There are few things that are as blissful as enjoying donuts made by yourself with a hot and steamy cup of coffee. And naturally, you would want to keep the donuts that you love to stay fresh for a long time.
Donuts that are not fresh become greasy, soggy, and sometimes even stiff. And we know that you do not like those no matter what.
That is why we have constructed this in-depth guide just for you. After reading this article, you will know all about how to keep donuts fresh for long. Say goodbye to getting disappointed by donuts that are not fresh!
Useful Tips and Tricks You Can Follow
At first, take a look at some necessary tips and tricks that you should keep in mind before knowing the details of storing donuts.
Better if Made by Yourself
Make the donuts yourself! Fresher donuts last longer, and that is why storing quickly is a key factor in keeping them fresh for longer. Store-bought donuts are almost always not very fresh.
Any attempt to keep them fresh for long is likely to be greatly futile. When you are making the donuts yourself, it is easy to control the ingredients, choose your own glazing, and preserve them for much longer.
If you do choose store-bought donuts for your convenience, remember to store them as soon as you get home as you cannot exactly be sure how long ago they were made.
Mind the Ingredients and the Process
When you are thinking about how best to store your donuts, you have to consider the ingredients and methods that were used to make them.
Donuts are mostly of 2 types – cake and yeast donuts. Cake donuts use baking powder in the process. They are crunchy on the outside, and the inside feels like a cake, which is why a lot of people love them. Yeast donuts, on the other hand, use yeast in the process to raise them.
They are very airy and sometimes chewy. Whichever one you like and eat will determine the storing process you obtain. Donuts can be both baked and fried. We will not take sides here cause we know that both are extremely delicious!
Baked ones generally use the cake donut recipes and require much less oil. When it comes to storing, both can be stored in the same way and need to be kept away from air.
Mind the Weather
The weather and the temperature of the area you reside in has a role to play in storing methods.
In very hot weather, donuts should not be stored at room temperature as that will cause them to spoil quickly, and if there is any icing, that will melt. And in very cold weather, donuts can be stored at room temperature, but they may become dry and stiff.
Know the Materials You Need
There are some materials you will need commonly for storing regardless of which type of donut you prefer. An aluminum foil is often used to wrap donuts in. But we suggest not to wrap glazed donuts in them as that will ruin the topping items.
To ensure better protection against air and moisture, consider Ziploc bags and plastic containers. Some people also prefer putting donuts in a pan and then tightly covering them with plastic wraps to keep the air and moisture away.
How to Keep Donuts Fresh | Best Methods
After learning about the necessary tips and materials that you should consider, let us take a look at the methods of storing a donut properly for a long time.
Cake Donuts
Cake donuts normally can be stored much longer than yeast donuts. They contain a great deal of moisture, and that is why generally stay fresh for a longer time. A Ziploc bag or a plastic container works well in this case. The less air that the donut faces, the softer it will remain for longer periods.
They can remain good for 4-5 days at room temperature and even a day or two longer in the refrigerator. In case you are storing them in the refrigerator, ensuring that donuts are not exposed to air is even more crucial. The refrigerator draws away moisture from the food, so after a while, your donuts will be stiff and dry.
Some people also use aluminum foil to wrap the donuts. If you do obtain this method, do remember to use separate pieces of aluminum foil for each donut. Otherwise, the sogginess or dryness of one donut is likely to spread to the others.
If you are using plastic wraps or cling wraps, take a large dish with a deep cavity. Carefully place the donuts side by side without them touching each other. After that, wrap away. If one donut somehow goes bad or gets soggy and you have other donuts just beside it, the sogginess or whatever it is may transfer.
Yeast Donuts
Donuts that have been made using yeast generally are very airy and have little moisture. They have a slightly chewy feeling and also need to be stored in an air-tight manner. Ziploc and containers both serve the purpose but containers generally work better when it comes to retaining the moisture for longer periods.
As yeast donuts have less moisture than cake donuts, they also last much less time than cake donuts. Yeast raised donuts will remain soft and retain their texture for 2-4 days. Storing them for a longer period will lead to their chewiness increasing gradually and their freshness fading away.
Keep them in an airtight container or Ziploc bag and make sure that they are enjoyed quickly before they start to get dry. You can also keep them at room temperature, where they will last around 2-3 days.
For extra protection, you can wrap aluminum foil or plastic wrap around the container no matter what type of donut you are storing. Again, make sure to wrap donuts individually if you are using aluminum foil and store them separately side by side if you are using cling or plastic wrap.
Donuts with Fillings
Donuts with fillings inside them require some extra care. They have a greater chance to grow mold and get worse quickly. Donuts that do have fillings thrive better in the fridge and will stay fresh longer. Fillings are most of the time dairy, cream, or jelly based –all of which stay better in the refrigerator.
Leaving them outside may cause the filling to melt, which will lead to the donuts become very soggy. Although jelly typically can thrive well at room temperature, the donuts themselves will not last too long, so we recommend keeping them in the refrigerator always.
Donuts with Icing
Donuts with icing too require extra care when storing them. At room temperature, the icing may melt and cause the whole batch of donuts to become soggy. Keep them in the refrigerator in an air-tight container. Moreover, putting donuts with icing in a Ziploc bag or wrapping with cling wrap will ruin the icing.
Consider Storing Them Plain
Donuts with fillings, toppings, and icing are difficult to store. They are also likely to become soggy faster. That is why we suggest you store them without any icing or sprinkles. Before consuming, heat them up lightly in the microwave or in a frying pan without any oil. After that, decorate them however you want and enjoy eating!
Heat Them up
For extra freshness, heat them up before eating them. You can heat them up in the microwave for some minutes to get back some of the crispness they may lose. Some people also prefer putting them in a frying pan and heating them in low heat without using any oil.
This does make the donuts feel fresher, but it is quite impossible to heat up donuts with fillings or icing in a frying pan.
How much temperature you will use and how long you will reheat for largely depends on where the donuts were being stored. Donuts that were being stored in the refrigerator generally take a longer time to get heated.
Final Words
Now that you have read our in-depth guideline explaining how to keep donuts fresh, we hope you will follow the advice when needed. Enjoy your fresh donuts with your favorite beverage!