Bacon Croutons Recipe {Homemade Croutons} - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep homemade croutons crispy? ›

Store the homemade croutons at room temperature for up to 1 week. Put the croutons in your pantry and that's it. Most croutons will be crunchy and crisp for up to a week, but the sooner you use them, the better. Croutons won't become moldy, but they will become soft or chewy once they're old.

Crowding the pan.

Pile the bread cubes on top of each other and they won't have enough space to crisp up and brown. Instead, make sure they're in a even layer.

Why are my homemade croutons soggy? It could be that you stored your croutons before they were fully cooled. Warm croutons trap moisture, and the croutons can become soggy if they're stored airtight too soon. This can also cause them to go stale too quickly.

The expected shelf-life for homemade croutons is about two weeks. Moisture encourages mold, so make sure your croutons are completely dehydrated during the bake and let cool completely at room temperature before storing them away in an airtight container.

Croutons don't expire in the sense that they become dangerous to eat. There simply isn't enough moisture in them to feed an spoilage bacteria and other such organisms.

If you have leftovers, you can simply re-crisp them by running them back in the oven for about 5 minutes on 350 degrees.

To keep croutons crisp, simply heat them in a pan on medium-low heat to dry out any parts that may have been wet after frozen. Crisp in the oven. Thawed croutons can also be popped into the oven at medium low heat (300 degrees F) for 5-10 minutes to given them a crunchier texture.

Once the croutons are cool use a large rolling pin to smash them and roll out to a fine consistency. This is a messy task by hand with a rolling pin and the croutons could be placed under plastic to help keep the crumbs on the table. Alternatively, pulse them in a food processor until all the pieces are the same size.

The most common way to tell if croutons have gone bad is by smell and taste. If they have an off smell, it's best to throw them out. Similarly, if they taste stale or have lost their crunch, it's time to discard them.

Let croutons cool in a single layer on the baking sheet. Use immediately or keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To refresh stale croutons, bake for 3 to 4 minutes at 400 degrees.

What temperature do you dehydrate croutons? ›

Different from their homemade counterpart, store-bought croutons often come with a 'best by' date, which should be adhered to for peak quality. On average, a sealed package of croutons from the grocery store can maintain its freshness for several months beyond this date if unopened.

It's easy to make croutons crunchy: Just dry the bread pieces in a dehydrator or low-temperature oven (around 125°C) for a couple of hours. This should be done before adding oil or seasonings, since the process would cook off a lot of their flavor.

Croutons do, in fact, go bad. However, because they are toasted pieces of bread with no moisture, they will last for 8 to 10 months if wrapped and stored tightly. The package will not last longer than a month once it is opened. If you want to create your own fresh croutons, they will last no more than two weeks.”

Keep crispy stuff and cheesy stuff off

Since a salad is typically a high-moisture dish, it's best to keep anything crispy or cheesy off until serving. Crispy items such as croutons or fried wontons will become soggy and cheese will become soft.

They will always be handy for game night! Grains – Rice, Oats, Homemade Breading, Homemade croutons- Seal open containers for extended freshness.