oh Nik... how can I keep my chickpeas crunchy?

poet_kelly
on 11/28/11 2:21 am - OH

Roasted chickpeas are my favorite snack lately and they taste great fresh out of the oven, but it takes so long to make them that I would like to be able to cook a bunch at a time and then save some for later. The problem is, when I've tried to save some, they didn't stay crunchy. They got kind of soft. Not soggy, but not real crunchy like they were when I first made them.

I put the in one of those ziploc plastic containers with a lid. I thought I waited until they were completely cool before I put the lid on. Got any ideas about what I might have done wrong or how I can keep them crunchy?

Kelly

Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.

Cleopatra_Nik
on 11/28/11 2:23 am, edited 11/28/11 2:24 am - Baltimore, MD

RNY on 01/08/08

Your best bet would be to not fully enclose them. Condensation can happen if there is moisture in the air and still moisture in your chickpeas. The only way to avoid that is to use a food dehydrator instead of the oven. But so long as there is air, there can be condensation which will soften your chickpeas.

Do you have a food vacuum sealer? Either ALL the air needs to be out or it needs to be exposed. But partial aeration is prolly the culprit!

RNY Gastric Bypass 1-8-08 350/327/200 (HW/SW/CW). I spend most of my time playing with my food over at Bariatric Foodie - check me out!

poet_kelly
on 11/28/11 2:25 am - OH

RNY on 11/04/08

No, I sure don't.

I don't have a dehydrator, either.

So if I don't fully enclose them, they won't get... what, stale?... before I eat them? They won't last more than a couple days around here, I am certain.

Kelly

Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.

Cleopatra_Nik
on 11/28/11 2:28 am - Baltimore, MD

RNY on 01/08/08

If you keep them more than a few days, yes, they'd get stale. But if you eat them regularly, I'd say it's probably fine. Try poking a few holes in your baggie and see what happens. Either that or buy a completely new plastic thingie with a cover and see if that helps. It needs to be total dry when you put the chickpeas in.

I got a food dehydrator for dirt cheap (like $20). They are good for everything from chips to chickpeas to jerkey to dried fruit, so it might be worth the investment. Mine makes great homemade granola.

RNY Gastric Bypass 1-8-08 350/327/200 (HW/SW/CW). I spend most of my time playing with my food over at Bariatric Foodie - check me out!

imkristy1
on 11/28/11 5:01 am - WI

VSG on 02/13/12

I have made these several times. I let them cool COMPLETELY sitting on the stove (takes quite a while) but then I put them in a small plastic container with a lid and they are always crunchy. Now, mind you, I cook mine until they are almost hard all the way thru. I didnt really care for them soft in the middle, but love them super crunchy. Hope this helps.

Kristy 5'5" HW-224 SW-207 GW-140 Goal reached in 40 weeks! PRE-OP - 17 MTH 1 - 15 MTH 2 - 13 MTH 3 - 12 MTH 4 - 8 MTH 5 - 5 MTH 6 - 4 MTH 7 - 2 MTH 8 - 3 MTH 9 - 0 MTH 10 - 0

poet_kelly
on 11/28/11 5:02 am - OH

RNY on 11/04/08

I like them super crunchy, too. I think the time they got soft, though, I didn't cook them hard enough.

Kelly

Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.

grmadeb01
on 11/28/11 5:19 am - FL

maybe leave the lid off the bowl, and let the air get to them, i cant do that down here in florida with the humidity..but if you where it is dry, i had some chips up in wyoming and i never closed them up and they were fine...they were gone with in a day or 2 or 3..but they were still crunchy...i may have to try your chick peas, i made chocolate cake out of black beans for thanksgiving and it was wonderful, still is....i did not put any frosting on it, just eat it plan...and i have been going BM so far with no miralax...but i do have smelly gas tho...but im liking the bean cake...its kinda like the little debby cakes with none of the frosting or filling in it...
have a great day
debby

seashell6417
on 11/28/11 6:27 am - Gaylord, MN

RNY on 02/13/09

Kelly - Have you tried dry roasting them? I learned that if I roast them without any oil or seasoning until they are almost done and then take them out and toss them in olive oil or spray w/ cooking spray and season them they tend to stay crunchy longer. I think the oil added early on seems to seal in some of the moisture in the middle of the garbanzos and they get soft if sealed in a container.

Tami

happyhealing
on 11/28/11 7:39 am

I couldnt get mine crunchy at all. Does it take like an hour or what?

poet_kelly
on 11/28/11 7:47 am - OH

RNY on 11/04/08

Yeah. Almost. About 50 minutes in my oven at 400 degrees. They are SOOOO good crunchy.

Kelly

Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.

oh Nik... how can I keep my chickpeas crunchy?

Our Mission

Follow us

Links

Select Photos

oh Nik... how can I keep my chickpeas crunchy?