How To Keep The Bagels Fresh And Make The Magic Last A Bit Longer

If it were up to my boys, we would eat bagels every morning! They cannot do without these round, soft, tasty buns, and to be quite honest, my hubby and I grew to love them as well.

How To Keep The Bagels Fresh?

After trying several different bagels, we have finally discovered one that is made to our specifications: crispy on the exterior and soft on the inside. Unfortunately, we have to go quite a distance to obtain our beloved bagels because the store that sells them is not located near our home.

Getting up in the morning and having to drive for a half-hour to acquire your fresh morning bagels might be rather exhausting. Furthermore, everyone is aware of how fast bagels lose the charm they once had and become stale.

My goal for the day is to figure out how to extend the magic’s shelf life and keep the bagels fresh. Count on me!

A Little Bit About Bagels

Who doesn’t know what a bagel is, right? Well, you might know how it looks and tastes, but it does not hurt to learn a bit more about this all-American breakfast bun.

Although most people connect bagels with Jewish food in America, these rolls with a hole are actually centuries old. From the Egyptians to the Romans and the Chinese, most ancient people had some kind of a bagel-like treat. Even the Egyptian hieroglyphics at the Louvre in Paris depict the rolls with a hole.

At first, bagels were not boiled as we Americans do today. It is speculated that the first boiled bagel came to be in Krakow after the 1683 Battle of Vienna. It was supposedly baked in honor of Jan Sobieski and his victory over the invading Turkish Empire.

No matter how and when bagels came to be, their popularity spread quickly because they stayed fresh longer than regularly baked bread. Bagels had the crispy, shiny protective crust that kept the inside softer for longer. People also liked the practical side of the bagel as it was easy to transport and could be dunked in tea or milk when a bit stale and still be enjoyed almost as when fresh.

When bagels reached the American ground, the bagel mania spread like crazy. The first International Beigel Bakers’ Union was founded in New York, but these unusual buns soon became famous all over the USA. Their advantage was the neutral taste and the fact that they did not look or taste ethnic, so everyone liked them.

How to Keep Bagels Fresh

If you are anything like my boys and me, and you want to enjoy bagels almost every day of the week, you will surely appreciate the tips I have gathered regarding how to keep them fresh for longer.

The most important rule is: More air and sun exposure = more stale bagels!

1. Keeping Bagels Fresh Overnight

You can take the bagels home packed in a plastic or paper bag and leave them that way. There should be no air left in the bag, though, so try to press it out and seal the bag before you place it in a pantry or your cupboard.
Try to place the bag with bagels in a dark spot as direct sunlight can make them soggy, especially when they are in a plastic bag. A paper bag is a better solution in any case, so if you have one available, use it!

2. Keeping Bagels Fresh for Up to Three Days

If you want your bagels to stay fresh for up to three days (some say up to five, but I disagree), you have to refrigerate them. You can use the plastic bag once again, but an airtight container would be a much better solution.
Make sure that bagels are not warm before you put them in the fridge, or they will become soggy. Avoid crowding warm bagels altogether as that will crush and deform them.

3. Keeping Bagels Fresh For up to Three Months

If you want to have fresh bagels available at all times and cannot run to get them whenever you need them, freezing them is a perfect solution. Frozen bagels keep their initial quality for up to three months, although I feel that the sooner you eat them, the better they will taste. As far as your health is concerned, you can leave the bagels frozen even longer.
For maximum freshness, freeze fresh bagels. It is best to slice the bagels in half before freezing. You will also need an airtight, freezer-safe plastic bag, or you can wrap each bagel in aluminum foil.

How to Warm Up Your Bagels the Right Way

If you have refrigerated or frozen the bagels, you will need to warm them up before serving:

1. Refrigerated Bagels

OVEN: They can be warmed in the oven. Sprinkle the bagels with some water and wrap them in aluminum foil (if you do not have foil, you can use a damp paper bag). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place the bagels in. Take them out after 10 to 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can dip each bagel in water for a few seconds and then place them on a baking sheet. Leave them uncovered and heat them in the oven for about 15 minutes.
MICROWAVE: I personally try to avoid this method as much as possible, as the microwave can alter the texture of the bagels. If you still want to try it or have no alternative, put the bagels in the microwave as soon as you take them out of the refrigerator or freezer. The microwave should be on medium settings, and you should run it for about 30 seconds. If you heat them for longer, you will make them softer, and their crispness will be gone entirely.

Further Reading: Recommended Roaster Ovens with Reviews

2. Frozen Bagels

TOAST: Warm up the toaster and place the bagels in it directly out of the freezer. No thawing necessary!
OVEN: Frozen bagels can go directly into a preheated oven as well. They can be wrapped in foil first or placed directly on a baking sheet as well.
MICROWAVE: The process is the same as with the refrigerated bagels, the only difference being the time needed. Namely, you will have to set your microwave to at least one minute or so.

Related: Toaster Oven or Microwave: What’s Right For You?

Extra Tips:

If you do not eat the bagels right away – freeze them! Leaving them out will make the bagels stale in no time, and then there is nothing you can do to make them taste fresh again!
If you plan to eat the bagels the following day, put them in a pantry rather than your fridge. The fridge will inevitably dry them up a bit and make them chewy.
I said this once, and I’ll repeat it – avoid the microwave as much as possible! If you are on the go and have no alternative – it is ok, but in any other case, DO NOT DO IT! It will make the bagels rubbery, moist, and steamy, and that should not be the case!
Toast the bagels as often as possible – they are meant to be eaten hot and toasty!
Consider getting bagel slicers for quick and easy cutting of the bagels in halves.
Toast different varieties separately to avoid flavor transfers.

Conclusion

We all now know how to keep our favorite bagels fresh and can run to our favorite store and buy a dozen or two! Having them around at all times is sure to come in handy.

I do not know about you, but I am mouth-watering after mentioning bagels so much.

I go set up my toaster now! 😉