How to Store Biscotti? How Long Do They Last?
Not only are they delightfully crunchy and absolutely delicious, but biscotti have another hidden power. They are very dry, which means they are safe to eat for a long time. Still, having a long shelf-life doesn’t mean that they can never go bad, and therefore storing them properly is very important in order to enjoy them as long as possible. So, how to store biscotti, and how long do they last?
Biscotti stay safe the longest if stored in an airtight tin container with the layers separated by pieces of parchment paper to avoid the biscotti from sticking. At room temperature, biscotti could last for up to a month and up to three months in the freezer.
Biscotti stay safe for a long time, but if you store them improperly, they will go bad surprisingly soon. Therefore their storage is just as important as their making. In the following paragraphs, I will talk about how to store different biscotti properly, how to freeze and defrost them, as well as which containers work best for biscotti storing.
How to Store Homemade Biscotti?
Homemade biscotti tend to get soggy or stale quicker than store-bought as they don’t contain the additives that store-bought biscotti have that prolong their shelf-life. Therefore you need to be more careful when storing homemade biscotti.
The first thing to remember is that you need to store your homemade biscotti after they have completely cooled. Do not store them hot or warm because you will lock the moisture from the steam. Instead, let them completely cool, preferably on a rack, before you place them in an airtight container.
Second, you need to choose a place away from sunlight because excessive light can cause your biscotti to become stale. The pantry is the best place for this, but if you don’t have this space, cover your biscotti container with a towel to protect it from the light.
The third thing to do is to choose a suitable container. As long as they are airtight, either plastic, glass, or tin containers will do a good job. However, tin containers are the best as they will reflect the sunlight.
It is also a good idea to layer the inside of the container with a cotton towel which will absorb any moisture that sneaks inside. Remember, air and moisture are biscotti enemies, so to keep your biscotti good and safe as long as possible, you need to protect them from these two things.
Another thing to keep in mind is the room where you keep them. Biscotti are best when stored at room temperature. If you store them at a higher temperature, they will become soggy, and if you keep them in a chilly room, they will go stale before their time.
Do not refrigerate biscotti. The moisture from the fridge will make them soggy and significantly diminish their flavor.
How Long Do Homemade Biscotti Last?
Homemade biscotti last anywhere from a week to a month. The better you store them, the longer their shelf-life.
However, they rarely hold up for a whole month since they lack the shelf-life prolonging additives the store-bought biscotti contain. Therefore I’d recommend you eat your homemade biscotti within two weeks after you make them.
How to Store Chocolate Dipped Biscotti?
I don’t recommend storing chocolate-dipped biscotti, as they will last you up to two weeks maximum. Instead, I’d suggest you store the biscotti without the chocolate and dip them when you want to.
However, if you have already dipped them in chocolate, it would be a waste to throw them away if you can’t eat them all, so there might be something you can do. Place them in an airtight container, and in addition to separating the biscotti layers, separate each individual biscotto using a parchment paper.
You can cut small parchment squares to place between the biscotti. Plastic containers are out of the picture for chocolate-dipped biscotti storage. It is best that you use a tin container.
When it comes to chocolate-dipped biscotti, refrigeration also comes into play. Although bad for the overall biscotti structure and flavor, the chocolate will make up for the decreased biscotti flavor. You will still have to tolerate the sogginess, though.
How to Store Store-Bought Biscotti?
Store-bought biscotti are more impervious to light and moisture as they have shelf-life prolonging additives that keep them safe longer. Although simpler to store than homemade, they still need some attention.
Any airtight container will do, but tin and glass are best. You can separate the biscotti layers with parchment paper, but you don’t have to, as store-bought biscotti won’t stick together as much.
Covering the inside of the container with a towel can’t hurt, though it isn’t necessary either. Keep your biscotti away from the sun and keep them at room temperature.
How Long Do Store-Bought Biscotti Last?
The average shelf-life of store-bought biscotti is up to two-three weeks. However, if you store them properly, they could easily last for up to one month to five weeks.
During the two-three-week shelf-life of the store-bought biscotti, you can keep them in their original package, and they will be ok. Most of the store-bought biscotti packaging is either tin or plastic containers and therefore is ok to store your biscotti in them.
You can just transfer the biscotti to another, better container and prolong their shelf-life for another few weeks.
What Are the Best Containers for Biscotti?
As I already mentioned, the primary condition a biscotti container must meet is to be airtight. All airtight containers would do, but tin and glass containers are the best ones.
The best tin containers are tin boxes or tin jars with lids that have a little latch on them so that they can lock.
If you opt for a glass container, you should choose a mason jar with a lid and silicone seal. These jars are made of thick glass, so you can rest assured that your biscotti will be safe.
If I needed to choose further from these two types of containers, I would go for the tin container, as it won’t let sunlight in.
How to Freeze Biscotti?
You can freeze biscotti in all stages of making. You can freeze the dough before baking or freeze the biscotti after the first or the second baking.
If you freeze the biscotti after the first or second baking, let them cool completely before placing them in the freezer. Place them in an airtight container, and they are ready to be frozen.
However, I’d recommend freezing your biscotti after the first baking as you will need to pop them in the oven to defrost them anyway, so they will second-bake this way.
If you freeze them after the second baking, keep in mind that while defrosting, you will be baking them for the third time, and that could make them overly dry, so be careful.
The freezing procedure is the same for store-bought biscotti as well.
How to Defrost Biscotti?
Once you take your biscotti out of the freezer, you need to let them rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Then, place them on a tray and pop them in the oven. If you let them completely defrost on their own, they will become soggy and lose their flavor.
Therefore popping them in the oven is mandatory. If, before freezing them, you baked your biscotti once, let them bake for about 15 minutes at 340 °F, i.e., 175 °C.
If you froze the biscotti after the second bake, keep them in the oven for 5 minutes at 340 °F, i.e., 175 °C.
How to Know if Biscotti Have Gone Bad?
Biscotti don’t go bad in the traditional way. Unless exposed to moisture, they won’t get moldy. The biscotti are very dry cookies as the dough they are made of is very dry, to begin with.
Therefore, they won’t get moldy by themselves as other food does. The only way to know if biscotti isn’t edible anymore is to taste them, as there are no visible signs.
Past their shelf-life, biscotti get stale and lose their crunch, and their flavor is significantly diminished.
