How to Store Hemp Gummies
For the most part, storing hemp gummies is just like storing any other food. However, some special rules do apply. Learn how to store your hemp gummies properly, and you’ll be able to enjoy them for their full expected shelf life without any concerns over potency loss or contamination. In this guide, discover all the details you’ll need to know to store your cannabis gummies the best way possible.
What are hemp gummies?
Hemp or cannabis gummies are chewy, fruit-flavored edibles that contain effective doses of various cannabinoids. The two most common types of cannabis gummies are CBD gummies and THC gummies, but these delicious edibles can also contain a wide variety of rare or minor cannabinoids as well.
Made using widely varying ingredient formulas, hemp gummies can be everything from fully organic to completely conventional. Lab testing standards also vary between cannabis gummy companies, so do thorough research before deciding on a product.
Do hemp gummies go bad?
Yes, hemp gummies will eventually go bad. Most gummy products expire after around one year, but it may be possible to extend the life of your cannabis gummies by storing them in the most ideal conditions possible.
How fast do cannabis gummies expire?
The cannabinoids present in cannabis gummies degrade slowly over time, losing their entire potency over the course of a couple of years. The other ingredients present in cannabis gummies similarly have a limited shelf life, usually constraining the usability window of cannabis and hemp gummies to one year or less.
How do you make hemp gummies last longer?
The best way to make sure hemp or cannabis gummies last longer is to follow all provided storage instructions. All too often, users believe that their gummies naturally reached the end of their usability window while, in reality, improper storage methods led their gummies to become dangerous or inedible before they would have naturally expired.
How to properly store cannabis gummies for maximum shelf life
How do you make sure your hemp or cannabis gummies don’t expire before they should? Follow these five tips to get a head start on making sure your cannabis edibles will make it for the long haul.
1. Always fully reseal the package
Cannabis gummy packaging varies considerably between products, making it important to properly familiarize yourself with how the packaging provided with your particular product operates. If you find that you are not able to completely reseal your cannabis edibles package after it is opened, you might want to transfer the gummies to a different sealed container, such as a freezer bag or a jar with a lid.
2. Keep desiccant packets inside the package
Most gummies packages contain one or two small, rectangular packets labeled “DO NOT EAT” in large letters. These are desiccant or dehydration packets, and they’re included in certain packaged food items to keep them from getting too moist.
These packets are included in your cannabis gummy package to keep your edibles at an ideal moisture level. If your hemp gummy package no longer contains or never contained desiccant packets, you may want to add one or two.
3. Put your cannabis gummies in a cool, dry place
Like all food items, cannabis gummies should be stored in a cool, dry place that is not in direct sunlight. It is fine to store cannabis gummies with other packaged food items, but they should not be stored on the windowsill, outdoors, next to the oven, or anywhere else that extreme environmental conditions might harm their delicate active compounds. If you aren’t sure where you should store your cannabis gummies, consider contacting the customer service team of the company that made them.
4. Consider refrigerating or freezing
If you freeze cannabis flower, its trichomes will fall off, massively reducing potency. Cold temperatures do not inherently damage cannabinoids, though, so no loss in potency is noted when freezing gummies and other types of cannabis edibles.
Carefully consider the benefits and detractors of putting your cannabis gummies in the fridge or freezer. If you do not reseal the package properly, humidity and cross-contamination from other food is a possibility. Also, frozen gummies are very hard to chew until thawed, posing an inevitable inconvenience.
5. Recognize signs that cannabis gummies have gone bad
If your cannabis gummies are dry and too chewy, that’s usually just a sign they’ve been stored too long in conditions that are somewhat too dry. If blue or white fuzz starts appearing on your cannabis gummies, though, it’s time to toss that moldy biohazard in the trash.
Cannabis gummies should not emit a noxious odor, and the inside of the package should not feel slimy. When in doubt, simply consult the expiration date on the package compared to today’s date.
Summary: Storing hemp gummies to make them last longer
The way you store your cannabis gummies has a major impact on how long they will last. If you intend to consume your hemp gummies all at once, many of the guidelines in this article may not apply to you. However, we can all do to revisit a few simple use tips for cannabis gummies that will make your experience more enjoyable:
1. Do not hold your CBD or THC gummy package upside down or sideways, and try not to shake it too much. Cannabis gummies are small and often coated with cannabinoid-infused sugar, which can easily spill.
2. When storing a mylar bag of cannabis gummies in a bag or backpack, consider bending over the top of the bag and securing it with a chip clip. That way, you can be sure no spills occur.
3. Pay close attention to the dose you use. Even if you don’t plan to keep your gummies long enough to store them, it’s still a mistake to actually take a dose of cannabinoids that’s too high for your experience level.
In closing, all it takes is a little common sense to store cannabis gummies properly. Keep your bag of gummies open and on its side, and it will be inedible or mold-contaminated in a week. Store hemp gummies properly in a sealed container that’s placed in a cool, dry place, though, and you’ll still be able to reach in and enjoy a gummy after a year or more.
Storing THC and CBD gummies FAQ
Learn more about the best ways to store cannabis gummies in the following FAQ section:
Should I store gummy edibles in the fridge?
It’s up to you whether or not you store your cannabis edibles in the fridge. Doing so may extend the life of gummies and other edibles, but it’s also possible for cross-contamination to occur with other food present in your fridge.
Should you freeze edible gummies?
Freezing edibles is one approach to preserving them, and doing so will not damage the cannabis compounds they contain. Just watch out for freezer burn, and make sure to thaw your cannabis gummies before trying to chew them.
Do edibles lose potency after freezing?
No, edibles do not lose potency when you freeze them, unlike cannabis flower. That’s because the cannabinoids in edibles are encased in the other ingredients — they can’t fall off when frozen like the cannabinoid-containing trichomes delicately attached to cannabis flower.
Where is the best place to store gummy edibles?
It’s best to store gummies in a cool, dry place that’s out of direct sunlight. That place might be the fridge or freezer, or it might even be a pantry or a desk drawer. Use your own discretion when storing gummy edibles in a way that works for you.
