One of the best memories of my childhood is waking up in the morning with the smell of freshly made French toast when Holy Week arrived. Perhaps it is also yours and now you try to compensate for that memory by making your own French toast at home each Lenten season. And it is that, it must be recognized, the French toast tastes better on these dates. 
Making French toast is not difficult, in fact it is quite fun, we can even use our own creativity and add new ingredients or try a new bread, such as a panettone. But what is clear is that when we make French toast, we spend a lot of time and while we are at it, we try to make more so that they last a few days. Experts recommend eating them freshly made, but we must admit that fresh from the fridge they are also delicious.
The origin of the torrijas
- In Spain, torrijas are the quintessential Easter sweet. It is a fried bread dipped in milk, syrup or wine, which is usually served with a sugar and cinnamon coating, although there are thousands of versions of the traditional French toast. On these very important dates they can be found in any restaurant or cafeteria, but it is also common for them to offer you French toast wherever you go. If you go to your grandmother’s house, there will be French toast, if you go to your best friend’s house, she will offer you French toast… In short, if you put your mind to it, you can eat French toast every day and several times a day.
- The first record of the French toast in Spain was in the 15th century, in a Christmas carol written by Juan Del Encina, where he mentions the “torrija” in his Songbook (1946): “honey and many eggs to make French toast,” he says. The carol. Furthermore, it seems that around this time, in the middle of the middle Ages, French toast was used as a restorative for women who had just given birth. And it is that it is a fairly caloric and fatty food, so it provides a lot of energy, yes, you should not abuse them. It is believed that its relationship with Holy Week has to do with the use of leftover bread at a time when meat was scarce.
- But this bread bathed in milk and fried with egg is not only Spanish, it could be said that it is almost universal. In many European countries there is evidence that “torrijas” have been made for centuries. For example, in the Middle Ages it was very common to eat with bread bathed in milk or soup, which took the name of pain perdu (lost bread) or tostées dorées.(golden toast) in France. In fact, today’s French toast is very similar to the Spanish toast. But there are even references to this delicious sweet dish in the United Kingdom, Germany and the Nordic countries. In addition, in most Latin American countries, similar dishes are also made with different variants depending on the ingredients that originate from each country. A curious fact is that in the Yucatan peninsula, in Mexico, there is a similar dessert called “poor gentleman “, the same name that was given in Germany (arme ritter).
How to keep French toast for longer?
- It is difficult for French toast to last long at home because, in general, they are eaten right away, but if you have made a lot of French toast, you should know that they can last up to three days thanks to their high fat content, which becomes a preservative. Very effective natural in fact, in dry and not too hot environments, the French toast can be kept at room temperature, of course in a tightly covered container so that it does not dry out excessively.
- In those places with hot or humid environments, it is recommended to store the French toast in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, preferably glass, so that they do not acquire odors or dry out. Of course, you must let them cool down well before storing them in the fridge. You can take them out for a while before eating them to warm them up or give them a heat stroke in the oven if you like to eat them warm.
- Can the French toast be frozen? Yes, you can, although it is not the best option. In fact, culinary experts advise eating it at the moment, but the practicality of a home is often far from what gourmets advise, right?
- To freeze them, you can do it already fried or even halfway through its preparation. If you freeze them ready-made, it’s important that you let them cool completely. Store them in an airtight glass container, taking care that they do not stick together. If you need to stack them, place plastic wrap between each layer. To thaw them, do it with the usual defrosting care, to make it slower and safer, put them in the fridge the night before. Before eating them again, let them warm up a bit out of the cold and you can give them a heat stroke in the oven or in a pan.
- If you prefer, you can freeze the French toast when they are bathed in milk that is, submerged in the infused milk. Do not freeze them without the liquid because they could lose it and become dry. Once they thaw, you can bathe them in egg and fry them. The only drawback of this technique is that the freezing ice may mix with the milk and when frying the French toast, the water causes the oil to jump excessively and become dangerous. That is why it is better to freeze them already fried.