Can You Freeze Bagels and enjoy them later?: Nothing makes a breakfast merrier than a plate of fresh bagels. Then again, it is not always possible to make them on the go. Freezing bagels is a good way of having them later for breakfast. However, you must be thinking, can breakfast food like bagels even be frozen? Can they be enjoyed later?
We will help you learn how to defrost and reheat bagels at home in the following sections.
- Can You Freeze Bagels?
- How Can You Freeze Bagels Correctly?
- How To Defrost Frozen Bagels?
- How Long Can You Freeze Bagels?
- Can You Refreeze Bagels?
- What happens if you freeze bagels?
- Can you freeze and reheat bagels?
- Is it better to put bagels in the fridge or freezer?
- Do you defrost bagels in the fridge?
Can You Freeze Bagels?
Yes, bagels can be frozen and used later. Most people do not know the right way to freeze bagels and they end up refrigerating them. This can make the bagels hard and inedible. You cannot just put bagels into the fridge and expect them to retain their freshness after days.
If you have a couple of extras on your hand, you can freeze them instead. This will preserve their freshness and prevent them from going stale. You can store bagels for almost 4 months in the freezer.
How Can You Freeze Bagels Correctly?
Bagels are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. This is what makes them so unique and special as a breakfast item. Refrigeration makes them hard. Thus, when you try and defrost them, they end up getting soggy since refrigerating adds moisture to the bagels. Moreover, defrosting a whole bagel consumes more time than defrosting two halves of the bagel. Eventually, you cannot consume these, and they have to be thrown in the trash.
Know the right way to freeze bagels! Follow these steps to freeze bagels correctly and enjoy them later whenever you want.
You can use a bagel slicer to cut the bagel into two halves. In case you do not have one, you can use a serrated knife to cut the bagel lengthwise into two halves.
Once you have cut the bagel into two halves, use plastic wrap to cover each of them fully. Then, wrap it with more plastic wrap. This will trap air and reduce moisture content, which will keep the bagels fresh and dry when you use them later. Make sure to wrap it in such a way that no air bubbles are present.
Once you have wrapped the bagels in plastic wrap, use aluminum foil to wrap them. Follow the same process as with the plastic wrap, and make sure there are no air bubbles. If air and moisture get in, this can ruin the texture of the bagel.
It is very important to place the wrapped bagel in a freezer-safe bag. Normal bags will not be able to withstand the intense temperature inside the freezer and can burst. This can affect the consistency and texture of the bagels and ruin them. In case you are freezing many bagels at the same time, use a bigger freezer-safe bag.
Stick a label on the bag and mark the date you are freezing it. There are many items in the freezer and if you don’t label them, it can be very difficult to differentiate between different food items. Labelling will save you time later. Writing the date of freezing is also very important because not everything can be frozen for a very long time and the date helps you keep track of these items.
Lastly, place your bagels in the freezer. Make sure you do not place them under anything very heavy while they are in the freezer, since bagels are soft on the inside. It is advisable to place them above heavy things so that they do not lose their unique shape and you can enjoy them fresh later.
How To Defrost Frozen Bagels?
There are many different ways you can defrost bagels at home. It will depend on how long you have in hand. You can defrost them at room temperature, which is the lengthiest way. Or, you can use the oven or even the microwave, which is significantly faster. If you are popping them out of the freezer for breakfast, it is better to use the microwave to defrost them faster.
Defrost Frozen Bagels At Room Temperature
Take out your frozen bagels from the freezer and let them rest on the countertop for around three hours. This process is useful when you are using bagels in another recipe, such as in bread pudding or a sandwich. Since you will be preparing and assembling other ingredients too, it will give the bagels sufficient time to thaw at room temperature.
It should also be noted that defrosting bagels at room temperature retains the best taste and texture since the bagels are allowed to come back to their original form slowly.
Defrost Frozen Bagels In The Oven
This is where cutting your bagels in half before freezing comes in handy. You can take the frozen bagels out of the freezer and place them in the oven or the toaster. In this way, the bagels will get defrosted fast and will have a crispy outer layer with a chewy inside.
However, it is a good idea to check your oven setting manual since all ovens are built differently. Usually, placing frozen bagels in a preheated oven (of around 350 F) for 3-5 minutes on either side should do the trick.
Thaw Frozen Bagels In The Microwave
The quickest way to defrost frozen bagels is to use the microwave. This is particularly helpful if you are in a rush, which typically happens at every breakfast table. However, microwaves can also make the bagels hard and inedible, so you need to be very careful while doing it this way.
First, remove the layers and wraps from the frozen bagel and place them on a paper towel. Set the microwave to high power and let it run for 50 seconds. Flip the bagels and let them run for another 30 seconds or so. You can check if the bagels require more time, but this should usually do the trick.
Do Refer
How Long Can You Freeze Bagels?
Bagels can be frozen for up to four months at a time, but we advise you to not let them sit for more than three months. This will retain maximum freshness and taste. Moreover, if you keep something in the freezer for longer than four months, you are very likely to forget about it!
Can You Refreeze Bagels?
No, you can’t refreeze bagels as we already know that refreezing cooked or baked food affects its taste. But, refreezing bagel dough is edible as it is not cooked previously.
FAQs on Can You Freeze Bagels
1. What happens if you freeze bagels?
The freezer helps to maintain the taste and quality of the bagels for more period.
2. Can you freeze and reheat bagels?
Yes, you can freeze and reheat bagels.
3. Is it better to put bagels in the fridge or freezer?
It is better to put bagels in the freezer.
4. Do you defrost bagels in the fridge?
Yes, we can defrost bagels in the fridge.
Conclusion
Even though this info was supposed to give you knowledge about freezing delicious breakfast bagels, it did give you an early precaution. Freezing bagels is the best method of storing them for later use. However, there are frozen food articles that you will just love to see for yourself. Visit our website @canyoupreserve.com and find great articles about frozen foods.