Croquettes are a delicious recipe that serves as an accompaniment or appetizer for snacks in fried or baked versions, which impact their shelf life. Therefore, today, I will show you how to store croquettes.
You can keep croquettes for two days at room temperature well covered. In the fridge, they can last from 3 to 4 days. Frozen and without frying, they can last between 1 and 3 months.
You just have to continue reading to know how to apply those techniques to preserve the croquettes.
Preserve raw croquettes
As I have mentioned, there are two different versions of this product: the raw and the cooked croquette, and in the first chapter, I will talk about the raw croquette storage.
Most prefer to keep the raw croquettes (A.K.A the croquette’s dough) as fresh as possible. In addition, when they are stored cooked, there is a risk that they will change their consistency.
Keep the dough of the croquettes in the fridge
Luckily, you can advance part of the preparation of the croquettes by storing their dough in the fridge. For this, you must follow these tips.
- Step 1: Wrap the dough with plastic film.
Place a layer of film paper on the dough to prevent it from hardening. Ensure that the film touches the entire surface of the dough.
You can skip this step if you store the croquette in an airtight bag.
- Step 2: Store the dough in an airtight container.
This container should preferably be made of glass. Nevertheless, you can also use a plastic one or even an airtight bag. However, the glass preserves the dough better.
- Step 3: Store in the coldest area of the refrigerator.
If possible, place the container at the bottom of the refrigerator where the temperature is much more stable, so it would better maintain the mass of the croquette. This way, you can refrigerate the croquettes dough for up to 2 days.
How to freeze raw croquettes
Another highly recommended storage option is to assemble the croquettes and then freeze them.
It is an excellent alternative for when you want to provide croquettes during a good season and thus always have available for different occasions.
To properly freeze the croquette, you have to follow these steps:
- Step 1: Assemble it.
The breaded can be left for when you cook the croquettes and thus extend their shelf life, although they can also be stored directly breaded.
- Step 2: Arrange the croquette on a tray.
Arrange the croquettes on a tray with waxed paper, leaving a little space between them.
- Step 3: Freeze the croquette for a few hours.
Put the tray in the freezer and leave it for about 3 or 4 hours until they are completely hard.
- Step 4: Transfer the frozen dough to an airtight bag.
After they are frozen, pass them to an airtight bag suitable for freezing.
- Step 5: Set the storage date.
Place a label or write the date of storage directly on the bag to know the exact time they have been in the freezer.
- Step 6: Save to the freezer.
Following all these steps, you can freeze the raw croquette for 1 to 3 months. [1]
If the croquettes were breaded and/or made with potatoes will last a month, and the meat, fish, and chicken will last between 2 or 3 months if they do not have breading.
You can cook them directly, although I recommend leaving the croquettes at room temperature for a while to cook better.
Preserve cooked croquettes
If you have cooked many croquettes, you can also store them and thus eat them afterward, although it is not the most advisable. The storage is applicable for homemade croquettes and those in frozen packaging in the supermarket.
Store cooked croquettes at room temperature.
Storing at room temperature is an excellent option to keep the croquettes when you have recently cooked them because it retains their consistency better. The bad thing is that it does not last much time.
To store croquettes at room temperature, it is advisable to:
- Step 1: Wait for the croquette to cool.
After frying, the croquette is placed on paper towels to remove excess oil until entirely cooled. You can also put them over a slit.
- Step 2: Place them inside an airtight container.
They can be stacked on top of each other, placing a layer of parchment paper between them. Then the airtight container is well covered.
- Step 3: Save to the pantry.
It should be in a dry and dark place so that the croquette can be at room temperature for two days.
Keep the cooked croquettes in the fridge.
You can also store leftover croquettes in the fridge. However, you must ensure you do it right, or the croquette could end up rubbery or very wet.
To properly store the cooked croquette in the fridge, you should do the following:
- Step 1: Wait for the croquette to cool.
After frying, put the croquettes on paper towels to remove excess oil and leave until thoroughly cooled. You can also place them on a grid.
- Step 2: Line the container with waxed paper.
Line the container with parchment paper to keep moisture away.
- Step 3: Arrange the croquette inside the container.
You can stack them on top of each other and place a layer of parchment paper between them. Then close it tightly.
- Step 4: Store in the refrigerator.
If you follow all these tips, the cooked croquettes can be kept in good condition for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator.
Can you freeze the cooked croquettes?
No, you must never freeze the croquettes since they will lose their consistency completely. Therefore, if you want to freeze the croquettes, you must do that when they are raw.
During the freezing process, the croquette absorbs the moisture that is released, and in the end, it is left with a chewy or watery consistency, no matter how well stored it was.
The oven could give it a crunchy texture on the outside, but internally it would be just as chewy, which would be very unpleasant to eat.
For this reason, if you want to store the croquettes for a good season, it is best to freeze the raw croquettes.
How to reheat the fried or baked croquettes
To reheat them, you must use the oven and never the microwave because their consistency will change drastically.
Set the oven to 200°C (390°F) for a minute, then introduce the croquettes for 5 minutes. If the surface is becoming too dark, you can use aluminum foil.
You can use a pan with a few drops of olive oil to reheat them too, but the best option is the oven.
How to preserve industrial croquettes?
In the frozen section of supermarkets, you can find some croquettes stuffed with different ingredients, which is something you may want if you feel lazy to cook.
When they come sealed, these croquettes have added preservatives which increase their shelf life compared to homemade croquettes.
One of the tips to keep in mind every time you want to buy a frozen product is to take it when you pay so as not to break the cold chain and not stay at room temperature.
It is convenient to put them in a thermal bag, but a standard bag well tied may be helpful.
An unopened package of croquettes can last until the expiration date if stored in the freezer. After opened, the leftover should be stored in an airtight bag for six months to a year in the freezer.
Please do not keep it in the fridge because it drastically reduces its shelf life.
How do you know if the croquette got bad?
To determine if the croquette is bad, check its condition. First, look for the presence of unusual spots of green, black, or white tones because it is a sign that mold has developed.
Another way to know if it is in poor condition is to check if the croquette smells or tastes bad. Usually, if they give off a rancid smell or taste, it is that the croquettes have already spoiled.
Nor are they good to eat if they are highly watery, chewy, or hard. It does not indicate that the croquettes are bad, but they were not stored correctly.
| Product | Duration |
| Refrigerated croquettes dough | 2 days |
| Frozen croquettes dough | 1 – 3 months |
| Croquettes fried or baked at room temperature | 2 days |
| Croquettes fried or baked in the fridge | 3 – 4 days |
| Industrial croquettes in the freezer (unopened) | Until the expiration date |
| Industrial croquettes in the freezer (opened) | 6 months – 1 year |
What is the best way to preserve croquettes?
If you fried or baked the croquettes, I could say the best way to preserve them is to store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
On the other side, if the croquette is raw, one of the best ways to preserve them is to store them in the freezer, where it will last a good season and can be enjoyed as freshly made.
If you want to know how different types of food are preserved, this website has a long list of topics on that, so feel free to explore.
[1] https://www.foodsafety.gov/es/food-safety-charts/cold-food-storage-charts
Thank you so much, I fried too many lentil croquettes and I did not know how to save them for tomorrow or next day. I like the clarity of your instructions.
thanks
Hello Liliana,
Thanks you for the comment! I try my best to make it simple and helpful.
Best