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Halloween leftovers can keep

2 min read

Dear Readers: HALLOWEEN is almost here, and many of you will have some candy left over. Unless you are going to eat it all at once, here are some hints to store it for a nibble later on:

(There are several go-to types of candy handed out at Halloween, and each has a slightly different storage hint and time.)

n Hard candies, like lollipops, can last up to a year.

n Dark chocolate (which I love and, when on sale, really stock up on!) can last longer than a year or so, even two years, so they say. It must be wrapped in foil and placed where it’s dark (no direct sunlight) and pretty cool.

n Milk and white chocolate have a shorter “life span” because the ingredients, which usually are milk solids, cocoa butter, sugar, etc., only keep for less than a year.

Store candy in a cool place, like the pantry or an out-of-the-way cupboard. Don’t mix different types of candies, especially a hard candy with a soft one that may give off moisture. — Heloise

REUSE AIR FILTERS

Dear Heloise: In the hot San Antonio summers (Heloise here: It also can be hot through September and into November here, folks!), we go through two air filters per month. I “recycle” these by putting them under my 1963 Chevy C10. It’s a great truck, but, like most old things, it leaks a few drops here and there. The filters absorb every drop and keep the garage floor clean. — Mark C. in San Antonio

“Recycle and reuse” is my motto, and this hint does both! I tested it on several types of AC filters, and it worked for most. The cheaper (and less dense) ones bought at the grocery store did not hold up — the oil just sort of soaked through. So test one, or put a large piece of aluminum foil underneath to protect the floor. — Heloise

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