How to Store Mukhwas So It Stays Fresh and Crunchy

Good mukhwas is all about crunch and aroma, and both fade quickly if it's stored badly. The good news: keeping it fresh is easy once you know the enemies.

The three enemies: air, moisture and heat

1. Air slowly takes away the aroma of roasted seeds and spices.
2. Moisture makes seeds soft and chewy instead of crunchy, and can make sweet elements sticky.
3. Heat and sunlight speed up both of the above.

The basics

• Use an airtight container. A glass jar with a tight lid or a steel dabba works best. A zip-lock pouch is fine if you squeeze the air out.
• Keep it in a cool, dark spot. A kitchen cupboard away from the stove is ideal. Avoid the windowsill or the shelf above the gas.
• Use a dry spoon. Even a few drops of water introduced on a wet spoon can make a whole jar go soft.
• Close it straight away. It sounds obvious, but a jar left open on the dining table loses its crunch surprisingly fast.

Monsoon tips for Mumbai

Humid months are the hardest on mukhwas. A few extra tricks help:

• Decant a small amount into a little jar for daily use, and keep the main pack sealed.
• Buy smaller packs more often during the monsoon instead of one large pack.
• If mukhwas has gone slightly soft (but smells and tastes fine), you can dry-roast it for a minute on low heat in a pan, stirring constantly, then cool it completely before storing again. Skip this for blends with gulkand or tutti frutti, which can burn or melt.

Should mukhwas go in the fridge?

Generally, no. Taking a cold jar in and out of a warm kitchen creates condensation, which is exactly the moisture you're trying to avoid. A cool, dry cupboard is better.

How long does it last?

Freshners mukhwas, masalas and premixes have a shelf life of about 6 months, and our dried berries are best within 6 months of packing. Once opened, they taste their best if finished within a few weeks.

What about masalas?

Everything above applies to masalas too. Ground spices lose aroma faster than whole ones, so keep them airtight and away from heat, and use a dry spoon. A good habit is to keep a small "daily" jar near the stove and refill it from the sealed pack.

A good excuse to try new blends

One upside of buying smaller packs is that you get to rotate flavours more often. Browse our mukhwas and masalas. Everything is made in small batches in Mumbai, so it reaches you fresh.