How to Store Scones: Your Ultimate Guide

Scones are easy to prepare and best eaten warm on the same day.

However, given our hectic lifestyles, it is simpler to cook a large amount and enjoy it over the course of a week or two. You may even want to include them in your weekly lunchbox food prep.

Do you have any additional scones on hand? Don’t throw them away.

In this post, we’ll discuss how to store scones, how long they should survive on average, and how to revive stale ones, so let’s get started!

Do Scones Go Bad?

Yes, scones may go rancid after a day or two in the oven. They will solidify and lose their flakiness after this time.

However, theyd still be edible, just not as yummy.

If you leave your scones on the counter for more than a week, they may mildew and smell unpleasant. In this situation, you must immediately trash the scones.

How Long Do Scones Last?

The lifetime of a scone is mostly determined by the temperature at which it is kept, the amount of butter in it, whether it was kneaded with milk or water, and how long the additional toppings will remain.

To keep things easy, let’s say the room temperature is 77 degrees Fahrenheit and the fundamental components for scones are butter, milk, and flour.

In such circumstance, the following scones will stay the longest:

Cheese Scones

This scones version should be enjoyed within a day or two after baking. store in mind that most cheeses spoil rapidly at room temperature, so store your cheese scones in the fridge.

If you want your cheese scones to keep longer, you may freeze them, but the natural texture may be compromised.

Potato Scones

Tattie scones are a typical Scottish breakfast item that are best eaten warm. However, if you have any leftover potato scones, they may be stored in the fridge for a few days.

You may also freeze your potato scones, but the secret is to reheat them evenly afterwards. The same may be said about griddle scones.

Fruit Scones

First and foremost, not all fruit scones are created equal. Some scones, for example, use dried fruits like sultanas, while others include fresh cranberries.

Both of them are delicious with your morning coffee, but they will not last as long. Scones prepared using dried fruits will often survive longer than those made with fresh fruits.

It’s no secret that our forefathers sun dried their fresh vegetables to keep it fresh for a long period. This is mainly due to the high water content of the fruits, which causes them to spoil fast.

For example, you may store raisin scones on the kitchen counter for a day or two. Strawberry scones, on the other hand, may go rotten after only one day.

Classic English Scones

When we say scones, we usually mean the simple kind that we slice open and top with clotted cream and jam. These are traditional English scones.

A good-old English scone will keep in the kitchen for two days, in the fridge for a week, and in the freezer for up to three months. However, while stored at room temperature, it is essential to separately wrap each scone, otherwise they may dry up on the first day.

Because the butter-to-flour ratio varies from recipe to recipe, some scones will keep longer than others. To explain, scones with a greater fat-to-flour ratio will last longer.

Furthermore, traditional scones kneaded with water rather of milk will keep their freshness for a bit longer. Similarly, when eggs are added to the scone batter, the pastry may taste fine the first day but may degrade quicker than scones without eggs.

Glazed Scones

The kind of glaze determines how long a glazed scone will last. If the scones are covered with a cream cheese icing like cinnamon rolls, they should be consumed the same day or refrigerated for up to a week.

However, if the glaze is mostly confectioners sugar and water, the scones will not go bad as rapidly. As a result, the scone’s lifetime will be the same as it was before the glaze was applied.

How to Keep Scones Fresh

To get the most out of your baked products, learn how to preserve them as fresh as possible. Scones may be kept at room temperature, in the refrigerator, or in the freezer, depending on when they will be used.

Heres how:

1 – Use an Airtight container

Scones may be stored in an airtight jar in your kitchen. They may keep fresh for two to four days this way.

Scones may be stored in plastic, glass, or ceramic containers for a short time. Line the bottom with a paper towel and gently place the scones on top.

Close the container and set another paper towel on top of the scones. It is essential to cover the scones since they will dry out and get stale if not.

If you don’t have paper towels, use kitchen napkins instead. The napkins are used to absorb any moisture that may cause the scones to soften.

Finally, keeping your scones on your kitchen counter is not recommended if you live in a hot region.

2 – Pop the Container in the Refrigerator

Some scones will not survive without some kind of chilling. This is especially true for scones with perishable fillings and toppings, such as custard scones or cream cheese and turkey scones.

If you want to consume them within the next several days, store them in the refrigerator.

However, storing plain scones in the refrigerator may not be the best approach to keep them fresh. Unfortunately, this occurs because moisture causes them to lose their crunch and become mushy.

