Spring rolls are an authentic Asian appetizer that’s rolled with a variety of different ingredients. Unlike egg rolls, spring rolls are much healthier and fresher since it doesn’t need to be fried in oils. Spring rolls are made up of fresh vegetables, rice noodles, and cooked meats. When all of these ingredients are rolled together, it tends to not last very long.
So how long does sping rolls last? How long the spring roll last will depend on the ingredients used. Spring rolls usually include rice noodles as the main ingredient. When the rice noodles are mixed with other ingredients such as vegetables and meat, it tends to become soggy quickly. Therefore, spring rolls will last for about 1-2 hours at room temperature. While in the refrigerator, spring rolls can last for 2-3 hours.
The above is just an estimated time of their shelf life. Other factors affect their shelf life such as the ingredients used to make it, the temperature at where it’s stored, and where it is stored.
In this short guide, we’ll go through how long spring rolls lasts, proper storage, how to tell when they are bad, and how to keep them fresh longer. If that’s the information you’re looking for, keep reading.
How Long Do Spring Rolls Last?
At room temperature, spring rolls will last for about 1-2 hours. If the room that’s it’s stored at is really hot, the appetizers will last no longer than an hour. The spring roll’s skin will start to harden and the ingredients inside will start to spoil.
In the refrigerator, spring rolls will stay fresh for 3-4 hours. This is if it’s stored properly in the refrigerator. Exposure to the cool air will cause the skin to harden.
As for the spring roll’s skin, it can last indefinitely if it’s kept dry. The best place to keep them is in their original package and stored away from direct sunlight and other heat sources. Once some moisture gets on it, the wrapper will not last very long.
Can Spring Rolls Go Bad?
Depending on what ingredients beside rice noodles are being used, spring rolls can go bad rather quickly. The rice noodles itself is high in water content and when it’s exposed to high temperature, it will start to spoil. This is the reason why rice noodles are sometimes not used in spring rolls.
If you’re making vegetarian spring rolls, which usually are just vegetables and nothing else, they will last a bit longer. Again, once the vegetables in the spring rolls are exposed to high temperature, it will start to go bad as well.
The best way to keep spring rolls from going bad is to make them fresh. It’s best to make them when you’re ready to eat it. If not, after making spring rolls, place them into an airtight container, and store it in the refrigerator.
How To Tell When Spring Rolls Is Bad?
When spring rolls go bad, there will usually be signs to look out for. Depending on the ingredients you’ve used, they
Appearance – When spring rolls go bad, their skin will hard and chewy. This is usually from being exposed to the air for a long time. This can be from leaving them out at room temperature for too long or the spring rolls are not stored in the refrigerator properly. When you touch the spring rolls and their skin seems to be hard, it’s best to throw them out.
Smell – The smell of spoiled spring rolls will depend on what ingredients you’ve used. If you’ve used chicken, beef, or shrimp, it will smell rotten. For those spring rolls that are just vegetables, they will smell foul. Whether it’s meat or strictly vegetables that are in the spring rolls, if the smell is off, the entire spring roll should be thrown away.
Taste – Since the main ingredient is rice noodles, it will taste bitter when the spring rolls are bad. Additionally, depending on what other ingredients you’ve used such as shrimp, beef, or chicken, it will have a bad taste to it. Hopefully, just the smell alone will prevent you from taking a bit into a spoiled spring roll.
How To Store Spring Rolls
At room temperature, spring rolls should be stored in a plate with a cling wrapper covering the entire plate. You can also place them in a container with a damp napkin covering it. This will prevent the spring rolls from drying out.
In the refrigerator, you can either store them in an airtight container or a sealable plastic bag. The storage container is to prevent air from drying out the wrappers of the spring roll. Additionally, the container helps retain moisture in the spring rolls.
Spring rolls are highly perishable once it’s rolled with all the ingredients. Therefore, whether you’re storing it at room temperature or in the refrigerator, they should be consumed as soon as possible.
Can You Freeze Spring Rolls?
If the spring rolls are already rolled with all the ingredients, it shouldn’t be frozen. These appetizers, unlike egg rolls that can be frozen, spring rolls cannot be frozen due to their wrappers.
It will freeze fine, but once it’s thawed, they will become soggy and break apart. Therefore, freezing spring rolls is not recommended.
If you do want to freeze it to save time from having to prep it, it’s best to freeze each ingredient individually. Once you’re ready to make spring rolls, you can thaw each one and make fresh spring rolls.
As for the spring rolls wrapper, they too can be frozen but there’s no need for it. As long as it’s stored in a plastic bag, the wrapper can be kept at room temperature and last indefinitely.
How To Keep Spring Rolls Fresh Longer
Once the spring rolls are rolled with the ingredients, they should be stored in a plate with a damp napkin covering them. This will prevent the spring rolls from drying out and losing moisture.
The best practice to keeping spring rolls fresh longer is to simply keep the ingredients separated until you’re ready to make it. Most of the ingredients used are highly perishable and once they are mixed together, it will go bad really quickly.
Related Questions
What’s the difference between spring rolls and egg rolls?
The ingredients used are similar in both appetizers, but the main difference is the way they are made. Once the egg rolls are rolled, they will be cooked in frying oils. On the other hand, spring rolls do not need cooking. All the ingredients are cooked already and then made into a spring roll. They are eaten fresh.