When it comes to enjoying baked goods, nothing beats the comforting experience of biting into a fresh artisan pastry. But as food products, croissants and other pastries can get stale if they’re left out for too long. If you run a restaurant or coffeehouse, letting your baked goods lose their quality could mean having to throw away items you’ve already purchased or made—or chasing your customers away. Fortunately, there are ways to resolve this common problem. If you want your offerings to taste like they just came out of the oven, here are three simple yet effective tips to maximize pastry shelf life.

3 Tips for Preserving Pastry Freshness

1. Display in Storage Case

If you plan on serving bagels, croissants, cookies, donuts, or other pastries within 24 hours of purchasing them, they can stay stable and fresh inside an enclosed display case. Apart from keeping your goods like new, these storage containers make it easy for customers to pick and choose the items they want without having to touch them with their hands.

A well-stocked and clean case will add an aesthetic touch to your establishment. It also provides a secure barrier to protect baked items from pests, such as flies and ants.

2. Wrap in Plastic

When you buy goods in bulk from a wholesale bakery, you’ll likely need to keep them fresh for longer than 24 to 48 hours. If you know a pastry isn’t going to be set out for a couple of days, cover it tightly in plastic wrap. This layer of defense will prevent the item from losing moisture, allowing it to stay soft and flavorful.

Once wrapped, store baked goods at a lower temperature where it can remain stable. If you’re going to serve the items within a week of getting them, you can keep them in the refrigerator. If you’re keeping them for longer, put them in the freezer to maintain freshness for up to two months.

3. Reheat if Necessary

If you’ve stored an item in the refrigerator or freezer, warm it up in an oven or heated display case to bring it back to life. With heat, the dough will taste soft and warm as if it just came out of the oven.

While storage techniques play an important role in pastry freshness, it’s also critical to get your baked goods from a quality producer—such as EuroPan in Hialeah, FL. Serving Miami-Dade County’s foodservice industry for more than 20 years, this wholesale bakery is known for producing a wide range of mouthwatering, fresh baked goods—including croissants, Latin pastries, and artisan bread. They also offer several specialty products to better suit the needs of your customers—such as low-sodium, kosher-certified, and gluten-free varieties. Visit this local bakery online to learn more about their impressive selection or call (305) 392-5555 to place a convenient and cost-effective order for your business.