The Best Way To Store Bagels So They Stay Fresh

Our love for bagels knows no bounds. We adore an everything bagel in all its glory, and we're equally enamored by them plain, with poppy seeds, sprinkled with onions or garlic, or sweetened up with cinnamon and raisins. But the one letdown is when they go stale ... no one likes a dry, hard, and lifeless baked good.

Food Republic sought out the advice of an expert to find out how to keep these treats fresh, because no one should ever have to experience the bummer of a bad bagel. Matt Pomerantz, founder of Zucker's Bagels & Smoked Fish, came through with the lowdown. According to Pomerantz, who's been hand-rolling and kettle-boiling his old school bagels in NYC since 2006, "Fresh bagels can be stored in an air-tight container or bag and left on your kitchen counter or in a bread box."

The historic reason why bagels have a hole in the center explains their distinctive shape (and a bagel with no hole is no bagel at all!), but it's also the culprit behind why they tend to go stale so fast. With that bit of extra surface area, they lose their moisture quickly, leaving you with a dried-out circle of dough. The reason Pomerantz recommends keeping them sealed up is to limit airflow that would otherwise evaporate moisture. His suggestion of an old-fashioned bread box for storage will keep your bagels fresh with a touch of vintage style.

The one caveat with bagel storage is that even the best container will only keep them in good shape for a short time. If you're not planning on eating them ASAP, you're better off freezing them. For best results, slice them before packing into airtight, freezer-safe bags. Pomerantz says that slicing will "not impact the freshness," and adds that "a bagel can still taste fresh right out of the freezer [...] ready to toast and enjoy whatever day you like."

Slicing in advance is a lot easier than having to try and cut them while they're still frozen solid. Prepped this way, they only need a few minutes of thawing before you pop them in the toaster. For that matter, there is a right way to put bagels in your toaster to guarantee your halves will be nice and crispy, but not burned. Pre-slicing also means that you can conveniently defrost only as many pieces as you need, without any going to waste.

If you do freeze your bagels whole, Zucker's website recommends "spritzing them with a bit of water before toasting to help re-moisten." If yours still managed to stale, despite it all, the water method is also the best trick for reviving and reheating even the driest, stalest bagel. Properly stored, they will keep well in your freezer for three months. That is, if you don't use them up before then by making lox sandwiches and easy crème brûlée breakfast bagels.