Nothing compares to homemade noodles, however it is important to know the best method for storing homemade noodles if you make them yourself.
The best part about making your own homemade noodles is you get to use your own or local sourced ingredients if you wish to.
It is easy to add herbs or spices you like to the recipe and control the the thickness and length of the noodle.
All of these options give a noodle a unique flavor and texture not usually readily available at the supermarket.
Why Storing Homemade Noodles Makes Sense
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 like to dehydrate and freeze mine.
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 (affiliate link) 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 (affiliate link) 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 (affiliate link) noodles.
- Lay the individual noodles out on your electric dehydrator (affiliate link) tray making sure they do not touch and are in a single layer.
- Then turn your dehydrator (affiliate link) on and dehydrate them until they are crisp enough on the outside to easily break without being dark. If your dehydrator (affiliate link) 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 (affiliate link) 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 (affiliate link) 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 (affiliate link) 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 (affiliate link) and cook it as you normally would homemade pasta (affiliate link).
For those who do not make homemade pasta (affiliate link), you can also freeze store-bought pasta (affiliate link) but be sure to put the package into a freezer bag (affiliate link) or other freezer safe container first.
There are also long term storage options for noodles.
Dehydrating Food
How To Make Raisins In A Dehydrator
Learn how to make raisins in a dehydrator. Learning how to make your own raisins from grapes is easy not to mention they are delicious!
How To Dehydrate Garlic Scapes
Garlic scapes are a gourmet seasoning that come on once a year in the spring. Learn another method for garlic scapes storage for year round use.
How To Dehydrate Cherries
Learn how to dehydrate cherries for long term storage or simply for a delicious, healthy fruit snack. It is really easy to dehydrate cherries at home.
Reusable Bakery Trays Make Great Produce Storage Trays
Bakery trays make great reusuable produce storage trays for root cellars or even for storing fruits or vegetables during the food preservation process.
How To Dry And Store Homemade Noodles
Learn how to dry homemade pasta plus the best method for storing homemade noodles so they stay fresh for up to six months!
Food Dehydration Tutorial
In this food dehydration tutorial you will not learn how to use a food dehydrator, but instead you will learn how to get started and why you should do it!
Four Factors That Affect Food Storage
Understanding the four factors that affect food storage is essential for keeping your food safe, especially if you intend to store it long term.
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)
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.
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.
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?
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.