The Shelf-Life of York Peppermint Patties

 M&Ms are amazing because they last so long, don’t melt quickly if at all, and are satisfying. 

Another fun fact is how well they survive extreme temperatures. 

They can be frozen for an extra bit of crunch, or when they are in the heat for whatever reason, they may produce a coating that makes them slippery until they cool off when that coating hardens into a semi-transparent white covering over the candy shell. That is the bit of oil that forms as a sort of condensation in warmer weather. 

Should the bag of M&Ms warm up and cool quite often, the chocolate inside the candy may develop a chalky appearance which doesn’t affect flavor at all. It doesn’t appear very appetizing, but nothing at all wrong with the candy itself. Very durable candies! 

York peppermint patties have the exact same reaction to heat and cold, except the patties can develop that chalky exterior very quickly, almost immediately, when, say, placed in a refrigerator. Absolutely nothing wrong with the mint itself, and in fact, a York mint that is placed in a refrigerator for over a month, will look chalky and expired, but aside from being firm from the cold, the mint is still fine! 

Not only that, but in it’s original silver individual packaging, a York mint can be stored in a refrigerator for almost a year and still taste the exact same.  That same mint patty can be warmed between the hands, without pressing the mint, placed in a warmed stove, or even in the hot sun, and that mint will become glossy and fresh as if it just came out of manufacturing plant! 

Don’t even get me started about the shelf-life of a can of soda…