How Long Does Dried Fruit Last?
Unopened dried fruit lasts 6–12 months in the pantry. After opening, it keeps 1–3 months in the pantry in an airtight container or about 6 months in the fridge, and up to 1 year frozen.
Dried Fruit — opened
shelf life- Unopened: 1 year in the fridge
- Homemade: 6 months in the fridge
Fridge at 40°F (4°C) or below · freezer at 0°F (−18°C). Freezer times are for best quality; frozen food stays safe longer.
Dried fruit, such as apricots, prunes, figs, mango, apple rings and cranberries, keeps because most of its water has been removed and its sugar is concentrated. Moister, chewier fruits spoil sooner than leathery ones. Many are treated with sulfites to hold their color; unsulfured fruit darkens faster but is no less safe.
How to store dried fruit
- Transfer opened dried fruit to an airtight jar or press the air out of a zip-top bag; exposure to air makes it hard, and humidity makes it sticky and moldy.
- Keep soft, moist types such as prunes, figs and ready-to-eat apricots in the fridge after opening, because their higher moisture makes them the first to mold.
- Store different fruits separately, since drier fruit will pull moisture from moister fruit and both will suffer.
- When home-dehydrated fruit is first jarred, shake the jar daily for a week; if condensation appears, the fruit needs more drying before storage.
How to tell if dried fruit has gone bad
- Fuzzy mold in any color, or a musty smell when you open the container.
- A fermented, sour or wine-like odor, most common in moist fruits like prunes and figs.
- Moth webbing, larvae or small beetles in the bag.
- Fruit that has turned very dark, hard and flavorless, which is a quality loss rather than a safety problem.
Bacteria that cause food poisoning usually do not change the look, smell or taste of food. Go by the time limits first, and the signs above second.
Dried Fruit shelf life chart
| State | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opened | 6 months | 1 year | 1–3 months |
| Unopened | 1 year | 1 year | 6–12 months |
| Homemade | 6 months | 1 year | 1–3 months |
| Home-dehydrated fruit holds more moisture than commercial; check jars for condensation in the first week. | |||
Not safe = perishable: no more than 2 hours at room temperature (1 hour above 90°F / 32°C). Not recommended = possible, but quality suffers or it serves no purpose.
Frequently asked questions
Does dried fruit go bad?
Yes, though slowly. Dried fruit usually loses quality before it becomes unsafe, turning hard, dark and bland. It can also mold if it absorbs moisture, ferment if it is a moist type, or become infested with pantry insects. Opened packages are best within 1–3 months in the pantry or about 6 months in the fridge.
Should dried fruit be refrigerated after opening?
It is recommended if you will not finish it within a month or so. The fridge extends opened dried fruit from 1–3 months to about 6 months and is the better choice for soft fruits and for warm, humid kitchens. Use an airtight container so it does not absorb odors.
Is the white coating on dried figs or prunes mold?
Often it is not. A white, powdery or crystalline coating on figs, prunes and dates is usually sugar that has come to the surface, and it dissolves with warmth or moisture. Mold is fuzzy, may be gray, green or blue, and smells musty. When the two are hard to tell apart, discard the fruit.
Why did my dried apricots turn dark brown?
Dried apricots darken as they age, and unsulfured ones are brown from the start because they lack the sulfites that preserve the orange color. Darkening alone does not make them unsafe. Judge them by smell, texture and the absence of mold instead.
Related foods
| Food | Fridge | Freezer | Pantry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raisins Opened |
6–12 months | 1 year | 3–6 months |
| Dates Whole, soft (Medjool) |
6 months | 1 year | 1 month |
| Trail Mix Unopened |
6–12 months | 1 year | 6 months |
| Granola Unopened |
Not recommended | Not recommended | 6 months |
| Apricots Ripe |
3–5 days | Not recommended | 1–2 days |
| Mixed Nuts Opened |
6 months | 1 year | 2–3 months |
Reviewed 2026-09-20. Times follow published USDA FoodKeeper / FSIS, FDA and CDC storage guidance; where sources differ we use the shorter time. How we compile this data.