Bread in the fridge. Can you keep bread fresh in the fridge?

“Bread is the head of everything”, “Bread and water - healthy food”, “There is no dinner without bread” - Russian proverbs about bread demonstrate a respectful and reverent attitude towards this valuable product. Bread was called "father" and "breadwinner", and a house that did not smell of baking was considered poor. Bread was worshiped like the sun, and in ancient times it replaced gold. People have always carefully kept bread, a symbol of wealth and prosperity, trying not to get moldy and stale, since throwing away the “father” and “breadwinner” was considered a great sin. many ways proper storage bread came to us from Ancient Russia so why not use them?

How to store bread at home?

Our ancestors wrapped bread in a linen towel or canvas - this is how it long time kept fresh and taste qualities. Some housewives knew special secrets how best to store bread so that not a crumb is lost. They placed the loaf in a white cloth or paper to keep it soft and tender all week - that way every family always had fresh bakery without the daily hassle at the oven.

A great way is a plastic bag in which holes are made, but it is not recommended to use the bag a second time. Bread wrapped in cellophane stays soft for five days.
Fresh pastries can be stored in a tightly closed pan if you put an apple in it - in this case, fragrant and fluffy buns will delight you for at least 2-3 days.
Cut the bread not from the edge, but from the middle, and then connect the two halves with slices - this is one of the most effective ways keep bread fresh and delicious.

How to store bread in a bread box?

Our grandmothers knew where to store in the kitchen - of course, in a bread box, since no plastic bags can replace this valuable kitchen gadget. Bread boxes are made of plastic, wood and stainless steel, and most best material for them, metal is the best choice, since it has good thermal properties and does not absorb odors. Plastic is not durable, and a wooden bread box must be carefully looked after so that it does not become damp.

In a good bread box, pastries can be stored for a week if white and brown bread are kept separately, since rye loaves have a higher moisture content. For this reason, it is recommended to buy a bread bin with two or three sections, and if you have a regular model, then keep the bread in plastic bags. It is advisable to remove crumbs from the breadbasket every day, and once a week it should be washed and dried well. If you put a small piece of sugar in a bread box, apple slice or peeled potatoes, you can reduce the humidity and extend the life of the bread.

Can bread be stored in the refrigerator?

If you bought a lot or you need to go away for a few days, you can safely leave the bread in the refrigerator. At low temperatures, baking is not subject to mold and remains fresh for a long time, if you follow some rules.

In the refrigerator, bread is best stored in plastic bag with holes, in a fabric bag or paper packaging, which reliably protects products from foreign aromas and maintains optimal humidity. If you put a pinch of salt in cheesecloth in each bag, it will not become a “prey” for mold bacteria, even if the refrigerator is turned off. For the freezer, it is better to cut the bread into pieces and pack in portions in foil. How long bread can be stored in the refrigerator depends on the temperature - in the freezer it will lie perfectly for a month, and on the top shelf of the refrigerator for about three weeks.

It is strongly recommended not to store in the refrigerator. bakery products that have already begun to deteriorate, otherwise the fungus will spread to other products. Also, do not put hot pastries in the refrigerator, as the compressor may fail.

It is best to store bread wrapped in a linen napkin in a juniper or birch bark, as these materials are excellent natural antiseptics. Try not to buy or bake bread for the future, and then there will be no problems where to get fresh and fresh bread every day. delicious pastries. Well, if the bread is still stale, feed it to the birds or cook croutons - nothing should be wasted on the farm!

Bread should always be at home. Guided by this rule, people sometimes buy more loaves and rolls than they need. What to do with the "main product", which turned out to be unclaimed? The hand does not rise to throw it away.

There are two ways to solve the problem. Learn how to store bread and bakery products so that they stay fresh for a long time. And if they still stale - also put into action.

Bread box - a traditional way of storing

So what is the right way to store bread? Much depends on which varieties you prefer:

Someone takes the loaves in the store - they are often already cut and packed in plastic.
Others buy pastries from kiosks - while they are hot.
Still others have purchased a bread machine and bake at home.

But there is general rules storage of bread at home, which should be followed.

For bakery products, you need to create special conditions. Many housewives purchased bread bins - made of plastic, metal, wood. If you do not know what to give your friends, such a thing will be a good gift.

Plastic bread box is lightweight, inexpensive, and easy to clean. However, it is short lived.
Metal will serve you for many years. She is also easy to care for.
But the most the best option- wooden. Where can you buy one? Most often at the market, at the masters.

There is only one "but". After washing the wooden bread box, dry it so that it does not become damp.

