Almost everyone loves crackers. Whether you choose to enjoy your crackers alone or place them on your favorite cheese board, they're an excellent snack. That being said, the only thing that can ruin a sweet cracker treat is crackers that have spoiled. There's not much worse than craving your favorite snack only to find that it's stale or expired, especially when homemade. At Bob's Red Mill, homemade crackers don't last for long, which is why we usually make them in big batches. If you're a fan of making homemade crackers and want to make sure they keep long enough for the entire family to enjoy them, then you've stumbled upon the right article. This article will talk about the average shelf life of homemade crackers and how to store them properly to make them last even longer.
The Best Way to Store Crackers
After you've found the perfect recipe and baked a batch of delicious homemade crackers, it's time to determine how to store them for later use. While you'll likely enjoy a handful of crackers as soon as they've had time to cool, you'll want to make sure the rest are stored away so that you can enjoy that fresh-tasting flavor all week long. To help make sure your crackers don't spoil, here are a few of the most reliable ways to store them.
Store in an Airtight Bag
Once homemade crackers have been baked, there's a short amount of time before they begin to go stale. An excellent way to ensure that crackers remain fresh until you're ready to eat them is to store them in an airtight bag. Bags are a perfect way to keep crackers for many reasons. Because of a sandwich bag's convenient size, it can easily be used to prepare meals or snacks. So whether you plan on bringing the crackers to the office as a snack or packing them in your child's lunch box, storing them in pre-portioned bags will save a bit of time. Additionally, placing your homemade crackers in bags will help protect them from pests and prevent odors from being absorbed. That being said, sandwich bags do not provide any protection, meaning that your crackers can break easily if you are not careful. To ensure that crackers don't become crumbs before you can enjoy them, store them in an area where they will not be crushed by other foods and items.
Store Crackers in an Airtight Container
The best way to protect homemade crackers from spoiling and damage is to store them in an airtight container. An airtight container will keep the crackers from coming in contact with natural gases that could potentially cause them to spoil faster. Additionally, like a bag, it will also keep out common critters like ants. Another advantage to containers is that their hard exterior will protect the crackers and prevent them from being smushed before you can enjoy them. The container you choose will largely depend on your lifestyle and the dishware you have in your kitchen. If you plan on snacking on crackers around the house, then storing all of them in a large container may be sufficient. However, if you plan to enjoy a handful of crackers on the go, then it's best to portion them out into smaller containers. When storing homemade crackers, plastic, metal and glass containers are the most commonly used. By storing your snacks in containers, you’ll be able to prevent stale crackers before you get a chance to enjoy them.
Tips to Extend the Shelf Life of Homemade Crackers
Sandwich bags and airtight containers are undoubtedly the most popular way to store homemade crackers. If you keep snacks according to the methods above and still find that they spoil soon, extend your homemade crackers' shelf life and try one of the tricks below.
Add Bread
Adding a slice of fresh bread to the container the homemade crackers are stored in is an excellent way to keep them fresh for a while longer. The bread will work to absorb most of the moisture in the container, which will surely keep your crackers fresher for longer.
Place Baking Soda in Your Pantry
Another great food storage method used to extend the shelf life of crackers is to place a small container of salt or baking soda in the storage cupboard along with your crackers. Like the slice of bread, these ingredients will absorb any excess moisture in the air and keep it away from the crackers.
Keep it Dry
Crackers store best in a cool, dry and dark place. If you're living in an area where the climate is a bit moist or humid, we suggest using the tips above and adding an open container of salt or baking soda to your pantry. Often, sunlight and heat can create moisture leaving you with soggy, flavorless and expired crackers. Because of this, homemade crackers should be stored in an area of 45 to 77°F.
A general rule of thumb is, the warmer the temperature, the shorter the shelf life. Because of this, when planning where to keep crackers, avoid areas close to hot pipes, ovens or the refrigerator.
Don't Let the Temperature Drop Too Low
We've discussed how heat can cause crackers to spoil more quickly, but letting the temperature drop too low may give you the same result. If the temperature of your kitchen is below 45°F, then your crackers may seek out moisture to absorb. Before making homemade crackers, we recommend experimenting in the kitchen and searching for areas with temperature and humidity control. If crackers come in contact with high amounts of humidity, it can cause bacteria to form, leaving you with mold crackers. Not sure if a space is too humid? If you begin to feel clammy when standing in a room, then it's too damp of an area to store crackers.
Shelf Life
Wondering, "how long do crackers last?" It depends on what type of cracker you're storing. Store-bought crackers have a much longer shelf life than homemade crackers, and when unopened, will usually keep for six to nine months when stored properly. This extended shelf life is mainly due to the preservatives used to keep the crackers fresher for longer. When making crackers at home, one of the most significant benefits is choosing what goes into them. At Bob's Red Mill, we prefer to choose whole food recipes that are preservative-free. So while the crispy homemade crackers may not remain fresh as long as store-bought ones, they'll undoubtedly taste better!
When determining the shelf life of homemade crackers, ingredients play a prominent role in how long they'll last. Though it varies from recipe to recipe, most homemade crackers will keep for seven to ten days when stored properly. Knowing that homemade crackers spoil quicker than store-bought ones, we recommend planning ahead when baking them. Whether you're in charge of hosting the next get-together, or preparing snacks for game day, making homemade crackers a day or two beforehand is the best way to ensure they're fresh. Whether you are making a cheese cracker or a graham cracker, all of these snacks need to be properly stored. Once you bring your crackers out of the oven, let your snack goods fully cool and stick them in a sealed container.
Can You Freeze Crackers?
Often, when we want to keep food fresher for longer, we turn to the freezer for some help. Many foods like meats, veggies and even fruit can all be stored in the freezer for lengthy amounts of time. However, crackers are best kept far away from it. When enjoying a cracker, you want it to be both crunchy and crispy, and the amount of moisture found in a freezer will quickly turn crispy crackers into a soggy mess.
Two specific factors cause crackers to turn soft in the freezer: structure and salt. Most cracker recipes contain salt in both the dough and the surface of the cracker. Salt is known for absorbing moisture and can hold a large volume of it. When a cracker is frozen, ice crystals are formed inside of it. Upon thawing, instead of the crystals evaporating, that water absorbs into the cracker, making it soft and soggy.
Additionally, the structure of a cracker does not hold up well when exposed to air for too long. When frozen, crackers absorb too much moisture from the air and spoil more quickly. While it's not impossible to freeze crackers, you want to ensure they are adequately stored and not frozen for long.
Can Crackers Be Stored in the Refrigerator?
Now that you know crackers shouldn't be stored in the freezer, you may be wondering if the refrigerator is any better. If you're meal planning or packing lunch to grab later on, then the fridge might be a convenient place to store your crackers. However, while a short amount of time in the refrigerator won't harm your crackers, you don't want to keep them in it for long. Like the freezer, the moisture inside a fridge is easily absorbed and will cause crackers to become soggy quickly.
Making homemade crackers is a tasty, fun-filled experience that the entire family can enjoy. Ranging in flavors from sweet to savory, they pair well with fresh dips making them the ideal snack. The next time you make homemade crackers, reference this guide for proper storing methods and tips to ensure they remain fresh for as long as possible. From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, happy baking!
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