How many times have you reached for an open bag of potato chips in the pantry, only to discover they’ve lost their crunch? Potato chips seem like they should have a long shelf life, but in reality, they often go stale within one to two weeks after you open the bag. Closure clips only do…
If you can relate, here’s a hack that will change how you store potato chips forever: Pour the leftover crisps into an airtight bag or container, and pop it in the freezer.
Cold Chips, Crispy Results
Before potato chips are packaged, most of their moisture is cooked out to prevent them from becoming soggy. However, once you open the bag, its contents are exposed to light, air, and moisture. These elements immediately begin to degrade the chips’ freshness.
Most people keep their chips and other packaged foods in a cool, dry place. The freezer might seem like a step beyond “cool,” but that extremely low temperature actually works in your favor. Putting the chips in the freezer stops the degradation process in its tracks, extending their freshness and crunch. The chips won’t actually freeze, by the way; they will just get very cold.
You can use this hack for more than just plain potato chips. It applies to most low-moisture chips, including tortilla chips, crackers, and pretzels.
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Tips and Tricks
As with any food you put in the freezer, make sure your chips are in a sealed, airtight bag first. When you’re ready to chow down, take the chips out of the freezer and let them come to room temperature (unless you don’t mind cold chips).
This hack can extend freshness for up to several months, but to our knowledge, it hasn’t been tested beyond that. If you become hungry for chips a year after freezing them, they’ll probably still be safe to eat, but will they be crunchy? As of now, the world simply does not know. This hack also works on unopened bags of potato chips, though it’s likely not needed.
