Have you tried these little bundles of delight?
For me, it was January 5th when I had an official introduction to macarons.
My husband’s cousin Michelle runs a small bakery, which is focused on small, hand-made cookies, pastries, cakes, muffins… you name it.
On that fantastic day, Michelle came over to visit us and brought several boxes of cookies.
You could imagine the kids’ reactions. It’s easy to realize why Michelle is their favorite.
While we were hanging out, Michelle pulled out another box of cookies, telling us:
“Here’s what’s new and trendy in my bakery. People are getting crazy about them these days.”
How Long Do Macarons Last?
They are literally to die for.
The evening was spectacular in every way! The macarons completely changed my life and gave my taste buds a variety of different tingles. Oh, how I adore trying anything spectacular and new!
They have numerous various ingredient combinations, are created crispy on the outside, and have sweet and savory qualities that are unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before. Macaron flavors range from intensely sweet to mild and earthy, and they hit you like the long-awaited miracle you were hoping for.
Since I adore the subtle savor taste of lemon in sweets, John and I actually battled over the last macaron, which was the lemony yellow variety. If done correctly, it may create wonderful and distinctive tastes in your mouth. This is a killer combo when the richness of the filling and the texture of the macaron are combined.
I’m very grateful that my husband’s cousin introduced me to macarons. Later, after talking with her, I placed another order with the neighborhood bakery.
We obviously ate the entire quantity Michelle brought.
On the other hand, I’ve got myself thinking the day later; we won’t have as many macarons as in the first “order,” and some might not get eaten.
The question raised: How long do macarons last? 🙂
I went out on a little research venture to find out about them as much as possible, and here’s what I found out.
Macaroon or Macaron??
At the beginning of my research, the question behind these two names was the first evident problem. It’s quite the popular one out on the web.
Here’s the deal:
A macaroon is something completely different than a macaron, involving different ingredients (like shredded coconut and condensed milk) and making techniques. It doesn’t have a recognizable look like the ones we enjoyed the other night. The shapes can vary, and a traditional detail in macaroon design is that they are dipped in chocolate.
Here’s what the coconut variation looks like:
Image Credit: Joy Of Baking
The difference is quite obvious, isn’t it?
The macaron looks like a small hamburger (my youngster actually named Michelle’s macarons “sweet hamburgers”), and it dates from France, thus the name French Macaron.
Here’s something more about the pronouncing and difference in names and sweets from professor Dan Jurafsky.
When talking about these two, the difference in pronunciation is at the end of the word:
- Macaron is pronounced mack-a-Rohn.
- Macaroon is pronounced mack-a-Roon.
Where (and when) Macaron appear?
This lovely sweet dates from the early 1500s, when the Italian pastry chefs arrived in France during the royal marriage.
The simple principle used to create hamburgers can work with sweets as well, and that made the macarons of today.
The transition happened in France in the early 1900s; the two biscuits with a layer of cream or jam were created in the famous Ladurée patisserie.
Here’s a fun fact:
The original macaron contained only one biscuit and cream until Pierre Desfontaines tried to combine the two in the famous pastry shop in Paris.
How Long Do Macarons Last And How To Preserve Them?
Like many pastries from France, macarons are delicate and fragile, with a short lifespan. The shelf life of an average macaron is about three to five days. The middle section of a macaron with ridges is the main reason, combined with the middle section filling.
The recommended practice is to eat them right away or in the 2-day period after the making.
That’s the period when they are in the best shape and consistency. Because of their fragile structure, macarons will start to collapse (especially at the sides and the top) and start absorbing the filling, making them soggy and soft.
That’s why it’s important to hold them in the refrigerator if you have leftovers.
Here’s what I salvaged from that first night with Michelle.
As you can see, I’ve placed them on the door of my fridge. They stayed there for the night and kept their consistency.
Miraculously (probably nobody opened the fridge), they stayed intact for the day, and I started thinking:
How do different refrigerator areas affect the quality and consistency of macarons when storing?
Since I wrote in detail about this topic, I realized that the placement was completely wrong. The fridge doors are designed for stuff that doesn’t get bad easily as macarons do.
So I put them in the middle section of the fridge, on the right.
Related content – How To Organize Food In The Refrigerator
See how the chocolate macaron started to collapse?
So, the macarons survived one day and a half in my fridge, and later on, they “mysteriously” disappeared.
My neighbor Jessie came for a cup of coffee, and we enjoyed these small delights with joy.
What about freezing macarons?
If you get to the point that you need to freeze macarons (which seems highly unlikely to me), here comes the good news: macarons can withstand freezing and stay in good shape for at least three months!
The important thing, though – I’m talking about buying macarons.
I’m not sure about homemade ones, as I’m about to make those and document my process so I can share it with you guys. So, bought macarons can stay frozen up for three months.
If you plan on freezing them, an airtight container is your best friend. It will help your macarons to sustain the form, don’t lose the ridges (some people call those “feet”), and won’t start absorbing the filling.
Related: Helpful Frozen Pizza Reviews
Verdict
As you can see, macarons can last:
- Three days at room temperature
- Five days in the fridge
- Up to three months in the freezer (in an airtight container)
So, if you happen to get some macarons and wonder how long (and how) you should keep them, there’s your answer.
Now excuse me, I have to get to research and study how to make them perfect. 😉
Until our next meet!
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