How to Store Indian Sweets So They Actually Stay Fresh

Most complaints about sweets going bad are really storage problems. The sweet was fine when it arrived and the kitchen finished it off.

Ghee-based dry sweets such as Kaja, Mysorepak and Kobbari Louz want a cool, dry, airtight container at room temperature. Do not refrigerate them. Cold makes the ghee firm and grainy, and condensation on removal ruins the surface.

Milk sweets are the opposite. Kova, Rasagulla, Milk Mysorepak and anything with fresh khoya must be refrigerated and eaten within three to four days. In Andhra summers, make that two.

Jaggery sweets like Bellam Gavalu and Sunnundalu are the most forgiving. They keep for two to three weeks at room temperature, though jaggery attracts moisture, so the container has to close properly.

Namkeen and mixtures fail through humidity, not age. An airtight tin keeps Agra Mixture crisp for a month. A half-open packet ruins it in two days during monsoon.

Putharekulu deserves its own rule: eat it soon. The rice sheets absorb ambient moisture faster than any other sweet we make.

One general point. Never store sweets next to pickles or podis. Sweets pick up aroma readily and a box of Kaja stored beside avakaya will taste of avakaya.