Note to the owner

Flaming (burning) can be used instead of washing a wooden bread box. Soak a cotton swab in ethyl (medical) alcohol and set fire to the cotton wool right in the bread box, covering the lid. Fire is the enemy of fungi and bacteria.

Especially long loaves will be stored in a bread box made of juniper

Why is bread moldy in the breadbasket?

Most likely, the raw materials for baking were of poor quality and already contained mold spores. Once in a favorable environment in your kitchen, where it is warm and humid, these spores have grown "violent color". Or the mold remained in the bread box after you threw out the previous spoiled loaf from it.

If mold occurs regularly, ventilate the room where the bread box is located more often and wash it every time before putting in a fresh bun.
If bread of the same variety of a certain manufacturer is moldy, simply refuse to buy it.

Secrets of long storage

Before putting it away for storage, wrap the loaf in a clean cloth or in a plastic bag, after puncturing holes in it. Air must have free access to the loaf, otherwise mold will appear.
If you store baked goods in large pots with lids, also wrap them in cotton cloth or put them in a bag.
Wash a cotton napkin or towel in which you wrap flour products with laundry soap or other detergent without fragrance. You don't want your buns to smell like laundry detergent, do you?
Hardware stores often sell special bags. They have three layers. The outer and inner are fabric, and in the middle is a layer of plastic. When stored in such a bag, the bread can remain soft for 4-5 days.
The bag can be sewn on its own, and then soaked in a strong solution (2 tablespoons per liter) and dried without rinsing.

Special bag - alternative way storage

Little tricks

If you put a piece or a handful of salt wrapped in cheesecloth in a bread box or in a pan, the bread will stay fresh longer.

Storage location - refrigerator

How to store bread in the refrigerator, and is it possible to do this at all? You can, but again, you need to know the rules.

If the baked goods you want to keep on long term, cut them into slices, pack them in plastic and put them in the freezer. Then you can get a few pieces when you need them. At room temperature they will quickly become soft.

The rules for storing bread in the refrigerator depend on where you put it:

Bread can be stored in the freezer for several months.
If you put it on the top shelf of the refrigerator, the period will be reduced to 2-3 days. And then, if the products of the bakery will be packed in plastic.

The temperature in the chamber fluctuates between 0-5 °C. It is under these conditions that the shelf life decreases and flour products stale the fastest. This is why it is believed that bread should not be stored in the refrigerator. Bread will not mold in the refrigerator, even if the raw material contains a fungus.

Tip of the day

When using the loaf, cut it in half. And then cut off the slices from the middle. When removing the remaining bread for storage, press the slices of the two halves to each other. Then the inside of the loaf will not stale longer.

Black and white - together or apart?

Now let's talk about varieties. Black and white bread should be stored separately from each other:

First, they have different humidity.
Secondly, "nigella" has a stronger smell, which will definitely pass to white rolls if they lie together.

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.

Loaves and “cuts” bought at the store are bread long-term storage through special additives. If you prefer hot baked goods local factory or you bake your own - do not put the loaf in a plastic bag until it has completely cooled. The moisture that will be released during the cooling process will cause the carpet to become moldy.

Homemade bread, subject to the rules of storage, will be usable for 8-10 days.

Do you know that…

If some piece of bread began to deteriorate, moldy - you can’t let this matter go by itself. It should be thrown away immediately so that it does not “contaminate” other flour products.

The second life of the loaf

What to do if the bread is still stale:

“Second life” can be breathed into it by slightly moistening with water and holding for 1-2 minutes in the oven at a temperature of 40-50 ° C.
You can moisten a stale loaf with sweetened water with vanilla, after the microwave you will eat a pleasant, fresh muffin.
You can also use " water bath". Pour some water into a large saucepan and put on fire. Place the bread in a colander so that moist steam envelops it, cover with a lid. After a few minutes, the loaf will become soft. The taste of fresh baking will not return, but it will turn out quite edible.

Dried bread with a number of diseases gastrointestinal tract preferably fresh. It is also useful for those who are on a diet.

We answer the question: Why does bread go stale so quickly?

Can delay the crystallization process protein products added to :

With high content squirrel;

various artificial enhancers.

If the bread is completely stale, and you are not going to “reanimate” it, there are many options for using it in this form:

Soaked in a white crumb, if you add it to, it will make it fluffy and tender.
You can dry the leftovers and grind to make breadcrumbs.
Cut the stale pieces into small pieces and make croutons. Black can be sprinkled with salt - why not a snack for?
Store crackers in a cotton bag. This will be your emergency supply. Sooner or later it will happen that you forget to buy bread for dinner. Throw a handful of crackers into a plate - here you have 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 on this topic:

Thanks in advance! It is important for us to understand that we are not working in vain.

