How long do dried citrus slices last, and how should you store them?

Dried garnishes are forgiving, which is most of their appeal. But they are not immortal, and a New Zealand summer is harder on them than people expect, because humidity is the thing that ruins them rather than time.

The short answer

• Dried citrus slices: several months in a sealed pouch or jar, kept dry and out of the light.
• Dried edible florets: up to 24 months stored properly, because they are dried to a very low moisture level.
• Rim salts and sugars: keep well as long as they stay dry. Moisture is what turns them into a solid block.

In every case the limit is not the calendar, it is how much moisture gets back in.

How to store them

1. Reseal the pouch properly, or move them to an airtight jar. Half-closed is the same as open.
2. Keep them in a cupboard, not on the bench. Light fades colour, which is most of what you are paying for.
3. Keep them away from the kettle, stovetop and dishwasher. Steam is the real enemy in a small kitchen.
4. Do not put them in the fridge. Every time you take them out, condensation forms on the contents.
5. Use a dry spoon or dry fingers. One damp hand in a bag of rim sugar and the whole pouch clumps.

How to tell when citrus has gone past it

• It bends instead of snapping. A good slice is brittle. A bendy one has taken on moisture and will darken.
• The colour has gone dull or brown, especially around the edge.
• It smells flat rather than sharp and citrusy.
• Any sign of mould, which is rare but possible if a slice was not fully dry when it went in the bag. Throw the batch out, do not pick around it.

A slice that is merely dull is still perfectly good in mulled wine or baked into something, where nobody is looking at it. Save your best-looking slices for the glass.

Rim dusts that have gone hard

If a rim sugar has clumped but smells fine, break it up with the back of a spoon and it will usually work again. If it has gone properly solid, it has absorbed a lot of water and it is time to replace it. Storing it away from steam is the whole fix.

Buying sensibly

Most households get through less than they think. One pouch of dried citrus, one rim dust and one pouch of florets will cover a summer of entertaining for most people, and the florets will still be good next Christmas.

If you entertain often or you are stocking a bar, our Citrus Seconds are the cost-effective option. They are slices with a small blemish or a bend, which nobody notices once they are on a glass.

Everything is made in small batches here in the Waikato, and shipping is free over $100.