Nothing compares to homemade noodles, however it is important to know the best method for storing homemade noodles if you make them yourself.
Homemade pasta is very versatile and can be used with any sauce, meat, vegetable dish that you enjoy!
It does not matter if it is a cream based sauce or tomato-based one because home made noodles go well with both types of sauces!!
So, here is how to dry and store homemade noodles, plus a few tips on how you can get creative with your homemade pasta.
Creative Possibilities With Homemade Noodles
Are you tired of the same old noodles every day?
Do your taste buds crave something new and exciting, but all they can find at their local grocery store is ingredient-less processed foods that will never satisfy them again.
Well there’s an easy solution: make your own!
By making your own noodles at home, you can get creative with the ingredients and flavor.
It is easy to add herbs or spices you like to the recipe and control the the thickness and length of the noodle.
Not only does this allow for endless customization such as adding garlic, herbs or edible flowers to the pasta dough.
Plus you can use organic eggs instead of store bought conventional eggs and that helps make everyone healthier because you’re eating fresh ingredients rather than store bought ultra processed items.
All of these options give a noodle a unique flavor and texture not usually readily available at the supermarket.
Homemade noodles are great to have on hand for a quick meal that can be served with veggies or sauce.
Not only that but by using local or organic produce when possible it’s easier for everyone in your community to eat well!
Why Storing Homemade Noodles Makes Sense
There are some important things you need to know if you plan on storing your noodles for longer periods of time.
The most crucial factor is preserving freshness and quality when making homemade noodles from scratch.
Most noodle recipes – unless you have created your own or had one handed down to you – make far more noodles than most families can eat in one setting.
So what is the best way to deal with the leftovers?
- I recommend dehydrating them when they are still fresh.
- They will keep better and have a longer shelf life if you dehydrate them right away.
- You can then package your dried homemade noodles in any type of bag or container if desired.
- You can store your homemade pasta for up to two weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator, which is recommended since the pasta contains eggs.
- I recommend using tightly sealed zipper bags , but other options include zip top lidded jars or even resealable food storage bags !
- If you do not plan on using the noodles right away after drying them, freeze the pasta instead so they do not lose their quality over time.
- Storing homemade noodles this way keeps them tasting fresh for up to six months.
- I do not hang dry my noodles, although you certainly could if that is your preferred method.
There Are Options On Making Noodle Dough At Home
In fact, until about a year ago, I used a bread machine to mix and knead the dough.
The arthritis in my hands made kneading it by hand very difficult so I was thankful when I found out I could use the dough cycle on my bread machine to do this.
Then I came across a pasta dough making machine at a thrift store and decided to give it a try.
Once the dough was made using either of the two methods above, I would roll the dough out and cut it using a noodle maker machine.
Now you can do this by hand using a rolling pin and a knife if you wish.
However, I recently bought the KitchenAid 3-Piece Pasta Roller And Cutter Attachment Set to make noodle making easier and faster.
I absolutely love it and have found myself making more noodles than what I did before in part because I only need to clean up one appliance – my KitchenAid Artisan Mixer and the necessary attachments.
Using the KitchenAid Artisan Mixer to make pasta is easy and the noodles turn out great!
What To Do After The Homemade Noodles Are Made
After the noodles are made you can use them fresh without drying them at all or you can choose to dry them and follow these instructions for storing homemade noodles so you have them ready when you are.
Here are the exact step-by step instructions for dehydrating homemade pasta noodles.
- Lay the individual noodles out on your electric dehydrator tray making sure they do not touch and are in a single layer.
- Then turn your dehydrator on and dehydrate them until they are crisp enough on the outside to easily break without being dark. If your dehydrator has a temperature setting, make sure to set it at 135 degrees Fahrenheit
- The size of your noodle is going to determine the drying time. An average time is somewhere between 2 and 4 hours depending on the thickness of your noodle. You don’t want any “dough” left inside the noodle but you don’t want them rock hard either.
- Once the noodles are dry enough that they snap in half and are not doughy inside, simply leave them on the dehydrator tray to cool.
Of course, another option is to hang the homemade noodles on a noodle drying rack and wait for them to dry naturally.
