How Long Do Bagels Last And How To Keep Bagels Fresh?

Bagels are tasty bread baked in a ring-like form, and we all love them. You will not want to leave the fresh, delicious ones in a stale situation; it can be the worst thing to bite. So how long do bagels last in the fridge, freezer, and at room temperature? Knowing this can help you to enjoy them for longer.

Though there are certain ways to revive stale bagels, they will no longer be as fresh as before. So the only way to make them the tastiest is to store them properly so that you can minimize the bland taste at large.

Read on to know how long it lasts and ways to store them as fresh as the first day.

How Long Do Bagels Last?

They can last as long as 2-3 days outside at room temperature if you keep them carefully in an airtight container.

Once you store them in the fridge, their shelf life can be extended to nearly a week. Yet, the best way to store bagels is to put them in the freezers so that you can make use of them for months.

If you just want to maintain them fresh overnight, you just need to store them at room temperature by putting them in their original package. When there is no package (or you’ve lost it), you can use a paper bag, plastic bag, or an airtight container.

This way, you can prevent it from drying as they can absorb moisture and keep your baked ones fresh as new overnight.

How Long Do Bagels Last In The Fridge?

As said, keeping it in the refrigerator can make it last longer compared to leaving it outside, which is about 5 to 7 days in the fridge.

The bad news is that the cold air in the fridge makes them dry out faster, but the good news is we still have a small trick to refresh them and allow you to store them in the fridge worry-free. (It’s in the further part of our post, keep reading!)

Just ensure that you understand the drawback of cold air in the fridge and how it affects their taste and texture.

How Long Does Bagel Last In The Freezer?

To get the longest bagel lifespan, you can put it in the freezer and use it for up to 3 months. This way, you can make the most of a bagel!

When you place them into the freezer, you should prepare some cling film or aluminum foil and a ziplock bag. Slice them into two parts and label them.

Then just throw it in the freezer for later use.

How to Keep Bagels Fresh

First, we might say that if you get used to keeping the bread and buns fresh, storing bagels is quite the same as those. So let’s have some fun with bagels and storing techniques!

Place Them in Paper Bags

When you stack them in simple paper bags and put them on the countertop at room temperature, they can last 2 to 3 days. If you are aware of reusable products, sticking with linen bread bags is also an alternative. They can also keep the bread in good shape for that long.

It’d be better to keep all the paper or linen bags in a bread keeper. The benefit to using the bread boxes/ keepers is they can extend the fresh one for more than 2 days, so you can have tasty ones in bread keepers for a total of 5 days.

One more great thing about those boxes is they help to prevent mold and spores from growing on our baked bread.

Store Bagels in The Fridge

Before you place them in the fridge, you should heat them up a bit in the microwave or oven.

Use paper bags or linen bags to wrap them up, then bring them to the fridge.

If some of the bagels are made of garlic bread, you should not keep them in the fridge as they will dry out quickly and lose their quality and taste.

Freezing

One little piece of advice for you if you want to keep them in the freezer is to slice them in halves first. This can help the thawing process quicker.

Tightly wrap them in plastic bags, then use aluminum foil or freezer paper to cover them up. You can also use zip-top freezer ones for the alternatives. Remember to remove all the air out and seal them neatly.

Yet, the best option for the environment is beeswax wraps. You can reuse them for a year. Those wraps are compostable, so you can turn them into compost.

Tips for Defrosting Bagels

When you get them out, you can not leave them there and wait for them to defrost at room temperature. They can be stale while thawing. Instead, put them directly into a toaster/ microwave oven.

This process will make them defrost and toast at once and deliver a crispy and crunchy bite.

A little note for you is that you can not refreeze them. Once you defrost them, freezing them again will sacrifice their freshness and deliciousness. Then, it’s best to take out as much as you might be able to eat.

How Do You Tell If Homemade Bagels Has Gone Bad?

Sooner or later, bagels will have mold growth. This is due to non-preservative ones, which will go moldy within a week though other parts are in good shape. Mostly, bagels will go stale after 3 to 4 days in an airtight container, which is also the typical time people throw them away.

Another way you can tell a bad bagel is that it has an off smell or unusual look.

If you leave them exposed to the air, they can last for only a day or two and be dehydrated or stale. Once you examine it in a hard form but not really dry, you can toast it and bring back a good baked one.

How to Revive Stale Bagels?

Toasting is the easiest way to revive stale ones. Or you can have a microwave trick to get crispy on the outside and crusty in the middle.

You can choose to toast them all or cut them in half, but the latter can fasten the process (due to smaller sizes), and it’s also easy. Set the oven at 375 degrees F and heat them up for 4 to 5 minutes. You can turn on the preheat button if your toaster oven has such a function.

Whenever you see your ring-shaped baked bread dry and stale, you can try to cover them in hot water and toast them whole.

Conclusion

How long do bagels last in the fridge? There are now no worries about storing some bagels for breakfast. You can enjoy the chewy bagel overnight or even for months if you follow our guide and store them like a pro.

Just finding out their shelf life in the fridge can help you to prepare and store them properly. You can get the best ones for longer use at ease. We hope you can have a water-mouthing baked flavor at any time!