Given it pairs with almost anything, bread offers infinite possibilities for home cooking. However, according to Love Food Hate Waste, it ranks among the top 10 discarded foods in the UK. Many households struggle to finish a whole loaf before it becomes mouldy, leading to stale slices spotted with fuzzy green patches being thrown away.
Fortunately for bread lovers, an unusual food storage tip can keep bread fresh for weeks rather than just days. The Wheeldon Brothers suggest that a simple alteration to your food storage habits can make all the difference. These waste reduction experts have urged people to ditch bread bins and, quite unexpectedly, keep bread in its original packaging — with a few minor tweaks.
A spokesperson for the Wheeldon Brothers stated: “But by making a few simple adjustments, like controlling moisture and temperature, you can extend its life and reduce the amount that ends up in the bin.”
Pre-sliced loaves are prone to suddenly turning mouldy. On the other hand, entire bakery loaves, such as sourdough, tend to go stale within hours of being sliced.
For bread purchased in a bag, the Wheeldon Brothers advise adding a stick of crisp celery. They said, “This lesser-known method could extend the shelf life of a loaf by up to a week.”
The veg emits moisture so it keeps your loaf soft without encouraging mould growth.
Stashing your bread in the fridge alongside some celery sticks could be the secret to maintaining its freshness, thanks to the cool conditions.
However, they’ve warned against using completely airtight packaging for storing your bread. The Wheeldon Brothers suggest making small punctures in bread bags instead.
This clever trick, which has been gaining popularity online, involves creating tiny cuts in the bag to allow moisture to escape, thus preventing condensation and mould.
“Moisture trapped in a sealed bag creates the perfect environment for mould to grow,” the experts noted. “Making a few small holes helps reduce that risk — just be careful not to overdo it, or the bread will dry out too quickly.”
Bread bags, such as those made from cheesecloth, should have minuscule perforations to allow air to circulate within the packaging. Alternatively, bread can be kept fresh in the fridge in an airtight container.
The experts explained that an airtight container offers protection against external moisture and fridge odours.
“A sealed container adds an extra barrier against external moisture and fridge odours,” the spokesperson commented.
“Keeping the bread in its original bag and placing it inside a container with a tight-fitting lid is a great way to keep it fresher for longer.”
