So I am sure all of you over ate, right? You have so much food around the house and now, you don’t know what to do with them. Some bakers over bought ingredients and have no idea how to store them to keep them, hopefully, as good as new. Others just cannot seem to get enough and still want to buy more food since it is the New Year, and there has to be plenty of food so that no one stays hungry all year round. This week, our article answers questions on how to store baked goods as well as ingredients. A new year, an old life, hoping and coping is what is important. May 2006 give you more life in baking and more love for everyone.
1. A Merry Christmas to you, Chefs Jun Jun and Adoree. I have this big, big problem; I have a surplus of nuts, dates and raisins which I bought for my holiday baking but some clients just changed their minds and ordered savory dishes instead. How do I store them? (from Mimi of Taguig)
Jun Jun: That’s not really a problem, Mimi. Okay, the first thing you do is pack your date, nuts and raisins according to the amount needed in the recipe; for example, if your food for the gods recipe requires ½ cup of dates, pack each of your dates in several ½ cups. Do this with your nuts and raisins too. Make sure you wrap them well with cling film, so that it will not absorb any other smell from any other food. You store all of these ingredients in the freezer; it will keep well for six months but I’ve tried storing some for a year and they were still very good. I pack them into smaller portions so that I don’t have to thaw one big container just to get a miniscule amount. Make sure that they get to room temperature before you use them in your baking recipe.
Adoree: Mimi, don’t despair. You can store your nuts, dates and raisins in the freezer. I’ve tried storing mine for a year in the freezer and they were still good when I used them. Just remember to wrap them well in airtight containers, or aluminum foil and plastic wrap so they won’t absorb any undesirable odor.
2. Like everyone else, I think, I bought too much flour, sugar and baking powder --- all important necessities in baking. What do I do to preserve them until they’re needed? (Lizette of Paranaque)
Jun Jun: The usual problem with our flour is the tiny wiggles that one can see when we sift through it. To avoid this, keep your flour in the refrigerator or freezer. If this is not possible, sifting through your flour with a drum sifter will actually remove the bukbuk. You know, to tell you frankly, I don’t really mind bukbuk since we bake our batter and dough and they die due to the intense heat. Whatever is left of them is nutritious for us. We do eat insects, right? Patay na nga, eh…hehe.
With regard to sugar, just keep it at room temperature but not where there is direct sunlight. If it ever becomes a bit hard, which usually happens now due to the cool weather, just put in a slice of bread and you’ll have fluffy sugar. This is true even with brown sugar. Baking powder usually has an expiration date and as bakers you should read them on labels. By the way, please, please read what’s written on the labels of ingredients. Sometimes the reason they are on sale or they are sold two-for-the-price-of-one is because they will expire in one or two weeks (or even less).
Adoree: Flour can be kept in the freezer for a few months. With regard to sugar, just store it at room temperature away from moisture and direct sunlight. Shelf life of baking powder is only about 6 months. If you still use it after it has already expired your cakes will not rise as much as they should.
3. I bought quite a number of cream cheese and did not look at the expiration date, which is next week. I still have two left; can I still use this after expiry? (Melanie of San Juan)
Jun Jun: Ayan, just when I started writing about it in the previous question, someone thought of asking it na. Anyway, Melanie, please be very careful in using items after their expiry date, since certain ingredients may be deteriorating already and may have certain effects on people. This must be taken into consideration, especially when you are selling, or feeding your baked items to your family. Please, please don’t use items when they have already expired. I am also extra careful with cream cheese since it has milk fat. To be safe rather than sorry, don’t use it.
Adoree: Melanie, since it is expiring next week, I suggest you use it now. If you have no way of using it before it expires then I think it will just go to the garbage. The expiration dates are there for a reason. We should always read and take note of them.
4. Someone just gave me a big basket of different breads for the holidays. I would like to save some for my siblings who are arriving after the New Year. How do I keep them? Some of them are glazed with some white icing stuff…sorry, chef Jun Jun, I don’t know anything about baking. (Tinette of Pasay)
Jun Jun: The white icing I think is just confectioner’s sugar, and water that was piped on top of the bread to make it look attractive. Okay, Tinette, tightly wrap your bread individually in cling film (plastic wrap), and double the wrap so that no freezer smell will be absorbed by the bread. Keep the bread in the freezer. You can actually slice some of them if they are loaves and wrap them after. They will last three months in the freezer but try your best not to make them last that long. I don’t usually thaw them out anymore. I just put the bread slices in the oven toaster immediately and wait until the bread aroma emanates and out it comes, smothered with butter--sarap. Please don’t ever microwave bread; your bread will become very chewy and hard.
Adoree: You can store your bread in the freezer and it will keep for a couple of months. Just like any other item, wrap them first in cling wrap or aluminum foil so that they don’t absorb any undesirable odor. Just thaw out or pop a slice in the toaster before consuming them.
Thanks for all your letters and questions; please keep them coming. Happy New Year! More baking and more eating!
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