How to know if cookie dough is spoiled (3 signs to look out for)
In this brief blog we are going to provide tips on how to know if cookie dough is spoiled, what tell tale signs to look for and if you can use spoiled cookie dough.
How to know if cookie dough is spoiled
You can tell if cookie dough is expired by looking out for 3 signs; a funny odor, discoloration around the edges, or if you see molds on the surface. Usually, standard cookie dough lasts for about 5 to 10 days in the refrigerator without going bad.
If you keep the cookie dough outside at room temperature, then make sure that it does not sit for more than an hour. It is necessary to store food properly if you want to keep them fresh for a longer time.
As cookie dough is a prerequisite for making cookies, it has a lot of sugar and other carbonated products. These ingredients need to be stored in a dry place to avoid the growth of harmful bacteria.
Cookie dough ingredients
Make sure that you check the ingredients used in your cookie dough. Although not all but most of the cookie doughs contain raw eggs, which makes the person consuming it prone to diseases caused by bacteria such as Salmonella and E.coli if it is not stored properly.
Storing cookie dough to extend its shelf life
Cookie dough is a very famous snack, known to satisfy cravings for almost everyone. However, you can’t eat it all in one sitting and mostly have to store the rest of it.
If you want to make it last longer, it is better to store the cookie dough in an airtight container to eliminate the risk of moisture getting in. This will give you mold-free cookie dough every time!
If you buy cookie dough from the store, then make sure to consume it before the expiry date as eating it after that can cause stomach pains and other stomach issues. Storing food properly not only keeps you healthy but also saves the environment from excessive waste dumping.
Can you eat expired cookie dough?
You might have noticed that your cookie dough has two dates on it, the best-by date and the obvious expiration date. It is important to know the difference between these in case you eat spoiled dough.
The best-buy date is more of an indicator of freshness for the customers. If you eat before the best-by date, the cookie dough will be more fresh; however, after the best-by date, the quality of freshness drops.
It is fine to eat a few days after the best-by date as it does not necessarily mean that the dough is spoiled. The expiry date is a straightforward indicator of spoiled cookie dough that should not be eaten.
Some of the signs that will identify spoiled cookie dough are given below. If you find these signs in cookie dough after it has passed the best-by date, then you should not eat it.
· Discolored cookie dough
Oftentimes, the cookie dough starts to discolor around the edges which means that the dough is starting to get spoiled. Discoloration can look like a dark color around the edges of your cookie dough that is because of a chemical reaction, oxidation.
· A bad taste
One of the easiest ways of checking if cookie dough is spoiled or not is to taste a small chunk of it. The ones that go bad usually have a very strange taste that reels in as soon your taste buds touch the food. It is no longer the creamy, sugary, and chunky dough that you ate a few days ago!
· Visible mold growth
If cookie dough is spoiled, it will show visible molds growing on the surface. It happens due to improper storage or moisture on the cookie dough. It is safe to waste the batch and make a new one if you find any green molds growing on the dough.
Keeping raw cookie dough in the refrigerator
The most important factor in storing raw cookie dough in the refrigerator is the ingredients of the dough. Food additives and flavoring can increase the longevity of the dough as well as the amount of dough being stored.
You should consider putting the freshly made cookie dough inside the refrigerator instead of keeping it outside for hours. The latter will cause the shelf life to decrease.
Other FAQs about Dough that you may be interested in.
How long can you keep pie dough in the fridge?
Can you put dough in the fridge after it has risen?
Conclusion
In conclusion, the ingredients used to make cookie dough affects the freshness of the dough. How to know if the cookie dough is spoiled or not can be judged by looking for molds or tasting the cookie dough itself to check the taste.
Homemade or store-bought, your cookie dough needs a dry environment such as in the fridge or freezer. Keeping cookie dough in the freezer has proven to increase the shelf life as the dough is stored at a very low temperature.
In this brief blog we provided tips on how to know if cookie dough is spoiled, what tell tale signs to look for and if you can use spoiled cookie dough.
