If you are interested in storing cookies, you must choose between various options. You can buy a cookie jar, a Ziploc bag, or a metal cookie tin. The type of tin you use can make a big difference in how easy it is to store the cookies.
How to Store Cookies?
Store your cookies with a piece of bread or a few marshmallows in an airtight jar to keep them fresh for up to 6 days.
Airtight Container
There are a variety of ways to store cookies. The best way depends on the type of cookie, the batch size, and the duration of time they will be stored.
For soft, chewy, and crunchy cookies, an airtight container is the best way to go. An airtight container keeps moisture and condensation from getting into the cookies, which makes them last longer. Similarly, it prevents heat and moisture from causing the cookies to lose their shape or texture.
A good cookie storage container can range from a standard plastic freezer bag to a decorative cookie jar. A classic cookie jar isn’t fully airtight, but it does protect your cookies from dust and crumbs.
You can also try a jar with a zipper-lock lid. This makes it easy to keep the treats fresh, especially if stored in the refrigerator.
The right container can differentiate between a delicious dessert and a disaster. Some people prefer metal tins for short-term storage.
Ziploc Bag
If you’ve ever baked cookies, you know that storing them properly is a critical part of keeping them fresh. Luckily, there are several ways to do it. It all depends on the type of cookie you’re storing and how long you plan to keep it.
When it comes to dry cookies, the best option is to store them in an airtight container. This is because the moisture evaporates when it comes in contact with air. Softer cookies have a higher moisture content and will go soggy if they’re stored in a container that doesn’t allow for moisture to escape.
If you’re a fan of chewy cookies, the best way to store them is to place them in an airtight glass container. You’ll also want to use a lid. But be sure to leave a little room in the bottom to allow for expansion.
Airtight containers can be as simple as a Ziploc bag. However, you’ll have to make sure you’re using the right brand of bags. The knock-offs may not hold the air seal as well.
Cookie Jar
A cookie jar is an excellent way to store your cookies. These canisters come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The right jar can make your cookies last longer.
Cookies are best stored at room temperature. However, some cookies can be stored in the refrigerator. If you choose this option, you must store your cookies in an airtight container.
The most common cookie jars are ceramic. They are usually cute and decorative and serve as storage and decor.
For short-term storage, metal cookie tins are a good choice. However, they do not offer the same level of airtightness as plastic locking containers.
Many bakers prefer airtight plastic containers. Using a jar with an airtight lid will keep cookies fresher for longer. There are also some Tupperware food containers with an airtight lids.
Aside from airtight containers, cookies should not be stored in areas prone to moisture. For example, refrigerators, freezers, and cabinets that are exposed to water can cause cookies to spoil quickly.
As previously said, if baked items are not refrigerated, they will last for two to three days before losing their best qualities for consumption. It’s a good idea to put the cookies in a sealable plastic bag before placing them in the tin to keep the air out of your cookie box isn’t airtight, but you still want to use it to store cookies on the counter.
At room temperature, pastries can be kept in good condition in sealable plastic containers and bags. But when should you put freshly baked cookies in the refrigerator instead of on the kitchen counter? Within a few hours of baking, colder temperatures are required for desserts created with perishable ingredients like jams or meringues.
How to Store Soft Cookies?
According to resident baking whiz Darcy Lenz, the secret to soft cookie storage is limiting airflow so your cookies won’t lose moisture. Cookies (and other baked foods) become stale when their starch molecules start to crystallize and absorb water from the gluten.
To prevent them from smushing together, store softer cookies, such as brownies and frosted cookies, in a single layer in an airtight container (such as glass meal prep containers or plastic storage containers). Any cookies with gooey glazes or toppings are the same way.
You can include a piece of bread in the container to maintain the moisture of soft cookies. Instead of the cookies, the bread will take in the dry air, preventing the cookies from deteriorating. If prepared properly, soft cookies can be stored for up to three months in the freezer and three days in the refrigerator.
- To prevent moisture loss from soft-baked items during storage, ventilation must be kept to a minimum. Their molecules start to crystallize when exposed to air, robbing the gluten of water and causing deterioration.
