Food Guide In-Depth How To Guides

Do Éclairs Need To Be Refrigerated? Everything You Need to Know!

Do Eclairs need to be refrigerated
( Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, we earn commissions from qualifying purchases at NO additional cost to the customer.)                                          

Éclair is one of the most famous pastries enjoyed globally for its unique and delicious sweet taste.

You can have it as a dessert after the meal or as a snack in the evening and can also make it with a large variety of recipes. Éclairs can be easily made at home.

However, many struggle with questions like how to store éclairs and do éclairs need to be refrigerated.

Thus, in this post, we will answer all your questions concerning éclairs from making to storing to freezing and reheating.

So, let’s here we go!

What Are Éclairs? What Are Éclairs Made Of?

An éclair is an oblong pastry, which was first made by a French chef Marie-Antonio Carème.

It is filled with cream inside or sometimes custard and has fondant icing on the top.

You can enjoy this pastry in many flavors such as chocolate (the most famous), vanilla, caramel, and pistachio. One éclair pastry has around 262 calories.

When it comes to the ingredients, choux pastry, pastry cream, and chocolate glaze are the main stars.

Flour, water, milk, butter, eggs, granulated sugar, cornstarch vanilla bean, and salt are the ingredients for choux pastry and pastry cream.

You also need chocolate chips and whipping cream for making chocolate glaze.

Does Grenadine Need to be Refrigerated? Head Over Here.

Can You Make Éclairs Ahead Of Time?

The answer is, yes, you can.

There are many elements involved in the making of an éclair, but the good news is that you can make many of them before time.

You can prepare éclair shells several days ahead and can even keep them frozen for several months.

Not only the shells, but you can also keep your pastry cream in the fridge for a few days, and it won’t go bad.

Now all you have got to do is to prepare the glaze (topping), take out the goodies, assemble your éclairs, and enjoy the yummy sweet treat. You can also make the ganache up to one week ahead.

How To Store Éclairs?

Well, if you have some éclairs left over, then you will need to store them. Let’s discuss various ways to preserve them.

  • For storing the filled éclairs, the shelf life is up to 3 days or a little more if they are made correctly. It is because filling causes moisture leaking into the shell, making for a soggy and limp product.
  • If you’re going to store the unfilled éclairs only for one day or two, put them in the airtight container at room temperature or refrigerate them. They will be fine for 2 days.
  • For the unfilled éclairs, you can store the separate elements conveniently for a longer time. Make the pastry shells, put them in a zip-top freezer bag, and freeze. They will be good for up to 2 months.
  • You can tightly cover the ganache and refrigerate it for up to 1 to 2 weeks.

Can You Refrigerate Éclairs?

Can you refrigerate Eclairs

Yes, you can refrigerate éclairs, but the first question is, do you need to refrigerate éclairs?

The answer is yes, as it is sometimes necessary for éclairs in the preparation process.

For example, when you prepare custard or your cream pastry, you need to place it in the refrigerator for cooling.

You can also set the pastry shells in the fridge for some time after baking to make them crisp.

Icing also can be refrigerated for a little while before using, especially if you are making éclairs in a hurry.

Moreover, you can refrigerate éclairs to store them for a few days if you have leftovers or have made a batch to last a few days.

It is because once filled with any cream filling, pastry must be stored in the refrigerator to be edible and crisp.

To refrigerate éclairs, you will need to cover them with plastic wrap or foil, or you can also put them in a plastic bag to prevent drying out.

This will keep them good for 2 to 3 days, largely depending on how well you baked the shell.

Want to know Does Apple Crisp Need to be Refrigerated? Then Click Here.

How Long Can I Keep Éclairs In The Refrigerator?

If you have correctly made the Éclairs (meaning the crust on the shell in baked correctly), they can last for two to three days in the refrigerator.

It is because the correctly baked shell will hold the pastry cream well.

Use an airtight container to keep the éclairs in the fridge. Éclairs can get soggy if you do not use the sealed container. You can also wrap them with foil or plastic wrap to prevent drying out.

However, your refrigerator must be rightly maintaining its temperature as three to five degrees C is an optimum temperature to slow down the activity of bacteria.

Can You Freeze Éclairs?

Can you freeze filled éclairs and unfilled éclairs is a question frequently asked by many pastry lovers?

Freezing food allows you to store the food for a long time. However, you cannot freeze all types of food. Luckily, éclairs fall in the category of foods that you can freeze.

Take a baking paper and place the éclairs on it. Keep the éclairs tray in the freezer for about one hour.

Then take out the dish and make it sure that all éclairs are frozen. Now put the éclairs in the freezing bag and freeze them. This method is applicable for both filled and unfilled éclairs.

Can You Refreeze Éclairs?

According to the food freezing guide published in the magazine of North Dakota State University, refreezing is not suitable for all types of eatables.

Foods like vegetables, fruits, and meat are suitable for refreezing in specific conditions. You can refreeze those using containers and bags.

However, you should not refreeze the food like ice cream, pie, and éclairs.

When you defrost éclairs after refreezing, they become soggy while the pastry should always be crisp to be enjoyable.

Due to this sogginess, éclairs lose the original texture and delicious taste, which you will definitely not like.

Can You Reheat Éclairs?

Reheating may make many foods lose their shape, texture, and taste, but éclairs are not one of them if you reheat this delicious sweet treat carefully.

Moreover, it is far from being tricky to reheat éclairs.

To reheat the éclair properly, place it in the oven having a temperature of 325 degrees F or 165 degrees C. It will take around 5 to 10 minutes to reheat.

Each type of food demands a specific temperature and time for reheating to retain its originality.  This temperature is sufficient to retain the tempting crust and shape of éclairs.

Can Éclair Go Bad?

No one likes to eat smelly and badly tasting food, especially when it comes to the sweet stuff.

Now, every type of eatable has its specific time limit, after which it gets stale and harmful for health.

So, how long do éclairs last?

Well, if you have made éclair correctly, then it can last for 2 days in an upright container at room temperature on in refrigerator in warm climates.

After that, it will go bad. On the other hand, éclairs can last for up to 6 weeks in the freezer.

Related Video: Easy Chocolate Eclairs

Conclusion

Éclair is an oblong pastry made up of choux pastry and pastry cream, widely available in different flavors.

You can use éclairs with different recipes and enhance the taste. So, for anyone loving this sweet treat, storing it becomes the biggest concern.

But you can say goodbye to all those concerns because we have provided all the information and tips to store and reuse éclairs in the best manner.

 

 

 

Links

https://natashaskitchen.com/classic-eclair-recipe-video/

https://preppykitchen.com/chocolate-eclairs/

https://www.joyofbaking.com/cakes/ChocolateEclairsRecipe.html

https://www.finecooking.com/article/impressive-eclairs-step-by-step

https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-eclairs-224469