Bagels hold a cherished place at many breakfast tables and afternoon snacks around the globe. Their seemingly simplistic design, a toothsome circular loaf of dough, betrays the complexity and satisfaction uniquely captured in each bite that the ubiquitous bagel provides.
Let’s face a legitimately natural query that pops up in the minds of many bagel enthusiasts: How to store bagels? How do you ensure bagels retain all their intrinsic joy through proper storage? Also, has anyone ever idly pondered how long those precious rounds remain edible or why, on earth, they come punctured by those uniquely charming holes?
Let’s take a delightful plunge through this body of knowledge and clear up those curious questions.
Storing Bagels: Best Practices
Here are a bunch of ways to ensure your bagels remain fresh and delicious, because who likes a stale bagel? Not us, and we’re sure you don’t either.
Storing at Room Temperature: You know what they say; bagels are just like the rest of us—they enjoy being comfy at room temperature, much like we do. Store them in something like a breadbox or maybe even a paper bag—just something easy that can help them remain soft and flavorful.
Refrigeration: In an ideal world, you’d eat your bagels pretty fast, and bag freshness wouldn’t be a problem. But sometimes you need to store bagels longer. Fear not; the fridge can come to your aid. Pop your bagels into a zip-lock bag or maybe an airtight container (if you are feeling fancy) to ensure they don’t dry out.
Freezing: Sometimes, you buy in bulk or maybe you make your bagels from scratch and have a few more than you can consume in the short term. In this case, storage might need something a bit more extreme than just refrigeration. Yep, we are talking about freezing your beloved bagels. Wrap each in either plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then put them collectively in a freezer-safe bag. And don’t forget; always, always, ALWAYS date and label them.
How to Keep Bagels Fresh?
Bagels! Bagels are incredibly tasty, and let’s be honest, who doesn’t love waking up to their rich, enchanting flavor? Maintaining their freshness, ironically, can feel like quite an effort sometimes, but no worries! Here are some simple ways that won’t eat up much of your time.
Avoid Moisture: Shield those bagels from moisture, however possible. We all know how much we detest the sight of all-saggy bagels. Simply put, preventing damp and excessively humid surroundings is your primary objective when it comes to ensuring these little parcels of goodness don’t turn into spongy dollops—a sight that’s far from tempting.
Toasting: Toasting can genuinely turn around any bagel situation. Not only could you manage to salvage the slight drop in crunchiness, but it amazes you the way freshly toasted bagels appear more lavish, bringing out an inherent fuller flavor. So, irrespective of whether it is your homely old toaster baking it to perfection or professional-grade oven materials escalating its grace, make absolutely sure you toast /warm it before you take a bite.
Slice as Needed: Pick up that bagel-slicing knife once you feel it’s munch time! This will conserve their delicious and juicy flavor and prevent them from drying out soon.
Read more: How to Keep Bagels Fresh?
The Shelf Life of Bagels
How long are bagels good for eating? Talking about the life span of bagels, well, it largely rests on where and how you store them. Picture a bagel lying on the kitchen counter; it can keep its freshness intact for a span of around two to three days, but not more than that. If you choose to pop the bagels in the refrigerator instead, expect their freshness to still be there for nearly a week, which is pretty impressive.
You can even freeze your favorite bagels and they will hold on to their freshness for as long as three whole months! A crucial thing to point out here is that bagels boast the best taste and texture when they are eaten fresh. So, ideally, try to eat them up within a day or two after baking.
Why Do Bagels Have Holes?
Do you know those holes in the center of bagels that are as much a part of their persona as their chewy texture? These holes are there more out of necessity than style. Our beloved bagels owe their evenly baked crispiness to these holes.
During the cooking process, steam gets pushed out via these holes. By doing that, not only does it allow the bagels to finish up in the oven a bit faster, but it also guarantees that every bit is cooked to perfection.
The existence of these holes, however, also tells another tale. Rewind time temporarily to when the bagel vendors had to move around the streets of the cities to sell their wares, not too similar to today’s food trucks. To catch people’s attention and to display their exciting variety of bagels, these skillful vendors used long poles and threaded the bagels through the holes.
Read more: Why Do Bagels Have Holes?
Healthy Bagels to Buy
We can agree that traditional bagels are sinfully scrumptious, despite being oozing with fat, calories, and carbohydrates. But did you ever think there may be some health-conscious options? Yes, there are!
Whole Wheat Bagels: A bagel crafted from whole wheat flour! Interesting, indeed! Those white bagel spins are healthy! These precious ones do not just bring authentic flavor to life but also add an extra bunch of fiber and nutrients missing in our usual indulgent bagels molded from refined flour.
Multigrain Bagels: How about adding a little variety to your savory morning bite, dealing only with monotone grain? Multigrain bagels champion the cause. Made from a mixture of mouth-watering grains like hearty oats, nutritious flaxseeds, and chic quinoa, these bagels elevate your nutrition game to the next level.
Gluten-Free Bagels: You can now enjoy gluten-free bagels!. Seemingly impossible? Nah, enter the lovely world of alternative flours—rice, almond flour, and others.
So, think outside the bagel box and try these healthier alternatives. That guilt occasionally accompanying your pleasures can now take a backseat with these thoughtful modifications to our much-loved traditional bagel. Enjoy!
Concluding Remarks
If you love bagels, knowing how to store bagels to retain their flavor and freshness is really crucial. Storing them right means either leaving them to sit on your counter, tucking them away in your fridge, or stashing them in your freezer.
If you stick to these guidelines, the bagels that you love will stay delightful and mouth-watering for the longest time. The golden rule here? Relish them in a few days if possible, as that’s when they hit the peak of both their taste and texture.