How to Store Bagels So They Don't Get Stale and Moldy (2024)

FAQs

How to Store Bagels So They Don't Get Stale and Moldy? ›

If you're looking to preserve whole bagels for a short period of time, your best bet is to store your bagels in a paper bag, which you can keep out on the counter or in the pantry, so long as the bagels stay at room temperature.

In other words, place any bagel halves in a tightly sealed plastic bag at room temperature, and squeeze out any excess air before you close said bag. Stored this way, bagel slices should stay fresh for about three days, though you might want to revive them in the toaster before digging in.

It is not recommended to store bagels in the refrigerator. Refrigerating bagels can cause them to become stale faster. Keep your bagels on the counter in a paper or zip-top bag, or freeze them for long-term storage.

Quick tip: Bagels get moldy when spores in the air land on the bread and use the residual moisture to propagate. If your bagels are preservative-free, this could happen within a day or two. Wilson suggests freezing bagels immediately unless you will enjoy them the same day.

The microwave is a quick solution for many kitchen tasks. To help soften a hard bagel, simply wrap it in a moist paper towel and microwave it for 15 seconds. You can also set the bagel on a microwave-safe plate, then surround it with a few water drops or lightly mist it and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds.

"Paper leaves the crust and flavor intact, and while the bagels do get chewier, they're perfectly fine within a day of buying them," they write, adding that you can also keep the paper bag of bagels in a plastic bag.

"As long as the immune system and the gut system is healthy and intact, and you're not immunocompromised, for that vast majority of people, if they accidentally consume a little bit of mold, really not much happens," she said. The amount of mold someone eats, however, will impact the body's reaction.

If the bagels are fresh from the bakery, make sure they cool completely before you put them in the plastic bag. It's also important to squeeze any excess air out of the bag before sealing it, otherwise the bagels might harden. Stored this way, whole bagels should stay fresh for about six days.

Avoid storing bagels in the fridge.

Refrigerating bagels can cause them to become stale faster, as all the starch molecules will recrystallize at cool temperatures.

Putting your extra New Yorker bagels in a paper bag can help them last until the next day. Longer than that, try slicing and stacking your bagel halves before wrapping tightly in plastic, foil or tupperware-style containers and freezing them.

What happens if you accidentally eat a moldy bagel? ›

In most cases, nothing happens if you accidentally eat food with mold on it, the experts note. “When you ingest the mold, the acids in your stomach, as well as the digestive enzymes, will break the cells down," says Worobo. Healthy individuals generally won't get sick from eating a few bites of moldy food.

The long proofing time that creates a fermented dough, boiling the proofed bagel just prior to baking to gelatinize the surface starch, and the use of steam or an egg-white “wash” to create a hard crust are all the preservative needed for up to one week of storage at room temperature…

Costco's bagels are made fresh, and they're also not necessarily made to last for a week or longer. But some Costco customers are reporting that they're only getting a few days out of their bagels before mold starts to appear.

If your bagels are fresh-baked, put them in a paper bag, then put the paper bag inside a resealable plastic bag before storing them in the pantry. If you need to store bagels for longer than 7 days, wrap each bagel in plastic wrap, then place the individually wrapped bagels together in a resealable freezer bag.

Contrary to popular belief, refrigerating your bagels will actually make them go stale more quickly. You should store them in plastic bags at room temperature, or freeze them immediately. Make sure your bagels aren't still warm when you put them in bags or they will get soggy.

For a soft, fluffy bagel, preheat your oven to 350°F, either run the stale bagel under hot water until the outside is damp or soak it briefly in a bowl of hot water, then place the bagel directly on the wire rack in the oven and heat it for five minutes.

And a large loaf simply takes longer to dry out, especially if you shield its cut side by placing it flush with a solid surface to block airflow." Another hack is to put a loaf cut-side down in an empty Dutch oven with the lid on. This keeps it in a dark place, which is also a wise strategy to discourage mold.

And if your biggest concern is making sure your bread doesn't grow mold, refrigerating it is the best and safest way to store it. Check out more bread storage tips here, including advice on how to store your bread in the freezer so you can enjoy it later.