- Additionally, you should store crispy cookies separately from gingerbread, chocolate chip, and peanut butter cookies. If they have a strong flavor, they should also be preserved in an airtight container and kept separate from other soft baked goods.
- You can apply a hack and put a slice of white bread in the airtight container to keep them at its softest. The moisture from the bread seeps into the cookies, keeping them wet, much like how this approach keeps brown sugar soft. Brownies and other soft pastries that include glaze or icing should stay in one layer in an airtight container.
- Additionally, bread absorbs the dry air and keeps the food from going bad. Soft baked goods that have been properly prepared keep their freshness for three days in the refrigerator and up to three months in the freezer.
The converse is true with dry-baked items; you want to keep moisture away from them. Keep crunchy cookies and soft cookies apart to achieve this. You can perform this in a partially sealed, airtight container.
By doing this, some air will be able to enter and prevent your cookies from becoming moist and wet. Again, separate these cookies by type if they have a potent flavor. It is best to layer dry cookies like shortbread and butter biscuits and non-frozen pastries while storing them.
However, you can keep tougher varieties in various ways based on the components in your pastry. Furthermore, sturdy Christmas cookies can be stacked on top of one another with nothing in between.
However, less resilient cultivars need some isolation. As a barrier between layers, you may, for instance, use tortilla chips, plastic wrap, or parchment paper. Additionally, you can still preserve crisp baked foods in a cookie jar silently. Small amounts of air that leak in here really aid in maintaining the texture.
Homemade cookie dough should be kept in proper containers and in the refrigerator for two to four days to keep it fresh. The lifespan of frozen cookie dough, however, is up to two months. Such dough can be frozen in two different ways: as a batch of ready-to-bake cookies or as individual cookies. Here are some easy actions you may take to accomplish this:
- Spread pre-portioned cookies on a baking sheet that has been oiled or lined with parchment paper to freeze them.
- The sheet should then be placed in the freezer for an hour to prevent sticking.
- Afterward, put the raw cookies in a freezer-safe container with a tight lid.
- When compared to cookies that contain jam, cream cheese, or fresh citrus juice or zest, this technique works incredibly well for simple cookies like chocolate chip cookies.
- A quantity of cookie dough can also be frozen for subsequent shaping. For basic cookies, this works well.
- The dough can maintain its shape better if it is slightly cooled if you intend to use a cookie cutter. Just be sure to give yourself enough time to defrost the dough beforehand.
How to Store Crispy Cookies?
Crispy cookies that can be preserved in layers include shortbread, gingersnaps, and plain bar cookies. However, there are various ways to keep stronger cookies, depending on the composition of your cookie.
With nothing in between them, sturdy cookies (such as chocolate chip cookies or shortbread cookies with firm-set icing) can be stacked in layers. The layers of less sturdy cookies will need to be separated to some extent; you can do this by using parchment paper, plastic wrap, or even tortillas.
The small amounts of air that sneak in while storing crunchier cookies in a cookie jar will help them preserve their texture.
How to Store Cookies in the Refrigerator?
There is an exception to the general rule that cookies shouldn’t be refrigerated because doing so will only cause condensation and make your cookies soggy.
Similar to the foundation components, cookies decorated with a frosting that involves cream cheese or eggs, such as French buttercream, must be refrigerated (you wouldn’t leave the cream cheese out on the counter, would you?)
Check out these suggestions for storing certain cookie types in the refrigerator.
Use an Airtight Container
Cookies should be kept in an airtight container when storing them in the refrigerator to prevent drying out.
The same kind of airtight container that you would use to keep cookies at room temperature can be used for this.
Use Two/Three-tier Cooling Racks in the Fridge
How can you store cookies without running the frosting since they’re likely to be frosted, and that’s why they’re in the refrigerator?
Get a cooling rack with two or three tiers, like this one, and use it to keep the cookies chilled!
As you don’t want them to dry out and don’t want to fill up your entire fridge with a cooling rack, it’s best if you only leave them in there overnight, but it’s still a terrific hack for a day or two.
Conclusion
Although cookies can be kept in the fridge for two weeks, it is best to consume them sooner. In a plastic bag or container that can be tightly sealed, keep cookies in the refrigerator. We hope our short and quick guide has helped keep your cookies fresh for a longer time.
