You should think about how to store bread even if this product is purchased or prepared every day and eaten within 24 hours. Particular attention to the process of storing bakery products should be paid to those housewives whose food products do not stale from time to time, but are covered with mold. Until a few years ago, people did not even face such a problem, simply because plastic bags were not so common and affordable. Today, you can use several ways to store a product: in the refrigerator, bread bin, paper or cloth. Each approach has its positive aspects and nuances.
On the one hand, there is nothing easier than using a bread bin to store baked goods. Unfortunately, in practice, many people forget about the important nuances of this approach:
Tip: Despite the fact that today there are actively offered bread bins made of food-grade plastic, impact-resistant glass and even ceramics, wooden products are still the best option. They actively absorb excess moisture emanating from fresh baked goods, so they do not languish or sour. The main thing is not to forget to dry the structure from time to time.
If it so happens that there is no bread bin on the farm, it can be temporarily replaced with an ordinary stainless steel saucepan. The lid should fit snugly to the product; you should not use it for cooking at this time.
You should not try to first keep the bread in the refrigerator, and then in the bread basket. Although this will slightly increase its shelf life, it will negatively affect the texture and taste of the product.
If for some reason the options for storing bread in the refrigerator or bread bin are not suitable, it is worth considering slightly less popular, but quite effective options:
Applying such approaches, one must understand that several types of baked goods or even loaves of the same bread cannot be laid out in one piece of fabric or paper bag. All products must be provided with individual packaging.
To get the maximum positive result, you should take on a few secrets. They will help not only to extend the shelf life of products, but also to preserve their texture, to revive dried products:
Home-made bakery products are stored the longest. Only a little vegetable oil should be added to them, and yeast should be completely eliminated or used to a minimum.
There should always be bread at home. Guided by this rule, people sometimes buy more loaves and rolls than they need. What to do with the “main product” that was unclaimed? His hand does not rise to throw it away.
There are two ways to solve the problem. Learn to store bread and baked goods so that they stay fresh for a long time. And if, nevertheless, they have become stale, they should also be put into action.
So how to store bread properly? Much depends on which varieties you prefer:
But there are general rules for storing bread at home, which should be followed.
Special conditions must be created for bakery products. Many housewives bought bread bins - made of plastic, metal, wood. If you do not know what to give to your friends, such a thing will be a good gift.
There is only one "but" here. After washing the wooden bread bin, dry it to prevent it from getting damp.
Note to the hostess
Instead of washing a wooden bread bin, you can apply filling (burning). Soak a cotton swab in ethyl (medical) alcohol and light the cotton swab right in the bread bin, closing the lid. Fire is the enemy of fungi and bacteria.
The loaves will be stored especially for a long time in a bread bin made of juniper
Most likely, the baking raw materials were of poor quality and already contained mold spores. Once in the warm and humid environment in your kitchen, these spores have grown wildly. Or mold is left in the bread bin after you threw out the previous spoiled loaf.
Special pouch - alternative storage
Little tricks
If you put a piece or a handful of salt wrapped in cheesecloth in a bread basket or a saucepan, the bread will stay fresh longer.
How to store bread in the refrigerator, and can it be done at all? You can, but again you need to know the rules.
If you want to preserve baked goods for a long time, cut them into slices, wrap them in plastic and put them in the freezer. Then you can get out a few pieces when needed. They will quickly become soft at room temperature.
The rules for storing bread in the refrigerator depend on where you put it:
The temperature in the chamber ranges from 0-5 ° C. It is in these conditions that the shelf life decreases and flour products stale the fastest. This is why it is believed that bread should not be refrigerated. Bread will not grow moldy in the refrigerator, even if the raw material contains fungus.
Tip of the day
When starting to use a loaf, cut it in half. And further cut off the slices from the middle. When removing the remaining bread for storage, press the slices of the two halves together. Then the inside of the loaf will not get stale longer.
Now let's talk about varieties. Store black and white bread separately from each other:
The opinion that black bread is healthier than white bread is not true. It all depends on the individual reaction of the body to a particular variety.
The loaves and slices bought in the store are long-term bread due to special additives. If you prefer hot baked goods from a local factory or you bake yourself, do not put the loaf in a plastic bag until it has completely cooled down. Moisture that will be released during the cooling process will cause the rug to become moldy.
Homemade bread, subject to storage rules, will be usable for 8-10 days.
Do you know that…
If a piece of bread begins to deteriorate, has become moldy, you cannot let this business take its course. It should be thrown away immediately so that it does not "contaminate" other flour products.
What to do if the bread is still stale:
Dried bread for a number of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract is preferable to fresh. It is also useful for those who are on a diet.
We answer the question: Why does the bread get stale quickly?
Protein products added to:
- high in protein;
- a handful of croutons with broth - here's your croutons. Such croutons can also be thrown into a frying pan with scrambled eggs.
