French pastries ranging from flaky and buttery croissants to sweet and airy eclairs are undoubtedly hard to resist. So if you have excess pastry boxes or simply want to take your time savouring each and every item, knowing how to keep them fresh overnight so that you can enjoy them the next day is essential.
Here is how you can store your French pastries so that they taste as good as freshly baked ones - read on to find out more.
1.Wrap them tight
Nothing is worse than a pastry that has gone stale, is hard to chew on and is no longer crispy. To avoid that, simply keep the pastry such as a croissant or madeleine in a paper bag to keep it crisp if you plan on consuming it within 12 hours. Otherwise, wrap it up with aluminium foil or cling wrap to prevent them from drying up. The key here is to wrap each pastry individually so that the chances of air entering from the empty spaces between different shapes and sizes of pastries get reduced.
2.Store them well
Next, you want to make sure you store them well. There is no need to refrigerate most pastries if you are planning to consume them within the day, as the moisture from the fridge can turn them soggy. But for pastries with custard and other fillings, it is recommended that you store them in the fridge if you are not consuming them within 12 hours.
If you are planning to keep any pastry for longer, make sure you pop them in the freezer so that the freshness does not get compromised. Just wrap them up and store them in the pastry box that they came with, an airtight container or in a ziplock bag before refrigerating.
We recommend storing the pastries for not more than a week for optimal freshness and taste.
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3.Heat them up
Most importantly, never forget to heat your pastries up before consuming them! French pastries like croissants, puffs and even madeleines are best served and enjoyed warm so that you taste the full flavour and what they have to offer.
Keep in mind to leave the pastry in its wrapping when thawing so that moisture condenses on the outside and not directly on the pastry. Then, warm it up on low heat at 160 degrees Celcius for 5 to 6 minutes to achieve crispy and flaky pastries that look and taste as good as new!
But take note that different pastries require different heating up methods - for instance, avoid microwaving croissants and puffs as that can turn them soggy while madeleines can be microwaved in 10 to 20 seconds bursts for a quick fix since they do not have a crispy crust.
If you have ordered dessert boxes that come with eclairs, for example, then there is no need to worry about having to heat them up since they are usually eaten chilled.
More tips and tricks:
- Wrap the croissant or puff with aluminium foil before heating up in the oven, as this produces steam so that the interior of the pastry is able to reabsorb moisture, and then bake for a few more minutes with the foil open to crisp the outer shell.
- Ensure fresh pastries have cooled to room temperature before wrapping them up to prevent residual heat from creating condensation that will turn them soggy.
- Choose to freeze your pastries instead of merely refrigerating them to keep them for longer.
Get your hands on fresh French pastries from Délifrance
Délifrance’s pastries are made with the highest quality ingredients and freshly baked daily to ensure the best taste and texture.
Get your hands on our pastry boxes or dessert boxes to indulge in a range of French pastries that you will not be able to resist keeping overnight so as to have them again the next day.
Our menu is also halal-certified so anybody can enjoy a tea break delivery with scrumptious bites.
