with humus in your tummy ... repeat

Ugh. Dave, I appreciate the thought, but I wouldn't like hummus with crackers, especially butter crackers like Ritz. And the point is to keep crackers in the house, not eat them up.

I put mine in tupperware, after they are opened. I only buy them when they will be eaten fairly quickly. I find they go rancid if they sit too long, but I usually by the kinds that have some whole grains. Maybe vacuum sealing would help?

We put the opened inner bags in a zip bag once they're opened - and keep them in the fridge, since humidity is so high here.

I also use tins - the kind used for holiday cookies.

I’ve frozen them many times over the years. No problem. The crackers I keep in the pantry usually disappear quickly, but I still put them in Tupperware.

I reseal the bag they come in with my Foodsaver vacuum sealer. They stay fresh for months.

Okay, being the answer I really wanted, I'm going to try freezing most of the crackers, given Chloebud's experience. All of them are in plastic sleeves inside their boxes, and I''m assuming it's best to leave them that way. I freeze bread all the time but have never frozen crackers.

532, good to know about the FoodSaver. I would have thought they'd be squished. Right now, I can't stand long enough to set up the food saver and run it, and no good place to sit with it, but I will save that knowledge for the future.

I usually do the opened crackers in plastic bag or air tight container that many of you do, but like Olychick, I find the crackers with any amount of fat in them do go rancid over time, even unopened, and the water crackers go nasty-stale in a way that matzah does not.

It occurs to me, thinking on Olychick's whole grain, that my usual is something like Lesley Stowe Raincoast Crisps or the Rustic Bakery version, which are a bit too sweet, and both of which are more "biscuit" (i.e., twice baked) toasts than actual crackers, or occasionally seed conglomeration crackers. Hyphenates. But when I was sick, I couldn't tolerate such fancy things, and just wanted a Ritz cracker, or a that's too much fat so eat a water cracker. I had perfectly fine bread and tortillas, but they don't crunch (toast is scratchy), and some been open too long snack pretzels, which were crunchy, but just shy of stale and way too salty for the circumstances. So I'm going to freeze some crackers, and put the rest in air tight and hope for the best.

Thanks, everybody!!

plllog, I keep them in their box, then in a Ziploc bag for the freezer. They’re fine with just the plastic sleeve, but the box adds more breakage protection.

Good to know. The boxes won't really fit the freezer indoors, but that's because it's highly fitted, so I think they'll be okay. Thank-you for the further details. You've given me a great deal of confidence.

ETA: They're in the freezer, with a couple mini-sleeves of Ritz saved out. I had a couple with breakfast and they were almost too fresh!

Using the Foodsaver, I just press out the excess air with my hands and use the sealer without the vacuum setting if that makes sense. Works great for chips as well.

Thanks. That does make sense. I used to have a hand held sealer that did that. It died of old age. The crackers I got don't have that kind of bag, but I get how it would be convenient, especially if your sealer is out. I'm impressed with the new style chip bags. I find that if I press out the air and fold both corners over in triangles, a chip clip is enough to keep the contents. The pretzels I mentioned were like that, staying fresh for week after week. I usually only have chips around when they're left from a party, and they don't go fast, but the bags really do keep them past when one wants to save food. I assume cracker bags are similar, so sealing in the bag makes a lot of sense.

In one of these. Well worth the price.

https://www.target.com/p/oxo-pop-6qt-plastic-big-square-airtight-food-storage-container-white/-/A-87880514#lnk=sametab

I have some of those. They lose their sealedness over time, but that's what I meant when I asked whether a canister was the way to go. Thanks for the suggestion.

I have a VERY sensitive taster for rancid. Crackers are cheap...buy small amounts and eat what you want and after a month toss them to the birds. The only exception is Wasa Brot....no fat in that nd it keeps forever.

An aside I have made a couple of batches of crackers from my starter discard and they are beyond yummy. Doesn't take long and you can add the "flavor" of choice....I make some "everytning, some just sesame seed and some garlic and poppyseed....

If you keep starter it's a 15 minute process....and if you don't keep starter? Why don't you?

I have white, whole wheat, and erzatz “French” 5% whole wheat half hydration starters. Linda, care to share instructions/recipes?

