How long do home-baked goods keep for?

spend_thrift

Hi,

This is my first post on MSE, although I've been reading the forums for quite a long time now...

I've recently resurrected my interest in baking in an effort to eat better food and spend less. I'm making some quite tasty things (if I do say so myself ) and I'm not a newbie to the cakes and biscuits scene. However, my interests go in fits and starts, and while I am baking up a storm this month, next month I could lose interest and decide to spend my spare time doing something else entirely, so I'm taking the opportunity to stock the larder with goodies while I can...

I share a house with a housemate and we get on well, but fridge and freezer space is fairly limited, and I'm cooking for one most of the time. I freeze meat, fruits, veg etc, but I don't have space to whack everything in the freezer. I'm really interested in preserving stuff (I have a whole shelf now of homemade jams etc) and in using old methods for keeping things edible without turning everything into jam, bottling it, or pickling it... :rolleyes:

But what I'm really curious about is how long homemade things will keep in the larder? If I make a huge batch of biscuits, how long will they keep in a biscuit tin? And if I make muffins, or a cake, how long can I keep it for? So many cookbooks just say things "keep well" without really giving an indication of how long they'll last, and I'm ending up eating far too much at the moment so my baking efforts don't go to waste! :rotfl:

I'm sorry for my first post being an essay - I'm really pleased to have found this board and I hope to learn a lot from you all. :beer:

WendysWorld

I think it may be a bit of trial and error situation! I think high sugar/low egg baked goods can last up to a week. For example I make flapjacks and they can last up to around 10 days in a metal tin (don't seem to last as well in a plastic tin). Biscuits can be weeks - especially if they have no egg in them. Things like Anzac, Hob-nobs (see Twinks recipe) last for ages if you can stop yourself eating them ;-). The ingredients were designed to be non-perishable. Cakes I use within 5 days. Normally when they're getting a bit hard I use them as a hot dessert with custard. Ginger cake is better if you leave it for a couple of days as it gets a lovely moist top. Scones, use within 24 hours or freeze if you have space. After that, hop it off the wall to see how fresh it is! As long as it's not mouldy, it probably won't kill you but you'll know what lasts after a while. Oh, by the way fruit cake, with added whiskey, lasts for months!

zippychick

Hi and welcome! I find most stuff keeps good for at least a week but then it doesnt always last! Carrot cake i think gets better, and fairy cakes keep good for a week or so as well. I think it largely depends on what you have baked. Biscuits for me and flapjacks have kept well over a week.

Welcome again. You will love it here.

misscousinitt

Racheal Allen has a recipe for 30 day muffins. Bake some, then keep the rest of the mix in the fridge for up to 30 days and just bake when you want - I think the baked ones keep for up to 5 days in an airtight tin too.

My rule of thumb is that as long as its not mouldy it can be eaten. Scones and muffins can be zapped in the microwave for 10 secs to revive them if they have gone a bit hard after a day or two - must eat straight away though - zapped muffins are also nice with hot custard mmmmmmm!!!!!!!