Just because something is labeled natural or organic does not preclude the use of stabilizers, emulsifiers or other additives. Acacia gum- aka gum arabic, invert sugar, carrageenan, soy lecithin and others are commonly used in products labeled organic, vegan, and natural. Their purposes are exactly the same as some of those considered to be unnatural, and undesireable in a natural or organic food product. They are useful in binding moisture and helping products retain it, which in turn lengthens shelf life. Adding them to organic or vegan products is most certainly permitted in the US, and other places as well. There is also the small matter of an organic product being allowed to still contain less than 5% non-organic ingredients, yet still retain the organic label.
I haven't been posting here all that long, to tell the truth. My degree isn't in either chemistry or food science, so I often hesitate to see if somebody with better qualifications might answer that type question. A military career trained me to do food and food service facility inspections, taught me the FDA rules about it and what to look for in the labels, and a passion for cooking has given me what knowledge I do have. I'm willing to share what I do know, and have learned, though. This time I was prompted because the topic drifted into what was in organic or natural foods- which is kind of a bugaboo for me. There is just so much confusion regarding what is meant by those labels, and misunderstanding about what exactly some of the ingredients are, or are doing in the products. Well meaning people get misled, and find themselves eating something they think is one thing, but honestly isn't at all. But I'll keep an eye out for your food science questions in the future, and if I know, I'll gladly tell.
wow, sheri, you are one ARTICULATE girl. we have opposite experiences but you are still mighty articulate! btw, whole foods is the huge 'natural foods' chain in the u.s. additives etc are no-no's.
I've never had the need to freeze Rice Krispie treats. They've never lasted that long ;)
Sorry I digress, I - ok, my toddler- was given a little Rice Krispie treat as part of a Valentine's Day treat bag. She's not into a lot of sweets or candy, so I put it into my lunch bag and didn't really get to it for about 2 weeks. When I went to retrieve it for a snack, it was still really good and not dried out at all. It was wrapped in plastic wrap. So I'm going to suggest that you make it the 4 days before your party, wrap or cover it really airtight, and serve.
i must be an alien. i must be. i have the utmost respect for the 52ers below, but , w/o looking at their names, their comments had me hysterical. but now all i can ask is -how can our experiences be so opposite? [help, sherlock!] i have bought bakery rice krispie treats from Whole Foods on countless occasions and, kept AIRTIGHT, they have delighted for weeks. and heaven knows, they have so much sugar they will stay viable when we are all long-gone. My own 52 recipe/community pick, https://food52.com/recipes/16714-maple-almond-butter-krisped-rice-treats lasts forever! best, mindy motto: NO STRESS FOOD: make ahead, store properly, reap the stress-free rewards!
p.s. if , and i mean IF you ever encountered dry rice krispie treats, put an apple slice or half in their sealed container, and after some time [keep testing]they should return to joyful chewiness.
I'm not surprised your store purchased treats lasted for ages. As a rule those things will have added stabilizers and such to help retain moisture, so they will remain shelf viable for longer. That's why the ingredient list on the package is so long. Marshmallows have a tendency to dehydrate over time, which is one reason crispy treats tend to dry out as the days pass. There are many variables in homemade versions, just starting with the temperature the marshmallows are melted at. Marshmallows are simply air bubbles trapped in the whipped egg whites and sugar syrup. Grant you, commercially made marshmallows do contain other things, but that is to stabilize them and extend their shelf life. The sugar is holding on to whatever moisture was available, but given time that hold becomes less strong. If high heat was used to melt the marshmallows, more of that initial water content gets lost. You end up with dry treats from the start, and matters just get worse as the days pass. There are also differences in the margarine or butter which a lot of people are not aware of. Margarine and butter, by law in the US must contain 80% fat. A product which contains less is marketed as a spread, not margarine, but too many folks are not aware of that difference in labeling. But it can make a big difference when you make some things, and in how well they store afterward. I've never found any of the tricks for restoring either marshmallow treats or hard marshmallows really useful, to be honest. They may work to restore an outward appearance of freshness, but don't really seem to return the product to actual freshness. "Restored" marshmallows will never result in good crispy treats either. To be honest, I never wanted my treats to hang around more than a few days, any more than I want bread that will last for a week or more. I can't say why your particular treats last for weeks. Maybe you have a special "alien" airtight container, maybe atmospheric conditions in your locale are friendly to maintaining moisture, I don't know. But the rest of us mere mortals are more likely to experience dried out treats after a few days. That being the case, knowing they can be frozen in an emergency, or as a storage contingency, can be helpful.
Haven’t tried the tip about freezing, but they certainly don’t store well at room temp that long. They take like 15min to make start to finish, day before is fine just wrap well after cooling
Yes, you can. But you need to freeze them to do it. First make them with butter, not margarine, and be generous with the marshmallows. As soon as they are cool, wrap them in wax paper and place in a freezer bag. Remove all the air you possibly can, and freeze. If you have a vacuum sealer, use that, and pulse to remove air without crushing the crispies. On a ziplock style bag, seal up to an edge, and use a straw to suck out as much air as you can. When it's time, remove the treats from the freezer and let them thaw about 15-20 minutes. I don't freeze them cut, either- I froze them in one batch. My daughter and I made them for the preschool class she taught, and had to delay the party a week because of a plumbing issue in her classroom. We had them frozen for a week, and so far as I could tell it worked out just fine. Then again, preschoolers don't exactly complain if it's a sweet treat. The adults thought they were okay though.
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thx so much,
mindy
Sorry I digress, I - ok, my toddler- was given a little Rice Krispie treat as part of a Valentine's Day treat bag. She's not into a lot of sweets or candy, so I put it into my lunch bag and didn't really get to it for about 2 weeks. When I went to retrieve it for a snack, it was still really good and not dried out at all. It was wrapped in plastic wrap. So I'm going to suggest that you make it the 4 days before your party, wrap or cover it really airtight, and serve.
i have bought bakery rice krispie treats from Whole Foods on countless occasions and, kept AIRTIGHT, they have delighted for weeks. and heaven knows, they have so much sugar they will stay viable when we are all long-gone. My own 52 recipe/community pick,
https://food52.com/recipes/16714-maple-almond-butter-krisped-rice-treats
lasts forever!
best,
mindy
motto: NO STRESS FOOD: make ahead, store properly, reap the stress-free rewards!
They take like 15min to make start to finish, day before is fine just wrap well after cooling