Did you just prepare a larger amount of candy apples, or do you plan to make them ahead of time, and you wonder if you can freeze them to keep them longer? Let’s find out what difficulties you may encounter.
Can You Freeze Candy Apples?
Yes, but it is not recommended. You can freeze the candy apples and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months, but their texture will change after defrosting. Because of that, I will recommend making them fresh and to keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks without sacrificing the taste or texture.
Should You Freeze Them?
You may see many people are freezing apples and are happy with that. I’m also between those people, but I prefer using frozen apples only to bake some goods or to make an apple compote.
If you have a lot of candy apples leftovers, then sure, you can freeze them to not throw them away in the trash. But, if you plan to make them from scratch and then freeze them, I would not recommend freezing the candy apples because you will not like the texture after defrosting.
Needed Items for Freezing:
After you defrost the candy apples, the inner texture of the apples will become more spongy in comparison with the crunchy texture of the fresh apples.
Pro Tip: I would recommend freezing applies only if you plan to cook them after defrosting. You will not like their texture if you plan to serve them raw. It will soften and will become spongier.
If you still decide to freeze them, ensure that you will put them in an airtight container to minimize their contact with the air to keep them for longer.
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Do They Expire?
Yes, the candy apples do expire if you leave them out for more than a week. Even if the apples are fully coated in a candy coat, on the inside, we still have fresh apples that will go bad in a few days. The apple core will begin to soften and decompose.
How to Freeze Candy Apples?
- Separate or cover them in wax paper.
- Put the candy apples in an airtight container to minimize air contact.
- Put them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Remove them from the freezer at least one hour before serving.
What Types of Apples Freeze the Best?
If you didn’t make your candy apples and you are looking for the best types of apples that you should pick in order to freeze them later, then pick a type from the list below:
- Golden
- Jonagold
- Cortland
- Empire
- Jazz
- Galas
Freezing Tips
Prevent them from Sticking Together. You don’t want a bunch of apples that will stick to each other? When you try to differentiate them from each other, you may damage the candy coat, and they will not look appetizing.
Because of that, try to use a big airtight container to leave space between them. If you don’t have a larger container or plenty of candy apples that you plan to freeze, then use wax paper to cover all the apples individually.
Quick Note: To remove the wax paper from the candy apples, just put them for a few seconds under the hot water. Just be careful that the water does not get under the wax paper.
Storage Time
On the Countertop
If you keep the candy apples at room temperature, in a dark place, they should be suitable for about 3-5 days. If the candy apples sit under direct sunlight or in a place with high moisture, the period will shorten to 1-2 days.
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In the Fridge
If you keep the candy apples in an airtight container, then you can keep them in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
In the Freezer
You can freeze the candy apples in the freezer and keep them for about 3 months without sacrificing the taste.
Quick Note: In all cases, if the toffee apples have a stick attached to them, then the shelf life will be even shorter.
How to Store Them Short Term?
If you need to keep the candied apples fresh for a shorter period, let’s say for a day, as you made the candy apples in the morning, but you plan to serve them in the evening, then the best way to store them will be to cover with tin foil.
Attention: Don’t cover the candy apples with plastic wrap as the cling film will stick to the caramel and cause you some trouble removing the wrap when you plan to serve them.
Quick Note: If you need to store the candy apples only for a few hours, don’t put the candied apples into the refrigerator as the candy apples will harden, and you will not have time to leave them at room temperature to soften back.
How to Defrost Them?
In order to get the best results, you should let them thaw slowly in the fridge overnight. If you try to speed up the thawing process, you will ruin the apple’s texture even more.
Can You Refreeze Them?
It is not recommended to refreeze candy apples multiple times as the apples have a lot of juice which will become crystallized during the freezing. If you repeat this process a few times, the apples will get mushy, and their texture will go off completely.
How to Know if They Go Bad?
If you leave the candy apples under direct sunlight or sit them in the fridge for a while, and you wonder if they are still safe to eat, you should pay attention to their appearance.
Did you notice any differences in appearance? You can take a knife and cut the candy apples in halves. Did the color changes? Do the apples have any color change or, even worse, some signs of mold? If yes, throw them away. These candy apples are not safe to be served and eaten.
Also, if the apples come in contact with air, they will become brown on the inside.
If you don’t see any changes in its appearance, the next step will be to check how the apples smell. Did the candy apples smell as good as in the beginning? If you notice any difference in their smell, toss them away.
And the last thing you should pay attention to is when you will cut the candy apples into halves, pay attention to their texture. Are the apples still fresh? Or have they become brown, soft, or soggy?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, it is not recommended to consume these candy apples.
Answering Your Questions:
It is not recommended because the half-eaten apple will get in contact with the oxygen and become dark and look unpleasant. Also, the core will soften.
Yes, the candy coating will become hardened only after 10-15 minutes of freezing. But when you let them thaw slowly in the fridge, the candy coating will return to its state.
Because the candy apples have a stick inserted in them, giving them oxygen access. As a result, the apples are exposed to oxygen, oxidizing, and will become brown on the inside.
The only difference between caramelized apples and candied apples is the coating. As from the name, the candy apples are coated in candies, while caramel apples have a caramel coating. The rest of the ingredients are the same.
Conclusion:
If you did a larger amount of candy apples, you can freeze them to keep them longer. Still, if you plan to make the candy apples in advance and later freeze them, then it is not recommended to do that because the texture of the apples will suffer after defrosting. Freeze candy apples only when you have to so as not to throw them away.
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