How to Tell if Your Jello Has Gone Bad – Signs to Watch Out For

Jello is a really popular snack and can be great for camping and just at home as a dessert. It’s also really inexpensive and can be bought in bulk, which makes it ideal for preppers. Of course, to be a good food source for survivalists, it also needs to be long-lasting enough that it has a really long expiration date.

Jello has a best by date on the box, but it doesn’t immediately expire when that date comes around. The best by date is just a suggested date for when Jello will taste its best. Jello is good for up to 5 years after the best by date printed on the box.

Let’s look at why Jello expires after the date that’s printed on the box.

When Does Jello Go Bad?

For the purposes of this article, Jello refers to not only the name brand gelatin but also other generic brands that are similar. Many of them have the same ingredients which make this article apply to them as well. In fact, it’s not uncommon for generic food items to be prepared in the same places that name brands are made.

I like to store a lot of my dried goods is in small mylar bags like these. It helps to stretch out the shelf life of most things by several years.

Jello goes bad after a long period of time or after it’s contaminated from some kind of outside influence. Punctures or tears in the inner packaging will allow insects, rodents, and moisture inside. If it’s kept in its packaging and stored in a clean, dry place it will last for up to 5 years after the best by date on the side of the package (if it has one).

How long does dry Jello last?

Dry Jello lasts for a long time. If fact, as long as it’s stored in a cool, dark, and dry area (like a pantry) it’ll last for years.

Can you still use expired Jello?

Jello has a best by date on it. This is the date that the manufacturer has determined that it will keep its best flavor and texture until. It’s not an expiration date.

Jello actually expires much later than the best by date. It’s good for years after the best by date. As long as it still smells good, looks, good, isn’t clumped up and hard, and still sets after you mix it, it’s still good to eat.

What will happen if you eat expired Jello?

Eating Jello that’s past it’s best by date is fine. Nothing bad will happen to you as long as you check it out ahead of time and don’t eat anything that looks questionable or smells bad.

When Should You Throw Jello Out?

Even though Jello will last for years in ideal storage conditions, this is not always going to be the case. Sometimes, Jello will go bad and it’s useful to know when it should be thrown out. If you notice any or all of the following signs, your Jello may be bad and need to be replaced:

● It smells bad
● It looks like mold is growing in it
● The jello powder has become discolored
● The powder is clumping together

If you’re not entirely sure, you can taste a small part of the powder with a spoon. It isn’t likely to make you sick but you’re better off throwing it out if there is any doubt.

What’s the Best Way to Store Jello?

There’s no point in investing money into food products that will expire quickly. This makes dehydrated foods excellent for long term food storage. Powdered Jello is also a really good food to store because it has an official expiration date that is often at least a few years, and unofficially, it can still be prepared successfully long after this date has passed.

So, what’s the best way to store it if you want to make it last for as long as possible? Consider the following when storing Jello:

● Make sure that you store it in an environment that is cool, dry, and dark
● Areas exposed to sunlight, humidity, and heat will cause Jello to spoil more quickly
● Use a pantry or other area that you know is waterproof and will not become humid
● Throw away any opened or torn packages, as these will spoil a lot quicker and will be a bad investment and a waste of valuable storage space
● If you have just opened the package and the jello powder is still viable, you can pour it out into an air-tight, zip-lock bag and seal it.

When Jello powder is stored under ideal conditions, it can easily last for several years. Jello can last for up to 5 years (and probably much longer) if stored in ideal conditions. This makes it ideal for people who are looking to store an easy to prepare desert in the medium term.

Jello Is Excellent for Medium Term Food Storage

The good news is that even though jello does officially have an expiration date, it can be used long after this date successfully. The one thing to remember is that this only applies to the powdered form of jello. If it’s already made or bought in cubes, it will last for about a week before expiring.

Conclusion

Jello makes a good dessert for preppers because it lasts for several years after its best by date and doesn’t require any special steps to store like a lot of other foods. It’s also cheap so if it does expire, it isn’t the end of the world.

Any dessert that can last for up to 5 years is great in my opinion! Hopefully, this helped you understand how long Jello is good for and why.