In the culinary literature, you will find many descriptions of dishes using stale bread - from casseroles to desserts. There are also videos dedicated to this topic:
Now you know the secrets to saving bread and baked goods, how to store them in the refrigerator, and that bread can be frozen. Still, this product is intended to be consumed quickly. Therefore, try to buy bread in moderation.
Store properly and be healthy!
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Bread is a special product. According to the ideas of our ancestors, a house that does not contain the aroma of fresh baked goods is considered poor in every sense of the word. Today, very few people bake bread at home. Mostly fresh crispy rolls are bought in small bakeries and large supermarkets. How and where to store bread correctly so that it remains tasty and healthy for as long as possible?
One of the most popular containers for storing baked goods is the bread bin. Today, manufacturers of kitchen utensils offer us the widest range of them from various materials. So, the most common are bread boxes made of wood, metal and plastic.
A wooden bread bin will provide the necessary level of moisture and a sufficient amount of incoming oxygen, which will protect the bread from staleness and mold. Experts recommend paying attention to products made from birch, linden or ash. It is better to refuse those made of conifers: the pungent smell of pine needles can overpower the aroma of bread.
Bread boxes made of metal are more practical in everyday life from a hygienic point of view. They are much easier to clean. When choosing a metal bread bin, it is very important to carefully examine the product: it must have ventilation holes, non-slip rubberized legs and a silently closing and opening lid.
Plastic bread bins are affordable, easy to maintain, and an incredibly wide range of products. But it is important to choose the right container. Before buying, be sure to smell the plastic - cheap material will make itself felt with a strong and pungent chemical odor. It is better not to purchase such a breadbasket, since low-quality plastic can affect the composition of the bread, and it, in turn, can affect your health.
Storing bread in the refrigerator must be approached very carefully. This is due to the fact that baking has a number of features that must be considered. So, it is important to remember that bread absorbs odors. Therefore, you cannot store it next to fish, cheese or any other strongly smelling product. Also, there is yeast in bread, which, in contact with food, can spoil their taste.
If you bought or baked too much bread, the smartest option would be to freeze it and cut it into portions beforehand.
There are a number of restrictions on storing bread in the refrigerator. Do not put a spoiled loaf in the refrigerator, as the fungus can easily infect other foods. Do not wrap bread in a bag without air access; the package must have small holes for ventilation. In no case should you put a warm or even hot bun in the refrigerator. Here we are talking about the safety of the compressor, which can deteriorate due to a sharp increase in energy consumption.
If you have bought or baked too much bread, the smartest option is to freeze it and cut it into portions beforehand. At subzero temperatures, it remains usable for several months. You can defrost it in the microwave or oven. After defrosting, the bread should be eaten within 2 hours.
Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers preferred to store bread in canvas or linen bags. The fabric will preserve the taste and quality of the bread for a week. Today, many people choose ordinary plastic bags as "clothes" for storing bread. In this case, it is very important to make holes in them for air circulation - this will save the bread from the danger of mold.
In hardware stores, you can look for special bags for storing baked goods. They consist of three layers - cotton, perforated polyethylene and more cotton. These bags very successfully combine old, time-tested traditions and modern developments.
If the bread does start to stale, don't rush to send it to the trash can. There are several ways to help you quickly revive the product at home:
Wherever you decide to store bread, remember that this product needs certain conditions. Do not put it next to strong-smelling food, do not keep it in tightly closed bags, and do not use low-quality bread bins. But the most important thing is to buy exactly as much bread as you really need, and not in reserve.
For a long time in Russia they were very careful about bread. Freshly baked bread was wrapped in a linen towel to keep it fresh for longer. And today there are more effective ways to do this.
First, you need to understand the reasons why fresh and soft bread becomes stale.
One of the reasons is the retrohydration of starch (crystallization). During storage, the starch contained in the bread begins to lose moisture and the bread becomes hard, as well as its taste and weight change. You can stop this process by freezing.
If the bread is stored in the refrigerator, it will also lead to staleness. But mold will not appear for a long time.
Wholemeal baked goods have been observed to stay soft for longer.
Sometimes they say: "there is not even bread", implying that this product should always be in every home. And preferably fresh. How to store bread correctly so that it does not stale, moldy and retain its taste?
Method number 1 for storing bread
In the old days, it was customary to wrap bread in a linen or canvas towel, preferably a plain one, and on especially solemn occasions with a little embroidery. Our ancestors also found that if the bread is wrapped in clean white paper or cloth, then drying slows down and the loaf retains its properties for up to 7 days.
Method number 2 for storing bread
It turns out that bread hardens the fastest at a temperature of + 2 ° C - that is, so much on the top shelf of the refrigerator. The fact is that fresh bread has a certain moisture content (on average about 50%), and as a result of storage, moisture evaporates from it and the bread becomes stale. Moreover, the process of evaporation of moisture from bread is most intense at a temperature of 0-2 ° C. Therefore, it is better to store bread at room temperature or in the freezer, but not in the refrigerator.