3 – Consider Freezing the Scones

The remaining scone may be frozen for up to three months for long-term preservation. After this time, the scones’ quality may gradually decline.

You may freeze scones at various stages, such as before or after baking them; instructions are provided below.

Freeze the Scone Mixture

You may freeze the scone mixture and use it later to shorten your baking time in half. All you have to do is follow the instructions by first mixing the dry ingredients, then rubbing in the butter.

You may now freeze this combination. Add the milk and mix it in a few times to create the dough on the day you want to eat the scones.

While making warm and fresh scones, freezing the butter and flour will save you time!

Freeze Before Baking

This is my personal favorite method for keeping your scones fresh. Simply set the uncooked scones on a baking sheet and freeze them uncovered.

Transfer them to a Ziploc bag or container until they’re rock firm. If you put them straight into the freezer bag, they will most likely clump together and be difficult to separate afterwards.

When the time comes to serve the scones, place them on a prepared baking sheet and bake them in a preheated oven. You don’t even need to defrost them.

Simply add around three minutes to the time specified in your recipe. And there you have it! You simply smelled like a bakery while keeping your surfaces clean!

Freeze After Baking

If you just need a few scones at a time, this is the ideal approach. Allow the scones to cool fully after baking them.

Then, set them on a platter and freeze them for approximately an hour, uncovered. This enables moisture to leave and freshness to be locked in as rapidly as possible.

Transfer the frozen scones to a freezer bag and squeeze out as much air as possible. Then, to avoid freezer burn, seal the bag securely.

When you’re ready to consume some scones, let them thaw at room temperature before heating them in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes at 300F.

How Long Do Homemade Scones Last?

Homemade scones may be kept in an airtight container for up to a day or two. Beyond this point, youll risk compromising the freshness of your scones, and theyll become dry.

They may be stored in the refrigerator for approximately a week. If you store your baked scones in the freezer, they will last for more than three months.

How Long Do Store Bought Scones Last?

Check the best-before date to find out how long your store-bought scones will last. In general, certain scones, such as handmade ones, may survive for a day, while others can keep fresh for up to four days.

Shortening is used in the dough of certain professionally prepared scones instead of butter, giving the product a longer shelf life.

That being said, there are a handful of tactics you can do with store-bought scones to guarantee optimal longevity:

• First and foremost, make certain that you purchase the scones on the day they were prepared. This date is often printed on the box.
• Freeze the scones on the same day you bought them. No worries if you missed it; just be sure you freeze them before the best-by date has past.

Do Scones Have to Be Refrigerated?

Not all scones need refrigeration. In fact, some scones are best served cold!

Scones with perishable fillings or toppings, such as fresh cream or fruit pieces, should be stored in the refrigerator.

Plain scones should be kept in the kitchen if you plan to eat them the following day, or in the freezer if you won’t be eating them soon.

How Can You Revive Old Scones?

We hate throwing food out in my home, so we usually cook little amounts of everything and preserve leftovers while they’re still fresh. However, we sometimes wind up with stale scones.

Here are a few ideas to spice those leftovers:

Toasting

Toasting old scones like bread is one technique to bring them back to life. To begin, slice the scones and smear butter on both sides.

Toast them, then top with cream and jam and serve with tea. The scones will be somewhat crunchier than fresh, but just as wonderful.

Making Croutons

The second approach to repurpose stale scones is to make croutons out of them. Simply chop them into little pieces and combine with melted butter.

You may also season the scone cubes with your preferred spices, such as cinnamon. Then, lay them out on a baking sheet and dry them for approximately six minutes at 356F, or until brown and crispy.

Mixing Pudding

The third option is to transform your sad scones into delectable dessert. You’ll just need heavy cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, and the old scones.

Place the scones in a deep oven dish and crumble them up. Then, in a separate dish, combine all of the other ingredients and pour them over the scones.

Allow the scones to soak in the milk for at least 30 minutes. Finally, bake the pudding for 40 minutes at 356F, or until the top becomes brown.

Final Thoughts

We spoke about how to store scones, how long various varieties of scones last, and how to keep scones fresh in this post.

To summarize, depending on when you want to serve them, you may keep scones at room temperature, in the fridge in an airtight container, or in a freezer bag.

There are several ways to jazz up your old scones and make the leftovers as tasty as possible!