the refrigerator. For longer storage, tightly wrap them and store them in the freezer. To eat the mooncakes later, you can heat them in a microwave or oven to soften them.

How to store store-bought mooncakes

Each store-bought mooncake comes with a moisture-absorbing bag. It’s recommended not to remove this bag as it helps to keep the mooncakes moist and prevents molding. Store-bought mooncakes can be kept for 7-15 days in the refrigerator. When using them, you can heat them in the microwave for a few seconds to prevent them from becoming dry and hard.

5How to store baked and sticky mooncakes

How to store baked mooncakes

After baking, the mooncakes need to cool completely before being packaged to avoid moisture. It is recommended to store baked mooncakes in the freezer for a longer shelf life, up to 1 month. When using them, simply heat the mooncakes in the microwave or oven to thaw them. However, the taste may not be as good as when they were first baked.

How to store baked mooncakes
How to store baked mooncakes

How to store sticky mooncakes

After making sticky mooncakes, they can be stored in the same way as baked mooncakes. The shelf life of sticky mooncakes is shorter, less than 4 days, and they can be stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 7 days.

How to store sticky mooncakes
How to store sticky mooncakes

How to store jelly mooncakes

Jelly mooncakes should always be kept at a temperature of 2-4 degrees Celsius in the refrigerator. You should not leave them out for more than 4 hours as it will make the mooncakes soft. To solve this problem, you can steam the mooncakes again by putting them in the freezer for 1 hour and then transferring them to the refrigerator for storage.

How to store jelly mooncakes
How to store jelly mooncakes

6Should mooncakes be stored in the refrigerator?

The refrigerator is an ideal tool for preserving fresh and ripe foods, and mooncakes can indeed be stored in the refrigerator. Thanks to its stable temperature maintenance and ability to eliminate bacteria and food odors, the refrigerator will help preserve mooncakes more effectively for a longer period of time. To store mooncakes in the refrigerator most effectively, you need to tightly seal them before refrigerating them for a maximum of 7 days in the chilled compartment. Alternatively, you can wrap them in aluminum foil and store them in the freezer to keep them for up to 1 month. When using them, you can reheat the mooncakes.


Refer more:  at home simply

7 Where to buy authentic and reasonably priced mooncakes online?

To enjoy mooncakes, you can find authentic and reasonably priced options at our store, which offers different brands such as [brand1], [brand2], and [brand3].

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