Crispy foods are always very delicious until they get soggy.
Most times, we prefer to eat fried food when it just comes out of the fryer because we all love the crunchy feeling in our mouth right? But how do you keep food crispy when you have to transport it?
Perhaps you have a picnic with family and friends, a road trip to cover or you just want to pack lunch for work.
It may even be that you own a restaurant and dread the thought of delivering soggy food to your customers… aarrgghh, we can’t think of it too.
We eat every day. More specifically, what is an enjoyable picnic or road trip without crispy chicken, veggies, french fries, donuts, etc. to binge on?
To keep them crispy, you may want to consider cooling the food before transporting, choosing the right food container, and reheating at your destination if it’s a possibility.
The good news is there are genius ways you can transport your food without losing its crispy goodness.Â
Let’s dive in.
Best Sellers
Vented Takeout Boxes
Bee’s Wrap
Rubbermaid Easy Find Vented Lids
How to Keep Food Crispy When Transporting
1. Allow to cool and drain to get rid of excess oil
Most crispy foods are fried, while others are grilled.
These foods contain water which evaporates as steam when they are cooking.Â
After cooking, allow it to cool so water won’t form on it, which you should do before packing in food containers.
What are the simplest ways to drain your food?
- Use perforated spoons and bowls while cooking. Be sure to place non-plastic kitchenware beneath the perforated bowls so as not to mess your cooking space up.
- Sit them on a wire rack. It’s important to have the excess oil and moisture go somewhere else.
- Keep lids of fryers and pots half-opened. Be sure there are no possible contaminants around.
2. Choose the right food container
Use containers that have holes for easy ventilation. You already know that moisture doesn’t go well with crispy food, especially when you’re transporting it. The moisture needs to escape.
I noticed that when I ordered a box of food from my favorite food vendor, it came in a perforated box packaging.
So, if you are also a food vendor, you can copy the experts for better service to your customers.
Tips to choose the right food container:
- Our most preferred food container is paper boxes.
- Be sure they have holes to allow proper circulation of air.
- Perforated plastic food containers are also great.
Our favorite food box:
3. Use paper towels
If you have a hard time finding containers with holes, you can improvise by placing paper towels in your food containers before packing the food in them.
Paper towels will help the food remain fresh and crispy by absorbing excess moisture.
Recommended tips for using paper towels:
- Keep your hands neat when rolling out the paper towels. Additionally, you can use disposable food gloves to avoid contamination.
- Place the paper towels in doubles.
Our favorite paper towel:
Brawny Tear-A-Square Paper Towel at Amazon
4. Don’t wrap your food too tight
Give them room to breathe.
Not wrapping food tightly will keep it fresh and prevent it from getting soggy.
Should you choose to use food wraps to package your food for transportation, we recommend these wrap materials:
- Parchment paper
- Beeswax food wraps for an eco-friendly option. Be sure to use paper towels as a base.
Our favorite Beeswax food wrapper:
Bee’s Wrap at Amazon
5. Keep it warm on the go
Just like the way you throw your chicken pieces back into the oven to heat up and refresh their crispiness, you can do the same while transporting your crispy food.
A slow cooker, toasty container, or pizza stones are all very effective at doing this.
We have a complete guide on how to keep food warm on the go.
Best practice:
- Use toasty containers together with a ventilated container.
- Paper towels can also be used to absorb excess moisture and steam.
Our favorite slow cooker:
Crockpot Slow Cooker at Amazon
6. Reheat at your destination
If your destination is far and there are possibilities for you to do this we highly recommend it.
If you are flying cross country or traveling to see a friend whom you have promised to bring gifts of homemade food, you can let the food cool, then reheat at your destination.
7. Cook the food well
What’s the point of going through so much on keeping food crispy when it is not well cooked?
No point! You do not have to be an intercontinental chef, however, food not cooked well is most likely to get soggy.
How do you keep crispy food overnight
Do you have crispy food leftovers?
Don’t fret, you’re not trashing them, however, the quality may not be as cool when eating them on the same day they were cooked.
These tips will keep your leftover crispy food crispy and fresh in the morning:
- Drain excess oil using a wire rack or a food drain.
- Store in an airtight container. An airtight glass Tupperware will do.
- Use paper towels to line the walls of the containers to absorb moisture.
- Be sure they are completely cooled before putting them in the refrigerator. You wouldn’t want the condensation to make the food soggy.
- Refrigerate within two hours after cooking.
Our favorite food box:
How to keep food from getting soggy
Helpful tips:
- Keep them hot. They need to be reheated just before serving.
- Place on baking sheets coated with clean paper towels.
- Use a conventional oven with a preheated temperature of 200F to keep warm.
- Alternatively, you can use a chafing dish if you are cooking outdoors.
Our favorite chaffing dish
Warming Tray at Amazon
FINAL THOUGHTS
It is good to prepare and take good meals while traveling.
We all feel good when we share a good meal with friends and family.
These tips will guide you on keeping your food crispy while transporting them and we hope you find them useful.