Storing Homemade Noodles And Using Them Straight From The Freezer
Once the pasta is cool and completely dry, you can then use it right away or put it into a container to store.
I store mine in freezer safe containers in the freezer which keeps the noodles from being crushed by heavier items.
The reason I prefer storing homemade noodles in the freezer is I think it keeps them fresher.
I also do not have to worry about either using glass containers or the possibility of something getting into my container should I use plastic since I live in the county.
When it comes time to use the homemade noodles, they do not need to thaw before you cook them.
When you are ready to use them, just take the homemade noodles out of the freezer and toss it into boiling hot water and cook it as you normally would homemade pasta.
For those who do not make homemade pasta, you can also freeze store-bought pasta but be sure to put the package into a freezer bag or other freezer safe container first.
There are also long term storage options for noodles.
How To Dehydrate Food
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How To Dehydrate Garlic Scapes
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How To Dehydrate Cherries
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Dehydrating Apples
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Food Dehydration Tutorial
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Four Factors That Affect Food Storage
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Preserving Herbs For Winter Use eCourse
Do you love fresh herbs but wonder if there is an easy way to preserve them for the winter?
Do you seek other ways to use herbs other than just as a seasoning on food?
There are so many ways to preserve herbs for winter use – from various methods of drying them to freezing them, but it doesn’t end there.
Some of the best ways to preserve herbs in right in the foods you would normally incorporate herbs into – pre-made seasonings, teas, butter or oil.
Then this is the course for you!
What You Will Learn In This Course:
Hang herbs to dry
Use a hanging herb dryer
Dry herbs on a window screen dryer
Dry herbs in a dehydrator
Dry herbs in an oven
Dry herbs in a microwave
Freeze herbs whole
Make herb ice cubes
Add fresh herbs to freezer meals
Add herbs to canned sauces
Preserve herbs in vinegar
Preserve herbs in oil
Preserve herbs in butter
Preserve herbs in salt or sugar
Make pre-made seasonings
Make herbal tea
Make herb jelly (plus tips on how to use these)
Kristin
Wednesday 15th of June 2022
I came to read this article and can’t see half of the page due to the subscribe button at the top, share buttons for all social media on the side and all the ads at the bottom that you can’t click out of. I wish I could attach a screenshot of what I’m seeing.
Sheri Ann Richerson
Friday 17th of June 2022
@Kristin, what browser are you using? What kind of device are you on? You should be able to close the subscribe button. The social share buttons are not meant to be closed and I don't control the size of those. The ads should also be able to be closed. I will have my ad network look into that issue as there is nothing I can do on my end about that. I am sorry you had a bad experience.
Karen
Saturday 18th of September 2021
As a child my grandmother would roll her dough and turn a cake pan over and place dough on the upside down pan and dry them in the oven. I don’t know how long she left them in the oven or the oven temperature. Would you have any suggestions on this?
Sheri Ann Richerson
Tuesday 21st of September 2021
Hi Karen, my best guess is she did not turn the oven on. The oven would have been more of a way to have a place to air dry it that was out of the way. Using high heat to dry pasta can cause it to crack and become brittle. If you want to try to use heat anyway, I would suggest the lowest possible setting. I would preheat the oven and then turn it off and place the pasta inside spread out in a single layer. I would check on the pasta once an hour as well because even though the oven is off, the oven will retain some of that heat and thus the pasta might dry out faster. The difference between using a dehydrator and an oven is the temperature goes lower on a dehydrator.
Sarah
Wednesday 8th of September 2021
I love homemade noodles they are my favorite! Thanks for the great tips can't wait to get started. It's the season for this too I love chicken and noodles and beef and noodles in the fall and winter months.
Sheri Ann Richerson
Wednesday 8th of September 2021
You are welcome! I love chicken and noodles and beef and noodles too! It is the season indeed! I hope you will look up some of my broth recipes. Homemade broth is much tastier and actually better for you then store bought. Plus making your own broth is a great way to utilize those chicken or beef bones. I try to make a few batches every year and can broth. However it is just as easy to freeze the broth if you aren't into canning.