Ways Donuts Can Go Bad & Here's How to Save them |MyShipleyDonuts (2024)

FAQs

Ways Donuts Can Go Bad & Here's How to Save them |MyShipleyDonuts? ›

Storing. Well, the safest bet you can place is keeping your precious donut inside an airtight, secure container. Unsealed donuts catch air and go stale really quickly, just like bread because…well.. they are bread. Preferably with a lock.

You can refrigerate the doughnuts, but leaving them at room temperature for one to two days is safe as long as they don't have a creme filling. Most of the time, you can stash the container in your cupboard. You want to remove the doughnuts from direct sunlight to prevent them from drying or growing mold.

Generally, a donut can last for 1-2 days at room temperature, 5-7 days in the refrigerator, and 2-3 months in the freezer. Freezing can help to extend the shelf life of the donut by slowing down the growth of bacteria and mold.

But how long should you microwave? Opinions vary even further. Some sources recommend heating doughnuts on top of a damp paper towel for anywhere from 10 to 20 seconds, while others suggest heating on half power for 15. In my house growing up, it was eight seconds—period.

The good news is that storing doughnuts properly is pretty straightforward. You don't have to make space in your fridge for a box. In fact, Jen Greif, pastry chef at Dough in Tampa, Florida, recommends against it. "To best keep doughnuts overnight, wrap them in a napkin and store in a paper bag," she wrote in an email.

Any container that you would normally use for leftover foods should work just fine, so long as it limits air flow, as air exposure is what makes donuts stale.

A donut can be positively delightful out of the freezer. Bare donuts show up best here, but you can freeze glazed, frosted, or even jam filled ditties (just be prepared for the additions to have altered themselves a bit. The glaze or frosting might be broken or the jam a little runny.)

Typically, when stored at room temperature, donuts are best consumed within one to two days to ensure they retain their optimal flavor and texture. When refrigeration is used, donuts can maintain their freshness for up to a week.

Tips for Freezing Doughnuts

You can freeze cake doughnuts the same way you'd freeze yeast doughnuts, in an airtight freezer bag. If there's freezer burn on your doughnuts, they're technically safe to eat—but the flavor and texture will be off.

Store the donuts in a cool, dry area.

Freshly baked donuts will last longer if kept out of direct sunlight. Like air, sunlight is the enemy here—not only will it cause your donuts to become stale, it will also melt off any delicious, beautiful icing or glaze.

Can doughnuts be refreshed? ›

How do you refresh stale donuts? If your doughnuts have gotten stale, the best way to soften them is to put them in the microwave.

Luckily, there is a way to resuscitate a day-old glazed donut that's lost a lot of moisture, and all you need is a frying pan and some salted butter. When sliced in half and gently fried with salted butter, the bottom side of a glazed donut takes on a brioche-like flavor and some extra crispness.

All you need to do is wrap them in paper and put them in a plastic container. Cake donuts can last as long as five days if they are stored in an airtight container. You can also refrigerate them to keep them fresher for weeks.

Expiration dates are also meant to have a bit of a grace period, as in the manufacturer estimates the expiration date a few days before it truly does become spoiled. This way it avoids any liability they have of selling spoiled food. So donuts are safe to eat one day after expiration if they show no signs of spoilage.

But donuts will not keep well in their box. Instead, you will need to place the donuts inside an airtight, resealable container to protect them from exposure to air. Some may choose to wrap donuts in cling wrap, but an airtight container or bag should be enough to keep the donuts moist with a light and airy texture.

To maintain your Krispy Kreme doughnuts in optimum condition, we recommend that you store them in a temperature under 18 degrees and out of direct sunlight. To keep Krispy Kreme doughnuts at their freshest after their first day at home, you can freeze the doughnuts and reheat in the microwave.

Donuts serve as temporary solutions designed solely for emergency situations, with an upper limit of no more than 50 miles, and ought to be replaced as soon as possible.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Turn dough out onto a well-floured board or counter. Roll dough 1/2 in. thick, flouring generously and turning dough 90° between rolls to keep it from sticking.