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Storing Cookies in Humid Climates

If you live in a humid climate, or if it’s just particularly humid right now in your area, you may have noticed that you’re having a problem with storing cookies.   Even if you put them in airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator, after a day or two they start to get overly moist, stick together, and fall apart.  If they are iced, the icing may even soften and start to run or break down.  This is because there is excess moisture in your container, caused by either a humid climate or by storing cookies that are too moist.

I have found two simple remedies to this problem.

Remedy 1: Silica Gel

You’ve probably seen those tiny little paper packets of something tucked into the packaging of new products. They often come in bottles of vitamins, new shoe boxes, and boxes containing electronic equipment. These packets contain silica gel, and they are made to absorb moisture. You can place these inside your air-tight container with your cookies, and that will solve your humidity problems. The packets reduce the moisture content of the container by about 40%, and some varieties are approved by the FDA for food use. The packets that contain white or orange silica gel are approved for food use, and those with blue silica gel are not. Although it’s not recommended that you eat it (most packets say “Do Not Eat” on them), the white and orange silica gel is non-toxic and can be safely placed inside a container with food. You can save these up when you happen upon your them in your packaging.  Keep them in a dry and/or airtight place so that they will be at their driest when you place them in the cookie container. 

You can even buy silical gel packs in bulk at Amazon! They are very inexpensive. 

Remedy 2: Wood

You can dry a small piece of wood in the oven at a low temperature until it’s bone dry, then put it in your container and seal it. The wood will absorb the available moisture in the container.

You should also do this if you are shipping your cookies, particularly if you’re shipping them overseas.  If the cookies are meant to be moist, then, first of all, don’t choose them as shipping cookies because they will dry out anyway (there are caveats to this…such as if you wrap them VERY well and ship them overnight).  But if your cookies are meant to be dry (example: biscotti) then they will have the best chance of retaining their desired texture if you use one of these methods.

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