Why do fried chicken crusts become softer when left overnight?!
Answers: I made a bunch of fried chicken, and ate some and left the rest in the fridge. The ones I ate first, right off the pan, were crunchy, but when I took out the rest from the fridge the next day, the skin developed into a soft, chewy texture, which I love. Does anyone know why?
Put a lid on the pan after you've browned the chicken and finish cooking it. The chicken will steam as it fries and the crust won't be nearly as crunchy.
It just barely aged since cooked.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...
its gone stale..
due to the way they are produced, they are cooked so the moisture in them is removed, leaving them hard and crunchy
they have less moisture in them than there is in the surrounding air. Moisture in the air penetrates them, making them soggy when left out.
The moisture in the air 'softerns' it. If next time you cook fried chicken - You want to keep it crusty, Maybe leave it on the side to go cold then put it in a air tight tub or bag.
Make sure it isnt still warm or it will not be soft it will turn 'soggy!'
The moisture in the air soaked into it.
condensation of the juices, and water.
moisture
The crust absorbs moisture from both, the atmosphere and from within, the chill of the fridge will accelerate the softening
by drawing the moisture out of the chicken faster than if it wasn't refrigerated, think "freeze drying".
Moisture makes them soften overnight. Change the way you bread or batter them to achieve softer texture.