Of course, that doesn’t really address crackers as sick food. I have high hopes for the frozen ones, which worse comes to worst can be crisped up in the toaster oven, if they don't do as well as Chloebud's, but I'd love to know how to make 15 minute beyond yummy crackers.

I mostly buy flatbread crackers, and I think they last longer than regular crackers. I store them in plastic containers that have tight fitting lids - mostly containers that have had cold cuts in them previously, as they are rectangular and are just the right size for the crackers I buy. Otherwise, I store them in Rubbermaid containers.

It is very important to check the expiration dates when buying crackers of any kind. Some can last three months, but some can have been on store shelves way too long and may even be beyond their expiration date. If they have expired, they will taste rancid. If they are expected to last three months, then I will buy two packages at a time, as I go through a lot of crackers. Flatbread crackers do not have much fat in them and therefore last much longer than Ritz crackers, which I never buy.

It is possible to make crackers using any flatbread recipe that you have. You can even toast lavash to make crackers, and they will last a bit longer than untoasted lavash. I also make crackers using a yeast dough, and it is important to have a dough docker for this, or else you will have to prick the dough with a fork.

I would never waste space in my freezer for crackers, as my space there is very limited, but fortunately I do not need to.

I store a lot of food in Mason jars. It helps me remember to see the food item. I would freeze the still sealed crackers and put the open sleeves in a jar. I don’t have the most sensitive palette but I agree that oilier crackers get funky faster.

I hope you feel better soon!

Yes, like mentioned, crackers freeze fine. As long as you are aware of condensation. If you sneak a few from a frozen box/bag straight from the freezer, a couple dozen times, moisture will build up inside the bag. If that happens, they crisp up fine in a med/low oven.

I have sliced boule, roti, flour and corn tortillas, and oyster crackers currently in my freezer.

I always toast flatbreads and sliced bread. So i don't worry about a bit of condensation. Crackers i put in bagged portions. Then into a gallon freezer zip-lock.

Last August i purchased three bags of oyster crackers for summer/fall chowders. The last bag was opened during the holidays. I never made party mix so the rest of the bag is in the freezer. (we like toasted boule/baguette with chowder but like to offer crackers for guests).

My parents like them with soup so i purchased the big box of 50 mini packs for them. And made mini snack packs of the Annie's. (finally used up those tiny thin zips DH bought by mistake...for kids lunch boxes) Most are in their freezer in a big zip.

They have stocked saltines since i was a child but they are always stale. They don't even notice 'rancid' like we do.

During lock-down i purchased a case of triscuits. Simple ingredients but way too salty for us. Thought we would have more cheese, paté, charcuterie type meals.

Gave most of them away and had an unopened box for eons in the freezer.

Prefer homemade crackers/flatbreads.

Feeling funky, nothing like a ritz or saltine. Ak-Mak, or rye-crisps. Cheese-nips.

I swear by the WebstaurantStore tall bread bags. Last box purchased 2020 is still half full even after taking a hundred to my parents and a couple hundred to the beach house. Both farm veg boxes and Misfits come 90% in a cardboard box without bags. Heaftier than the thin grocery vegetable bags. Really tall and fit leeks, celery with the tops, whole fennel. Gusseted bottoms, both our hands fit wide open. We have a half dozen in each of our cars for pumping gas. Wipe down with a wet-wipe. re-useable. 19inces goes up and over elbows. Easy wash with a drop of dish soap. One on each hand. My box 24/7 always has a half dozen or more washed and dried stuffed in.

(purchased with a big flat pack of parchment)...also still half full.

Only a random marinated seafood or meat protein bag goes in the garbage.

I gave up on the silicone bags and wax wraps. They fail IMHO. And $$$.

My parents wash and re-use thiers as well.

*A dozen in each of our farmers market/grocery bags.

Thanks for the comprehensive survey! I'm feeling ver good about the frozen cracker following your and Chloebud's posts.

Interesting about the bread bags. I got a box of produce bag rolls of a similar shape when I started buying from the farm. They're clearly marked with their recycle number. I find the produce, other than sweet fruits which need more air circulation, keeps better in this kind of bag, in my fridge,than unbagged, other plastic, cloth, or cmoth mesh. For bread, I like bee's wrap, beeswag impregnated linen. I think this is highly dependent on the particular kitchen, which works best.