Tips For Storing Home Baked Cookies and Restoring Moisture

1. To protect your from scratch soft and chewy cookies from air and the humidity which will make them become stale, you should keep them in a tightly covered container. Generally they will stay fresh for up to 3 days.

2. To keep cookies fresh longer try wrapping if stored in tins tightly in plastic wrap. You can also try lining the bottom of the tin with a circle of wax paper. Once you've filled the tin to the top, the last piece of wax paper should be larger than the tin. It should hang over the outside the tin which  makes a nice air tight seal. When mailing cookies to friends and relatives this is a fine way of doing so.

3. For bar cookies store in a baking pan that is tightly covered with plastic wrap or foil.

4. Never store moist and crisp cookies together. Always store separately to avoid softening the crisp cookies.

5. When trying to keep crisp cookies crisp, arrange them in layers in the tin using waxed or foiled paper between them. Paper towels is not recommended because the paper towel will  absorb any oils causing the cookies to quickly turn rancid.

6. If cookies have begun to dry out (become stale) you can restore the moisture (soften the cookies) by placing a wedge of raw apple or a slice of bread underlined with waxed paper into the container with the cookies and seal it tightly. Do not allow the apple or bread to come in contact with the cookies. If so it will make them become mushy. After 24 hours the cookies should be soft and you should remove the apple or bread. If need be replace the apple with a fresh wedge. That is if any cookies are left.

7. Plastic containers have a tendency to absorb odors. Because of this they are not the best choice for storing baked goods that will be kept at room temperature. If cookies are wrapped in foil however they will store well in plastic containers for a period of time.

8. For long term storage (up to 12 months) cookies can be stored by freezing in a freezer container or plastic bag (heavy duty freezer wrap or foil) . Before wrapping cookies should be completely cooled and then properly wrapped. The wrap should be nonporous not allowing air, moisture and odors to seep in. Wraps should be nonporous so that air, moisture and odors cannot seep into the baked goods. If moisture seeps in, ice crystals will form altering the cookies texture. If oxygen seeps in it will affect the flavor of the cookie. You should press air out of the freezer bags or plastic wrap. You want the wrap to cling tightly around the cookies. A straw can be used to withdraw the air from the bag if using a plastic bag. If you like you can thaw cookies to room temperature in the container or bag before eating. Personally sometimes I like to eat them frozen.