It is difficult to find a person who has never eaten bread in his life. And why? Bread is the main product of many inhabitants of the planet. It is not only tasty and satisfying, but also very healthy. Today there is great amount varieties bread products, which differ in the type of flour, ingredients, method of preparation. Usually the bread remains usable for several days. Then it becomes stale, often wet and sticky, and sometimes even moldy.

Many people store bread in the same bag it was in at the store. However, with such storage, the bread begins to deteriorate after a day. To avoid this and extend the shelf life of the product, you need to know where, how and in what to store a fresh loaf or sliced loaf.

Where to store bread

As soon as you bring a warm loaf home, you do not need to immediately wrap it in an airtight film. Condensation forms in the bag, after which the bread may become damp. Allow bread to cool completely before storing.

Paper bag. This way of storing bread is suitable for toast, sweet buns and ruddy loaf. The paper bag helps keep the bread crispy.
Plastic bag. If you prefer to store bread in a bag, there is nothing to worry about. In it, the loaf remains soft and crumbly. However, in order for the bread not to rot and suffocate, you need to make several holes in the bag for ventilation. Cannot be stored different types bread in one bag - separate them.
Breadbox. It would seem that a bread box is the most optimal way to store bread. Usually the bread box is quite airtight and has only a few microscopic holes for ventilation. However, it needs to be properly looked after. Grandmothers are advised to keep one in the breadbasket fresh apple, it allows the bread to always remain soft. Wash your bread box at least once a week. The fact is that bread perfectly absorbs foreign odors, so the place where it is stored must be clean. Wipe the inside of the bread box several times a month vinegar solution to get rid of foreign odors. Always remove crumbs from the breadbasket. And to get rid of excess dampness, place a bowl of baking soda or salt. Pine or juniper is best suited for making bread bins - mold does not appear on this wood.
Napkin. You probably remember how in Soviet and pre-war films grandmothers wrapped kraukhu rye bread in a linen napkin. Bread wrapped in cloth can get a little stale, that's true. However, it will never rot or grow moldy. To keep the bread in the napkin from drying out, wrap it in two or three layers of cloth. You can sew a special three-layer bag for bread - it is very convenient to store a loaf in it. In addition, such a bag will decorate any kitchen. Use a cotton cloth to store bread and do not wash it with scented soap or conditioner. Otherwise, the bread will absorb an extraneous soapy smell.

Some housewives store bread in closed pots and other enameled containers. This method, although not aesthetic, but it has a right to exist.

Can you store bread in the refrigerator

Storing bread in the refrigerator has a number of advantages and disadvantages. Among the advantages, it can be noted that bread at a low temperature evaporates less moisture, which means it does not dry longer. Such bread always remains soft and fresh. The downside of storing bread in the refrigerator is that there are always a lot of different smells floating around. And if you do not place the loaf in an airtight bag or container, the bread will exude extraneous flavors.

Besides, cold bread it’s not very tasty to eat, but you won’t put it out in advance every time, an hour before you are going to have lunch or dinner. In this case, the bread will constantly need to be heated in the microwave. This method of heating makes the bread warm and soft, and after a while the loaf will completely stale. Therefore, it is up to you to decide whether to store bread in the refrigerator or not.

It is difficult to imagine a situation where you need to store bread for many months. However, if such a question arose, it must be addressed. You can keep bread for a long time in freezer. Just put sliced and bagged bread in the freezer and forget about it until the time you need it. Defrost bread is not difficult, just transfer it from the freezer to one of the refrigerator shelves. When the pastry has thawed, remove the bread and leave it at room temperature. Thawed bread is perfectly edible. You can store bread in the freezer for up to six months.

How to keep bread fresh

If you find that the bread is infected with mold spores, you can no longer eat it. But if the loaf has become stale and tough, it is quite possible to reanimate it. Sprinkle the bread first a small amount water. After that, place the loaf in the oven or microwave. Bread after this heat treatment become softer and warmer. Of course, such bread cannot be compared with fresh pastries, but it is much better than nibbling dry crusts. Bread heated in this way must be eaten within a couple of hours, otherwise it will dry out again forever.

Do you know how to increase the shelf life of bread? It needs to be cut properly! First, cut the loaf in half, cut off pieces from the middle, and when the bread needs to be stored, put the two halves together. Thus, the bread will retain its freshness longer.

