How To Store Marshmallows – The Best Ways

Marshmallows can be a lot of fun. There are different treats you can make with them. Some people even like to enjoy marshmallows by themselves as the treat.

The thing with marshmallows is that a little bit goes a long way. You hardly ever finish the bag the first time that you open it. 

Storing marshmallows can be challenging. You’ve got to store them right or you could end up with sticky or stale marshmallows.

Neither one of these is any fun to deal with when you try to go back and use the remaining marshmallows. So what do you do about it? 

How do you store marshmallows properly? The best way to store marshmallows is to place them in an airtight container and place them somewhere that’s cool and dry. Moisture and air are usually the main culprits behind stale marshmallows.

In this guide, we will walk you through how to store marshmallows. We will dive into the best methods to store marshmallows for great results. You will find that there is more than one way to be successful.

You just need to know the basics and then you can store your marshmallows however it works for you within those constraints. 

Stick with us to learn how to store marshmallows and more!

How To Store Marshmallows Properly

Marshmallows are pretty popular. They are inexpensive and they make a great treat. In addition, there are so many fun things you can do with them, from S’mores to Rice Krispies treats and plenty of other ideas in between. 

The thing is, marshmallows don’t come in a resealable bag. That means it’s up to you to figure out how to seal them back up to keep them soft and fluffy for the next use.

The problem is once the bag is opened, the marshmallows have been exposed to air. From there, it can be really hard to store them in a way that they will actually stay fresh.

The good news is that there really are options. In fact, did you know that you can refrigerate or freeze your marshmallows to help them last longer? We will cover those details here. 

Airtight Storage

The real trick to storing marshmallows is primarily to make sure they are airtight. As soon as you are finished with marshmallows, get them stored up airtight to preserve them. This can be done in several different ways. 

Here are some airtight recommendations:

• Mason jar
• Zipper storage bag
• Plastic container 
• Sealing jar
• Vacuum sealed bag

These are just a few examples. Basically, if you have anything that can seal to be airtight, it can work for this purpose. 

If you plan to leave your marshmallows in the pantry, that’s ok. They will probably last for a few weeks or even a couple of months. However, you do have to be careful about storage here. 

You want to be sure that the marshmallows aren’t going to get direct sunlight or any extra heat. Both of these things can make them sticky or even hard.

However, a closed cabinet or pantry shelf will typically be just fine. Just be sure that they are sealed up airtight if you go this route. 

As long as the marshmallows don’t get hard or sticky, you can use them when you are ready. 

Storing Marshmallows In The Fridge

The fridge can be a good option for storing marshmallows if you just need a week or two. The cool air helps to preserve them and it won’t make them hard.

This applies to goodies that were made with marshmallows, as well as opened bags of marshmallows. 

Here’s a quick look at the process for you:

1. Find some method to store marshmallows or treats in an airtight manner. You can refer to the airtight examples we shared above. 
2. Place marshmallows in selected storage packaging. 
3. Seal up tightly. 
4. Label if necessary. 
5. Place in the fridge for up to 1 week for the best results. 

It’s possible that just plain marshmallows will last a couple of weeks in the fridge. However, if you are storing treats, you will need to be careful as other elements of the treat may not last that long. 

Just take note of the other ingredients in a treat and also be sure those things aren’t going bad in the storage time. 

This is a pretty easy method and it’s quite effective for short-term storage. The cool thing is that you can use the marshmallows cold and straight from the fridge. While they will be chilled they won’t be hard or overly cold. 

Storing Marshmallows In The Freezer

The next option if you want a more extended storage solution is to store your marshmallows in the freezer. Marshmallows are really unique when frozen. The thing is that they don’t freeze solid like a lot of things. 

Yes, they get cold and they do freeze but they still stay soft and fluffy. They might feel slightly hard first coming out of the freezer but 30 minutes at room temperature will make them pretty normal.

This is very unusual with frozen food storage. 

Storing marshmallows in the freezer is very effective and you can store them for up to 6 months. It doesn’t matter if you have an opened or unopened package, this long-term storage is great!

Follow these steps to store marshmallows in the freezer: 

1. Place the marshmallows into a freezer-safe storage container. Be sure that the storage method you choose is also airtight. A freezer bag or an airtight dish can work well here. Look for other ideas above. 
2. Seal up the packaging nice and tight. Remember you want these to be airtight. 
3. Label and date for tracking purposes. 
4. Toss in the freezer. 
5. The marshmallows can be frozen in this manner for up to 6 months. 

We want to point out here that 6 months or less is the recommendation for best practice. However, your marshmallows will probably be fine even if you reach for them at the 8-month mark instead. 

Marshmallows are incredibly freezer-friendly. When you’re ready to use them, you can often use them straight out of the freezer. Worst case scenario is that you might want them to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or so. 

The freezer keeps them from turning hard or from getting sticky. It’s the perfect way to preserve marshmallows for an extended period. 

You can also move them from the freezer to the fridge a day before and have similar results as well. 

Tips For Keeping Marshmallows Soft

The hardest part about storing marshmallows is keeping them soft. The last thing you want is to open up those saved marshmallows and end up with something that is hard or even sticky.

It’s just not appealing and it’s not how marshmallows are supposed to be. 

You can certainly follow all of our storage tips above but we thought it might be useful to provide a couple of other tips you can try out as well. 

• Always make sure storage is airtight. 
• Be sure your storage is in a cool, dry location
• Store out of direct sunlight or heat
• Use a rubber band or twist tie to seal if you don’t want to use another bag
• Try placing a slice of white bread in the package with the marshmallows
• Never leave marshmallows exposed to open air any longer than necessary 

The basic rule of thumb is just to make sure they are airtight and not left in heat or direct sunlight. Other than that, you probably won’t have major issues. 

Related Questions

We hope that this guide to storing marshmallows is helpful for you. They are really pretty easy to store if you know the basic tips to success. 

We invite you to take a look at the following questions and answers for some more details that might be useful as well. 

Can marshmallows go bad? 

Technically speaking, any food has the ability to go bad. Marshmallows do come with an expiration date. They can also go bad if you are not careful with them.

Now, they are pretty flexible so they won’t go bad easily. They can often be stored for months and months without any issue. Just be sure to store them properly. 

Learn to recognize potential signs that they might need to be tossed. Stickiness, hardness, or anything that looks off is a sign that the marshmallows aren’t great anymore. 

Why do marshmallows stick together? 

It’s the worst when you reach into a bag of marshmallows to find a sticky mess. Often, this is simply because they maybe got too warm or they were stored tightly packed together.

Give them a bit of space when you store them. 

What are marshmallows made of? 

Marshmallows are primarily sugar. It’s a combination of dissolved sugar, gelatin, and water used to create the marshmallow. They aren’t necessarily healthy thanks to all of that sugar but they also contain zero fat. 

Up Next: Cleaver Vs Butcher Knife – What’s The Difference?