Q&A for How to Keep Cookies Fresh

Decorated (iced) cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 10 days. After 2 weeks, decorated cookies tend to lose their freshness, so should be eaten before then unless you don't mind them tasting a little stale.

Packaged cookies that haven't been opened yet can be kept in a cool, dry place for 1 to 2 months after the use by date or frozen for up to 5 months past that date. For opened packaged cookies, they should be consumed within 1 week for soft cookies and up to 3 weeks for hard cookies, or freeze them in an airtight container for up to 5 months.

Obvious signs that cookies have gone bad include: A stale taste, dryness (if they started off moist), crumbling and moist (if they started off hard). And if they've been kept long enough to develop mildew or black spots on the cookies, then they're definitely bad. Another sign can be insect infestations; if you find dead or live insects and/or their eggs, then the cookies are no longer any good.

It would be best to place the cookies into an airtight container and put them into the freezer, away from anything strong smelling. Remove them on the morning you intend to add the royal frosting to them and they'll be as fresh as the day you baked them.

When cookies are not iced, you can store them in an airtight container. This can then be kept frozen for up to 4 months. Just be sure to label and date the container so you know how long the cookies have been frozen for.

To keep cookies soft and crumbly when stored, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. Eat them by their use by date to ensure they don't go stale. If air can get into the container, the cookies will turn hard. If the container you're using doesn't have an airtight seal, drop in a piece of apple or a slice of bread to help keep the cookies soft.

The jar itself needs to be airtight, with a tight seal around the lid. If this isn't already in place, then you'll need to choose or purchase a different container that does have an airtight seal around the lid, such as a jar with a screw-top lid or a plastic seal with a clip.

Thumbprint cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 1 week if kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They can frozen for up to 3 months.

Make sure they are completely cool and the Kisses are firm. Then, you can store them between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container. Keep them at room temperature.

Yes, parchment paper will work. Cookies generally keep well with parchment paper.

Yes. Pop them back in the oven for a extra minute or two until they are golden brown. Keep in mind, though, that many cookies don't set completely until they're cooled, and it's best to slightly under-cook cookies if you prefer them soft and chewy, rather than crisp. Allow them to cool completely before you decide they need additional baking. Otherwise, you may over-bake them. For better results the first time, preheat the oven and space the cookies at least 2 inches apart. Avoid insulated pans, which don't brown cookies well.

Place them in a Ziploc bag and place them in the fridge. When you're ready to eat them, warm them in a microwave.

Freeze them, and they will keep fresh longer. Or put them in an airtight bag.

Put them in an airtight container or a Ziploc bag.

The easiest method is freezing. Persimmons can keep, even after you've frozen and defrosted them multiple times.

You can get them from eBay or Amazon.

Put them in a zip lock bag or re-sealable container.

If you prepare the dough the day before and choose not to bake the shells, rub the surface of the dough with butter and cover it tightly with plastic wrap or wax paper to prevent the top from forming a skin. Store the dough in the refrigerator.

Yes, if you want them to keep fresh. If you are okay with them not being as fresh, I recommend putting them in the refrigerator.

An airtight container would do perfectly. Keep them at room temperature, and if the cookies go hard, just let a slice of bread sit on them for 24 hours.

Yes! Cookies have an amazing shelf life, with some even lasting up to 4 weeks.

Yes, you can. They won't taste quite as fresh when thawed as they would if you froze them shortly after baking, though.

They might be. However, store-bought cookies tend to stale faster even while chilled, so they also might not be. Check them out and give them a taste.

Place sheets of wax paper between the cookies. You could also let the cookies dry thoroughly before stacking them. That would diminish the chance that they'd stick together.