Bread is the head of everything. But in order not to overpay and not throw away such a valuable, but still spoiled product, you need to be able to properly store it. And it’s better not to buy bread for the future, then there will be no questions about its long storage!

Video: how to keep bread fresh for a long time

How to keep bread fresh for a long time? This question worries me for a long time, since in our family there are always flour products. Once I firmly decided to figure out whether it is possible to store bread in the refrigerator and what to do so that it does not get moldy. I share my notes.

Proper storage of bread

7 ways to prolong freshness

What are the storage options for baked goods?

Image	Recommendations
	Method 1. Fabric or paper If you take a clean linen bag and wrap bread in it, the product will stay fresh for 7 days. You can use parchment paper instead of a towel.
	Method 2. Plastic bag Make a few holes in the shopping bag so that the bread does not stale. So it will be fresh for 3-5 days.
	Method 3. Special bag In large stores, you can buy a bag for storing flour products. The special three-layer structure keeps the bread fresh for up to 10 days. The price of such bags is quite high, so you can make it yourself: a perforated plastic bag is inserted into an ordinary linen bag and closed with a cotton pad.
	Method 4. Correct cutting Cut the loaf not from the edge, but in the center. Cut off from the middle of each half required amount product and tightly fold the remaining parts of the roll with slices to each other. So you extend the softness of the loaf for 2-3 days.
	Method 5. In the freezer Can you store bread in the freezer? It is possible, but only at a temperature of about -18 ° C. The term will be up to 6 months (in the photo an example of a frozen product). After freezing-thawing, the product will quickly become stale, so take only the amount that you can use immediately.
	Method 6. Bread box There are plastic, wooden and metal breadbaskets. In which bread box is the product best preserved? In birch bark and juniper, as these types of wood have antiseptic properties.
	Method 7. Apple

I will give a few tips so that the product does not lose its taste. maximum period:

Don't put bananas in the fridge. At a temperature of +2 ° C, the bread begins to actively stale.
The product that was taken out of the bread machine or oven must be cooled. A hot loaf cannot be packed and frozen.
Do not put at home in one container products from different varieties flour. They must be placed in separate sealed packages.
Wipe the bread box regularly with vinegar to disinfect the surface.

How to bring freshness back to bread?

Unfortunately, flour products can become stale and moldy. And if in the first case the bun can still be saved, then in the second there is no chance.

Why does bread get moldy? It's all about moisture and tight packaging. AT finished product there is a certain amount of moisture, so if the packaging does not allow it to "breathe", mold begins to actively multiply inside.

What can be done with a stale product, how to revive it?

Image	Instructions for action
	Method 1. Crackers Cut the loaf into slices of a suitable size, dry it in the oven or in a pan and serve as croutons. If dry bread is crushed, you get breadcrumbs.
	Method 2. Oven Spray the loaf with water. Put it in the oven for 3 minutes at 150°C. The taste will noticeably improve.
	Method 3. Thermos Put the sliced loaf in a hot thermos. Its properties will be restored. This method can restore softness to cookies and other sweet pastries.
	Method 4. Steam Cut the stale roll into small cubes and place in a cheesecloth bag or sieve. Hold over a boiling pot for a couple of minutes.
	Method 5. Casserole Pour the sliced loaf egg mixture and put in the oven for 30 minutes. You will get a very tasty and satisfying dish.

Results

Now I use only these methods of storing baked goods. Well, if it happens that the roll becomes stale, I have methods in service that give it a second life. Try and follow these tips to have fresh, fragrant and tasty bread on your table.

The video in this article will show visual instructions on how to keep the bread soft. Do you have your own way of storing bread? Share your secrets in the comments!

Who doesn't love fresh bread? crispy golden brown and tender crumb... Black, white, rye, with the addition of bran, fruits, vegetables or seeds... Long baguettes, flat cakes, round loaves, rectangular "bricks"... There are a lot of types of bread.

Source: depositphotos.com

All bread loses moisture over time. This is a natural and irreversible process. Left on the table at room temperature, freshly baked bread will go stale in a few hours. But in the arsenal modern hostess there are proven ways to delay the inevitable.

What can be difficult and unusual in the storage of bread? You can simply put it on the table, cover it with a towel, wrap it in a paper or plastic bag, foil, put it in a saucepan, clay pot or bread box. You can store bread in the refrigerator and even freeze. What is the best way to store baked goods? Let's figure it out.

