Does Dextrose Go Bad?

A dextrose is a powdered form of sugar. It is just like glucose, and it is used a lot in every part of the world. It is mostly used for baking purposes only from time to time. This means that you only use it when you want to bake; otherwise, it is present in your kitchen’s dark cupboard.

If you are thinking of baking something and finding a half bag of dextrose sitting in your pantry, and you are thinking to use it, a question may pop-up in your mind, does dextrose go bad? To get more knowledge and information about dextrose, we have explained everything briefly in this article.

How to Store Dextrose?

Storage is compulsory for every food product because the better the product is stored, the longer it will stay fresh. So, if you have bought some dextrose amount for baking purposes, make sure to store it properly so that it remains fresh whenever you try to use it for the second time.

If you have stored sugar, then it won’t be difficult for you to store dextrose. However, if you are not familiar with its storage, then you can follow some storage guidelines for dextrose that are mentioned below:

Keep in a cool, dry place

Just like white sugar, you should place dextrose in a cool and dry place. You should keep it away from the water. Water can affect the quality and freshness of dextrose. The best place for storing the dextrose is the pantry or the cupboard of the kitchen.

You can keep it there for a very long time.

Keep it sealed tightly

As long as the package remains unopened, there will be no harm to it. But once you open the package, it is exposed to the air, and you should keep it sealed tightly. It will keep dextrose safe from insects and keep it fresh for a long period.

Also, when a product is exposed to the air, the moisture interacts with it. Moisture can affect the quality of dextrose very quickly. So, to protect it from moisture and insects, you should keep the package sealed tightly.

Store in airtight containers

As we have mentioned above that, you should store dextrose in a sealed container. But sometimes, dextrose may come in a simple package without any seal. As it is very important to keep the dextrose sealed so, it will be best for you to transfer it in an airtight container.

And if you don’t have a resealable bag, then you can buy an airtight container.

Can You Freeze Dextrose?

Freezing can be ideal for many food products, but it is not a good choice for some products. You may not have seen anyone storing the sugar in the freezer for long-term storage. Because it is already a shelf-stable product and it does not need any refrigeration or freezing.

Similarly, there is no use in storing dextrose in the freezer as it already has a very long shelf life. Moreover, dextrose does not freeze well. It may pick strong odors from the other foods present in the fridge, affecting its quality.

So, we recommend you not to store the dextrose in the freezer as it can stay fresh at room temperature for a long time.

How Long Does Dextrose Last?

By reading the information about dextrose mentioned above, it would be clear to you that dextrose is a shelf-stable product. But still, the shelf life of dextrose is linked with its shelf life. Properly stored dextrose can stay fresh for an indefinite period.

Dextrose comes with a best-by-date labeled on the package. It tells us the time till which dextrose can stay fresh, but we all know that it is just an estimate, and it is not true if you have a bag of dextrose sitting in your pantry that has passed the best by date a month ago.

You can still use it to retain its quality for a couple of years more after passing the best by date. In short, we can say that you can use dextrose as long as you want if you have stored it properly.

How to Tell If Dextrose Is Bad?

It is quite clear that dextrose doesn’t really go bad. It is only the quality and freshness that get affected. If you keep it safe, then it will never go bad. However, there are a few things that you should check before using the dextrose.

To tell whether your dextrose is good to use or not, you need to take care of the following things:

• As long as you keep the dextrose away from the water, it will stay fresh. Once it gets interacted with the water, its quality will get affected. A few drops of water will form a few clumps. Moreover, water will also give a chance for mold to grow in. In this case, it will be best for you to discard it at once.
• If you notice any kinds of insects inside the sugar, then you should avoid using it.

Sources

• Does it go bad
• Can it go bad
• Home Brew Talk