Never Store Baked Goods In Their Metal Pans — Here's Why

There's a good reason why metal pans are a staple in many home cooks' kitchens. They're super durable, heat up quickly, and can handle high oven temperatures without cracking. At the same time, metal pans promote even cooking and consistent browning. This can make a huge difference when baking and can give baked goods beautifully crisp and clean edges. In essence, using metal bakeware is among the many secrets to better baking. However, metal isn't as useful once the baking is done, meaning: never store your baked goods in them – especially if that metal is aluminum. 

Certain baked good recipes have acidic ingredients. We're talking about more than just the obvious citrus-based treats like lemon or orange cakes (which come with citric acid). Sourdough, for example, has lactic and acetic acids, produced during fermentation. Meanwhile, buttermilk in cookies or pancakes, also has lactic acid. Even chocolate brownies are mildly acidic because of cocoa powder. Believe it or not, natural cocoa powder actually boasts a pH between 5 and 6. 

That, however, is a problem, because aluminum reacts with acids. So, in case of prolonged contact, this lightweight and silvery-white metal will not only alter the baked goods' appearance and quality, but it will also leave a metallic taste. What's more, it could even leach into the food itself. While your body can naturally eliminate small amounts of it, excessive exposure from leaching could pose health risks.

That's why transferring your baked goods to a suitable storage container is often the smartest move you can make. Just remember to give them enough time to cool first. Although this usually doesn't take more than a couple of hours, it's important for keeping the baked goods fresh. Otherwise, the excess heat will lead to condensation inside the container. And that extra moisture will, as a result, leave them soggy and ruin their texture. 

Once you're ready to transfer the bakes, airtight plastic containers are a reliable option for room temperature, refrigerator, and freezer storage. The reason for this is that they limit exposure to air. This, in turn, will prevent the baked goods from drying out. With that in mind, if there are no free containers in your kitchen, then you could alternatively turn to a Ziploc bag, or even use Trader Joe's food storage bags that are miles better than Ziploc. Whichever one you go with, it's still a better pick than metal.

That said, you don't need to worry about transferring food if you're using glass baking pans. Glass actually makes an outstanding container material since it is non-reactive, which means that you won't have to worry about ruining your food's quality if you store it in the pan. Its multipurpose nature also makes using glass a great way to clear up more space in your kitchen. Ceramic is another good storage option. It can be safely kept in the freezer, so baked goods prepared in a ceramic pan can often be stored in it as well. Just make sure to never refrigerate baked goods in either glass or ceramic baking pans without a lid.