Warming Pop-Tarts without a Toaster
Created | Updated Sep 14, 2010
Pop-Tarts are a pastry snack product produced by the Kellogg's breakfast food company. They are packaged in pairs in foil wrappers from store-bought boxes or plastic wrappers from vending machines, and are an American student food staple. They are also packaged in pairs so that eating one at a time is not really an option. Consisting of a sometimes frosted pastry shell filled with a sweet jam1, they can be put in a toaster and eaten at any time for a quick, sugary burst of flavour and energy. Most people, however, find that Pop-Tarts are nearly inedible when cold. When a toaster is unavailable, a little creativity in preparing them is called for.
Creatively Heating Your Pop-Tarts
Put the Pop-Tarts, still in the wrapper, into a pot of boiling water. Leave them in there for about ten minutes flipping the pack frequently. The seals on the wrappers are watertight and the pastries will remain dry while heating.
Pop-Tarts may be griddled in a hot wok, and the end result is what is commonly referred to as a Wok-Tart.
With a strong enough forked stick, Pop-Tarts can be heated over an open flame like a marshmallow. Rest the pastry on the fork and hold level over the fire until toasted. This must be done carefully, however, as the large amount of sugar in the filling sometimes causes Pop-Tarts to burst into flames.
If the Pop-Tarts are wrapped in foil and you have time, set the wrapped Pop-Tarts on a sunny windowsill or sidewalk. The reflective bag will heat the pastry inside to an edible temperature in a little over an hour.
Use a hair-dryer on the highest setting. If the wrapper is foil, they can be left wrapped and will toast more quickly. Otherwise, they should be taken out of the wrapper. Sometimes it helps to hold the Pop-Tarts in a pair of tongs or with a cooking mitt.
Pop-Tarts can obviously be heated in a microwave, but take them out of the wrapper and observe them to prevent fire.
Pop-Tarts can also be heated in a dishwasher on a normal hot rinse with no soap, but remember to leave them in the wrapper.
Though a little unsanitary, wrapped Pop-Tarts can be heated while bathing in a shower or bathtub2. In a nice hot bath the heating takes about an hour, but the shower will take much longer unless the water is almost completely blocked by the packaging.
