Crackers are a fantastic food to have around the house as they are so versatile and can be used for many different occasions; they also make a great midnight snack! The only problem with crackers is that they are prone to go stale quite quickly, so is it possible to preserve them and make their shelf life a lot longer?
Can You Freeze Crackers?
No, you should not freeze crackers. It is not advised to freeze them as freezing causes ice crystals to form and crackers will become soggy, losing their texture and perhaps their structure, as well.
Do Do Crackers freeze well? No
Can you refreeze Crackers? No
Why You Shouldn’t Freeze Crackers
As per the name, crackers are meant to crack, be crisp and snap nicely. No one wants a soggy cracker!
When frozen, ice crystals will form inside the crackers and when thawed, these ice crystals turn into water that is then absorbed, causing them to become soggy.
Most crackers contain salt and it is this salt that absorbs the water when crackers are thawed, which causes the water to sit on top of the cracker rather than evaporate.Ā
Home freezers often have fluctuating temperatures, which leaves the crackers vulnerable to constant freezing and thawing, which will undoubtedly have an impact on the structure of the crackers.
How to Store Crackers
Although freezing crackers is not really an option if you want to maintain crispy, delicious crackers, there are multiple other ways to preserve them!Ā
Original Packaging
Firstly, you can store them in their original packaging! Most crackers come in similar packaging and that is because it is optimal for keeping the crackers fresh and prevents them from coming into contact with air, bacteria or moisture.
The only thing to be aware of is the possibility that pests, such as rodents or beetles, may find their way into your crackers so be sure you do not have any pests around!
Ziplock Bag
Secondly, storing opened crackers in a ziplock bag is a great way to preserve them in an airtight environment and prevent them from going stale. It will also prevent them from absorbing any odours from nearby food.
Using ziplock bags is also a great way to help with meal prep as you can portion out the crackers into multiple bags so you have a handy snack whenever you need them!
The only downside to using ziplock bags is that they do not protect the structure of the crackers, so there is the possibility that they will get broken.Ā
Airtight Containers
Finally, and potentially the best, storage option is using airtight containers. You can protect the crackers from exposure to air or moisture, protect their structure and portion them out individually which will drastically cut meal prep time.Ā
Do Crackers Freeze Well?
Unfortunately, freezing crackers just is not possible if you want to maintain a nice crisp snap from your crackers.
Instead, it is best to store them in an airtight environment and ensure that they are kept in a cool, dry place such as a kitchen cupboard or pantry.
If you can, avoid keeping crackers in cupboards that are near hot pipes, ovens or a fridge as the crackers should be kept at a constant cool temperature to prevent them from going stale or absorbing moisture and going soggy.
When stored correctly, opened crackers will last 2-4 weeks, whereas unopened packets of crackers will last 6-9 months. By following this advice, you will be able to keep your crackers nice and crisp and be able to use them for any occasion!
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing crackers or crackers in general, then these may help:
Crushed crackers will suffer from the same problems as whole crackers. They will become soggy and lose their crunch.
Yes, it is possible to freeze graham crackers especially if you know the future use is going to be for the base of a cheesecake where a little moisture won’t matter too much as you’ll be combining it with butter anyways.
