As a traditional food for the Mid-Autumn Festival, mooncakes are handmade by every household to celebrate the festival. When making mooncakes, the quality of the mooncake skin directly affects the taste of the finished product, so its handling and storage methods are crucial.
It is generally recommended not to leave the mooncake skin overnight. This is because the dough, if stored for a long time, is prone to oxidation, which affects the final flavor of the mooncake. The ideal production process is to use the mixed dough within 2.5 to 3 hours, allowing the dough to relax fully during this time. This will result in mooncakes that are neither collapsed nor have a compromised texture due to overly dry dough. If there is a need to extend storage time, although high-oil and high-sugar mooncake skin can be refrigerated in the fridge overnight without food safety issues, it is best to wrap it with cling film to prevent dryness and warm it up before use, although this may not be as ideal as fresh dough.
As for the shelf life of well-made mooncakes, it varies: mooncakes with a high moisture content in the filling can be stored for about 7 to 10 days, while mooncakes with a firm filling can be stored for about 1 month. It is worth noting that snow skin mooncakes are sensitive to temperature and should not exceed two hours at room temperature, otherwise it may cause gastrointestinal discomfort in consumers.
There are two common recipes for making mooncake skin. The first one requires invert syrup, where medium-gluten flour is mixed with homemade or commercially available invert syrup, peanut oil, and alkaline water to form a smooth and non-sticky dough, which is then allowed to rest for 2 hours. The second one does not require invert syrup, and by mixing oil, eggs, sugar, flour, and baking soda to form a dough, it can be used after standing for 2 hours.
By following these tips, you can ensure that homemade mooncakes are not only delicious but also maintain the best flavor and texture.
