Fresh bagels can be safely kept in the pantry for up to about a week. However, after 2 to 3 days, they’ll start to go a bit stale. Your best bet is to freeze bagels you’re not sure you can eat within a 2-day timeframe. [2] X Research source Store-bought bagels will usually keep for about 5 to 7 days in the pantry. They should be frozen if you won’t eat them within the week. [3] X Research source

Keeping your bagels in an airtight bag will prevent them from hardening.

If there’s even a small tear, transfer the bagels to a resealable plastic bag. Be sure to remove the extra air before you seal it up. Generally, you can use the twist-tie the bag came with to reseal it. If the twist-tie doesn’t work, you can knot the end of the bag to close it.

The water will resurrect your bagel once it hits the heated oven, making your favorite baked good nice and fresh rather than hard and stale. [6] X Research source If you’re worried that your bagel with slip through the cracks on your oven rack, you can put it on a cookie sheet. No need to grease it! You can also use a toaster, although the oven works best.

A bagel slicer is the safest and easiest way to cut bagels in half. You can purchase them online or at major retailers for less than $10 USD.

The plastic wrap will more effectively protect your bagels from freezer burn.

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of individually wrapping each bagel, you can place them in the resealable unwrapped. However, be aware that they may develop freezer burn more quickly. You should also transfer store-bought bagels to a resealable freezer bag, rather than leaving them in the plastic bag they came in. These, too, can be wrapped in plastic wrap for more effective protection.

Store-bought bagels can last up to a week in the pantry. While it’s better to place store-bought bagels you don’t think you can eat within this amount of time in the freezer right away, they should be fine to go in the freezer toward the end of the week.

Unlike pantry-stored bagels, the toaster and the oven should both be fine for warming up your frozen bagel. If you choose, toast your bagel in the oven at 350 °F (177 °C) for a minimum of 10 minutes. You may need to give your bagel an extra toast or a few more minutes in the oven. Keep checking on it and let it cook until it’s crisp and warm enough for you.

Write the date you put the bagels in the freezer on the bag so you can keep track of how long you’ve had them.