Method number 3 for storing bread
Today many people store bread in plastic bags. But experts notice that it is undesirable to reuse them! Even better is the storage of bread in plastic bags with holes. This keeps it from getting stale and prevents the appearance of mold within 4-5 days. The holes can be made with a hole punch.
Method number 4 for storing bread
Another modern option is special bags, which are sold in supermarkets and utility departments of stores. They consist of three layers: top and liner made of cotton fabric, and between them - a layer of perforated polyethylene. Such bags allow you to preserve the nutrients of the bread and its freshness for a very long time.
Method number 5 for storing bread
In order to keep bread fresh for a long time, there is such an old way: cut a whole loaf or loaf of bread not from the edge, but from the middle. After dividing the loaf in half, cut off the required number of slices from the middle, and fold the remaining parts tightly in slices to each other and store that way. Thus, the bread remains as if protected from both sides and does not stale longer.
Method number 6 for storing bread
In the freezer. Georgy Dubtsov, Doctor of Science, Professor, Head. Department of Public Catering Technology of the Moscow State University of Food Production: According to modern baking technologies, bakeries all over the world produce under-baked products: in this form, they can be stored in the refrigerator for quite a long time. And we have many chain stores and eateries bake bread, deliberately not baking it a little. It is stored as a semi-finished product and then finally baked just before being sold. This principle can be used at home as well. Bread can be stored in a freezer at a temperature of -18 ° C for up to six months. Moreover, you can freeze any type of bread: black, white, and grain. Before using it, it must be heated at a low temperature in the oven. However, keep in mind that after defrosting the bread becomes stale very quickly, so it must be reheated immediately before use.
Method number 7 for storing bread
But baked goods will retain their freshness for 2-3 days if you put a raw apple with it in a saucepan.
Method number 8 for storing bread
Bread does not turn stale so quickly if you put a sugar cube, a small peeled potato or an apple slice in the bread basket - this will remove excess moisture and maintain the moisture level at the same level.
Method number 9 for storing bread
If you have baked the bread yourself, be sure to cool it completely for three hours before storing it. Chilled bread is better cut and does not crumple under the knife.
Cool the bread on a wire rack by removing it from the mold and hiding it from drafts.
Method number 10 for storing bread
It is impossible to store black and white bread together, since mixing bread yeast leads to its spoilage: the bread begins to mold. In addition, white bread in this case acquires a specific smell of black. Therefore, place different types of bread in paper or plastic bags.
Method number 11 for storing bread
A handful of salt placed in a tightly closed bread bin will protect the bread from mold.
Method number 12 for storing bread
It is best to keep bread in a sealed container. You can choose special bread bins for storage - for example, metal, plastic, wooden. Such containers should be sufficiently sealed and have a minimum area of \u200b\u200bventilation openings, and they should also be in a dry, bright place so that there is no mold that quickly forms in the shade.
Method number 13 for storing bread
Bread is well kept wrapped in a linen napkin in wooden bread bins. The best of them are from juniper and birch bark. But finding a juniper bread bin is not easy, and it is not cheap, although simpler options are possible using different types of wood, including in combination with juniper. Mold and fungus do not appear in birch bark bins, since birch bark is an excellent antiseptic.
Method number 14 for storing bread
To prevent the product from spoiling directly in the bread bin, you need to periodically wash and wipe it with vinegar solution and dry it well. Remove crumbs at least once a week.
Method number 15 for storing bread
Don't buy extra bread.
If the bread is still stale, in no case throw it away! There are ways to make it not only healthy, but also delicious.
Cut into thin slices, dry and serve as croutons. Store them in clean linen bags. Croutons can also be used for breading, making jelly, casseroles, kvass, or eaten with broth.
If a loaf or a loaf of stale bread is sprinkled with water and placed in the oven for 3-5 minutes at a temperature of 150-160 ° C, then the bread again acquires the properties of fresh.
Another way to refresh stale bread is to place a smaller pot on a stand in a large pot of water. Put bread in it, cover with a lid and keep on low heat until the smell of fresh bread appears.
If a whole loaf is stale, you need to cut it into pieces no more than one centimeter thick. The chopped pieces must be put in a colander or sieve, they can be tied in a gauze bag, and arranged over boiling water at a height of 2-3 cm.
Hot bread does not lose its freshness for a long time if it is placed in a thermos with a wide neck. Likewise, you can "revive" stale cookies, buns and any dough products.
In addition, you can make bread - cheese - egg casserole from stale bread. It is made according to the following recipe: cut the bread into small cubes. Combine butter, eggs, salt and pepper. Beat the resulting mixture with a mixer or by hand. Lubricate the mold with oil. Put the croutons, pour the resulting egg mixture and wait 20 minutes until soaked. Sprinkle with any grated cheese on top and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
Enjoy your meal!