Bread has remained the favorite food of the French despite changes in eating habits. It accompanies the dishes or becomes the base, with the sandwich breads that are so quickly prepared and eaten. However, stored in the open air, it quickly loses its softness, it becomes stale and dehydrated. Buying bread at the bakery every day is hard for you and you don’t want to waste food, so here’s a trick to keep bread longer than two weeks.
White bread, whole wheat bread, rye bread, and of course the baguette! There is almost a type of bread for every need. You cannot buy bread every day, you want to keep it longer, so you chose sliced and packaged bread, which offers nice square slices of bread. And still the problem: in three or four days, when you use up half of the bread, you have to throw it away! The mold invaded the crust and began to attack the crumb. You risk food poisoning. Do not worry, here is a trick to keep it up to fifteen days, if not more!
How to keep bread as long as possible?
To preserve your bread, you have tried many methods. Starting with the bread box. Shoving the fresh bread into a dish towel was easy, but it doesn’t last more than three days. So, you tried freezing. Defrosted bread is moister and, in a few hours, it is just the opposite, it dries out. You wanted to bake bread yourself. Equipping yourself with a new food processor was not your priority. You decided to make sliced, wrapped, sliced and wholemeal bread. From now on, pay attention to the expiration date. It also takes about six days. It is possible to go further this short time.
Dehydration and mold disappear, and your bread will last a long time
To do this, you need to leave your bread in the refrigerator. The low temperature limits the proliferation of bacteria. In a plastic bag, the bread retains its softness. However, the moisture from the bread tends to condense on the plastic, which can lead to mold. So, take a pair of scissors and make openings on the top and bottom of the bag. Make a few small holes so the bread can just “breathe”. You will be surprised to see that your sliced bread will last more than two weeks! Ditto for family-size loaves of bread that you always have on hand for surprise visits or slumber parties.
How do I store bread and other foods properly in the refrigerator?
In a “static cold” refrigerator, good food preservation depends on choosing the right place for your food. Your bread does not go in the “vegetable bin”, which is above 42°F and experiences humidity. Nor in the top zone, the “fresh zone”, where dairy products, cooked vegetables, cooked meat and fish are placed. In the intermediate zone, called the “cold zone”, between 32 and 40°F, your packaged bread will last a long time. Place it in a ventilated refrigerator wherever you want.
If the cold limits the exponential development of bacteria, it will all be short-lived. It is important to establish certain rules in the refrigerator. Raw meat, no longer than 24 hours! Egg preparations too. Packaged cooked meat, opened can of milk or cream: no longer than 3 days. You will store and consume your products in order. Also make sure you pack them well with plastic wrap or special boxes. It is possible to keep the bread in plastic packaging and in the refrigerator for more than two weeks. To store it, place it in a “cold zone”, in a clean and neat refrigerator.
Not all breads keep equally well
It is important to know that white, country and gluten-free breads have a shorter shelf life due to their composition. This also applies to pre-sliced sliced breads. You can freeze them for longer storage. To preserve your breads, it is recommended to keep them at a temperature between 57° and 64°F.