Storage methods

Foil or plastic bag

Metal food foil and plastic bag for food products perfectly retain moisture and prevent the bread from drying out too quickly. However, these materials contribute to the formation of condensate. Humidity and heat inside a dense package create a "greenhouse effect" and an ideal environment for the growth and reproduction of microorganisms, in particular pathogens that can harm human health. You can avoid this by making several small holes in a plastic bag (or foil), for example, using a kitchen knife or fork. (Surely, many paid attention to the fact that the packaging in which sliced bread is sold has special round holes.) Simple manipulation allows air to circulate inside the bag and prevents the formation of mold.

Paper, textile or clay

These are the most environmentally friendly ways to store bread. Paper bags, in which baked goods are sold in stores, protect them from dirt, allow them to "breathe", but practically do not prevent them from drying out.

Up to 3-5 days, bread is perfectly stored if wrapped in a clean waffle towel or placed in a linen bag made of dense natural fabric.

Place an upside-down natural clay pot on top of the bread to keep it fresh flour products in a week.

bread box

If you prefer to store baked goods in a bread box, be sure to treat its inner surface with a solution of vinegar at least once every 7-10 days to prevent the development of pathogenic microorganisms. In a wooden bread box, the product will be stored for up to 3 days. Wood is a highly hygroscopic material, it absorbs some of the moisture from bakery products. In metal and plastic bread bins, loaves will be stored longer than in wooden ones - up to 72 hours. But there they get moldy faster than they get stale.

Fridge

Despite the fact that the reproduction of microscopic organisms during low temperatures slows down, keeping the bread fresh with a refrigerator will not work. In it, the product dries quickly - the tender crumb becomes hard, and the crust stops crunching.

Bread is not stored in the refrigerator.

Freezer

If you buy or bake a large number of bread and do not eat it for 1-3 days, try freezing it. Properly frozen and thawed, it does not lose moisture and remains soft. A person who does not know about freezing is unlikely to be able to determine the taste that pastries have undergone low-temperature processing. Keep in mind: if you freeze fresh bread, it will remain fresh after defrosting; if frozen stale bread, when defrosted, it will be just as stale. Before freezing, it is better to cut the bread into portioned slices, pack in paper bag, food polyethylene or culinary film. In the freezer at a temperature of -18 to -16 ° C, it can be stored for up to 4 months, and at a temperature of -25 ° C - up to six months.

As needed, bread slices or a whole frozen bun can be taken out and thawed at room temperature. To defrost a loaf white bread weighing 800 g at a room temperature of + 20 ... + 25 ° C, it will take about 1.5-2 hours. For complete defrosting of bread, portioned into pieces about 1 cm thick, 25-30 minutes are enough. To speed up the process, you can warm the slices of bread in a dry frying pan over low heat without a lid, or place them in the microwave for a few seconds.

About tricks, secrets and security measures

Bread that has begun to go stale can be restored to softness by sprinkling it liberally. clean water and place on the middle shelf oven heated to 250°C for 5 minutes.

Bread is very hygroscopic and actively absorbs odors. Do not store black, whole grain and wheat bread. Bread yeast, mixing, form decay products, and the bread begins to quickly mold. It is strongly not recommended to leave bread in the refrigerator or freezer without packaging, especially in the immediate vicinity of strongly smelling foods, meat and fish.

To keep the freshness of the bread longer, try cutting it not from the edges, but from the center. Simply cut the loaf in half and cut off a few slices from each half, then "assemble" it back, folding the cuts tightly inwards.

Place a whole apple in a bread box or dish in which pastries are stored. This simple technique will not only allow the bread to stay fresh longer, but also give it a unique taste. delicate fragrance. But potatoes and sugar should not be stored next to bread. They can become a source of microbiological contamination.

Due to irreversible processes, mold fungus begins to develop in the starch contained in bread. Bread without additives will be soft only in the first hours. However food industry does not stand still, and some manufacturers add preservative substances to bakery products that can significantly extend the shelf life and shelf life. That is why if a loaf or a bun is as soft, springy and fragrant on the fourth day as on the day of purchase, this is not a cause for joy, but for alarm.

It should be borne in mind that sliced bread is treated with special antioxidant compounds in almost 100% of cases. The thing is that the crumb has a lot of moisture. A piece of bread not protected by a dense crust becomes vulnerable to pathogenic microflora. Natural or synthetic compounds are used as antioxidants. The safest way is treatment with ascorbic acid. Also safe, but more expensive, is the pre-sale processing of slices. ethyl alcohol. The peculiarity of this method is that alcohol, getting on hot bread, destroys the pathogenic microflora, and itself under the influence high temperature escapes from the surface.