Here's The Right Way To Store Fresh Macarons

Few foods have the sheer balance of full flavor and delicate design as the humble macaron. Just looking at the pretty and petite cookies is enough to satiate your sweet tooth, but eating them is certainly an added bonus. However, anyone surprised by the price tag affixed to macarons at their local patisserie may want to be cautious when trying to their own.

Though macarons are widely regarded as one of the popular foods you should never make at home, those who've had the good fortune to bite into a fresh, homemade macaron would tell you that it's well worth the risky, tedious task. After all, the dessert is made from just a few things, but these ingredients (typically almond flour, egg whites, granulated sugar, and confectioner's sugar) undergo a rigorous and scientific baking process. During the bake, environmental factors like humidity come into consideration. Because of the strict science that goes into making each beautiful bite, knowing how to properly store a freshly made macaron is essential. For the absolute best results, you should keep them in an airtight environment, and if you take more than one week to munch these scrumptious sweets, place the container in the refrigerator.

There's no shortage of common mistakes to avoid when making macarons, but even if you're buying them from a skilled baker, you'll still need to know how to keep these treats ripe for the picking for as long as possible. Once the filling has been piped and pressed between the two macaron halves, the crispy meringue cookies will begin to pick up moisture. The shells that serve as end pieces to the sandwiches will simultaneously start to go stale and soften. The juxtaposition between crispy cookie and soft, sweet filling is one of an exemplary macaron's defining characteristics. 

To avoid a major filling faux pas, keep in mind that macarons should only be left at room temperature for a short period of time. Even a few hours of time spent sitting on the counter can make a macaron go mushy. Once they're in the refrigerator, macarons can last for a week or more, but you will want to allow the macarons to spend some time warming up to room temperature before you pop them in your mouth. If you're keeping these cookies for a later date, a box of macarons can be kept fresh in the freezer for a few months – three to four, to be specific – but refreezing a thawed macaron will affect its taste and texture.

Ultimately, making sure your macaron spends its storage life in consistently correct conditions is the best way to ensure its freshness. The temperature you set your refrigerator to influences its fate. Macarons have the best consistency at more ambient temperatures, so your fridge isn't necessarily the cookie's favorite place. A macaron thrives at around 68 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a fairly standard home temperature, but is much warmer than your household refrigerator. As such, you'll want to be careful if you're keeping macarons in the fridge. Fortunately, these temperature specifics aren't as important as the containers you use for your macarons. 

Humidity is the enemy of any macaron maker. The cookie's consistency, which results in a mesmerizing mouthfeel, is best maintained when stored in a sealed container. Ones with airtight lids will keep moisture from creeping into your macarons, extending their lifespan and protecting their integrity. Macarons are also fragile, so simply stacking them in a flimsy plastic bag — though the bag would protect the macaron from the humid air — won't be sufficient to keep them safe from chips and cracks. Finally, you should store macarons in an opaque receptacle, so that light cannot dull the cookie's striking colors. If you follow these simple steps, you can make sure that the next macarons you have in your house stay fresh for as long as possible.