How do I store fresh bread (with an ant problem)
ynnej
12 years ago
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lindac
12 years agograinlady_ks
12 years agoRelated Discussions
how do you preserve freshness of homemade bread?
Comments (21)The science behind the staling of bread is really interesting to study. You need to choose the right ingredients, don't over-bake the bread, and to choose the correct type of wrapping to help keep breads "fresh" longer than 2-3 days. Moisture changes in the loaf after it cools, and that contributes to staling through evaporation and moisture redistribution. If you leave your loaves unwrapped, you will quickly see a 10% weight loss, but usually less than 1% in tightly-wrapped bread. So how quickly you package your loaves after they are cool, and what you package them in can affect it's "freshness". Choose a close wrap - such as plastic wrap or a tight-fitting plastic bag, rather than a loose-fitting plastic bag. If you reuse plastic bags for your bread storage, make sure they are sprayed with a bleach/water solution (1-quart water and 1 t. bleach) to kill any mold spores on the bag surface. Adding coconut oil to your bread will also aid in preventing mold longer than using vegetable oil or butter, as well as using honey and agave nectar instead of sugar. When bread is wrapped loosely in a plastic bag, the moisture from the crumb of the bread quickly migrates through the crust and then into the air in the bag. Even more so if the bread has one end sliced, or if you slice the entire loaf. I only slice bread as needed so it stays fresh longer. The moisture level in the crust increases from about 12 to 28% when stored in a loose-fitting plastic bag, such as a zip-lock bag which is much larger than the loaf of bread. The worst place to store bread is in the refrigerator. In one scientific experiment I have in my files on the subject, refrigerated bread staled as much in one day as bread held at 86°F did in six. Because of the ingredients I use, methods of making and proper storage of the bread, the 100% whole wheat bread recipe I make will stay fresh enough for a peanut butter sandwich after 7 days. We typically use one 1-pound loaf of bread a week. Those ingredients that aid in preventing staling and mold are agave nectar (or honey), coconut oil, and a mixture of chia seeds and water. Chia seeds hold moisture in the crumb of the bread. I also use an overnight sponge method to make the bread, make sure the dough is well-hydrated, use a long, cool, slow rise, and make sure I don't over-bake the bread. If you choose to make lean breads, they begin to stale within 2 hours of baking, which is why fat-free loaves like Italian or French breads stale so quickly. Fats slow staling by improving the loaf volume. -Sweeteners slow staling directly by retaining moisture. The better choices for sweeteners are honey and agave nectar, especially if you are going to freeze the bread. -Use emulsifiers, such as egg yolks or lecithin. Choose breads that are good keepers to begin with. -panettone -breads made with starters (acidic doughs) -breads prepared with cold slow rises -breads that include moist cooked grains (wheat, rice, etc.) or fruit (such as raisins or currants). -breads containing dairy products, potato, potato starch, mashed potato or other mashed cooked vegetable, potato water, eggs, oatmeal (dry or cooked), etc. -well-hydrated (moist) doughs - Slack doughs, along with optimum proofing and oven temperatures, maximize absorption and reduce staling. It's better to err on the side of a wet dough. If your dough is dry and you over-bake the loaf, this contributes to breads quickly drying out and going stale. Bake most panned loaves of bread to an internal temperature between 195-205°F. The higher the temperature, the dryer the loaf will be. Some of the more interesting aspects of staling breads... -Unwrapped bread looses moisture and flavor faster, but retains crumb texture. If you use a loaf of bread quickly, just up-end the cut side on a cutting board and cover the loaf with a cotton towel. This method is often used by people because they like the improved crumb texture from using this method. -Wrapped bread stays softer (especially if you wrap the bread while it's still slightly warm) and tastes better (especially when wrapped after the loaf is completely cool), but the crust softens faster. -The crumb firms fastest at low temperatures between 20-50°F, which are refrigerator temperatures. -High storage temperatures (above 95°F) affect color and flavor. -Optimum storage temperature for bread is 70-95°F. -Freezing at 0° to -20°F has the effect of about one day's storage time, but cold storage effectively stops all other aspects of staling IF the bread is tightly wrapped in one or two layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil. Tight wrapping is necessary to keep the moisture in the crumb from migrating through the crust, creating ice crystals which are found when bread is stored in a loose-fitting bag in the freezer. -You can re-gelatinize the starches in stale bread by spritzing a slice with a fine mist spritzer (often used for plants) mist the slice with water. Warm the slice/s in a toaster for a moment or two. You can only use this method once. If you want to re-gelatinize a whole loaf, or a portion of an unsliced loaf, wrap it in foil and bake it for 10-20 minutes at 300-350°F. But you will need to use it quickly. -Grainlady...See Morewhere do you store fresh fruits and veggies?
Comments (2)I keep it in bowls in the pantry. I have one large bowl for onions & garlic, another for bananas (since they emit the ripening gases), and then another bowl for the rest of the stuff-peaches, toms, avocados, etc. I generally don't like to keep anything on the counter, aside from my coffee pot. My kids know where they are and are able to access them for self serve snacks. I must also add that we do not have a walk in pantry, so it's pretty small. But no problems making it fit!...See MoreBurying to the root of this problem: how to do you store yours?
Comments (13)OK, so potatoes and onions are fine playmates. Bad apples, OTOH, are a problem. Everyone gets along with cold ale (isn't the wet sides of the bottles a problem? Plus, I prefer my ale room temp, but that's OK). Plllog - I am having a hard time analyzing the experiment: 'do these last'? I think "these" is a very moving target. I think when onions come from the store the freshness is hugely variable. When they come from a farmer, though, they can vary a lot as well - sometimes soggy in which case they won't last, quickly. I've had some that go on and on though. I just can't really quite make out what determinants really are at play. I haven't made a careful study but it's bedeviling enough that I just might (though I know I won't; I'll rely instead on all this seemingly-knowledgeable hear-say. Life is just too short...) Thanks, all, for the explanations and photos. I haven't yet seen any eureka! product for my needs, and I I'm thinking creativity will be adequate -- that is, there don't seem to be obvious rules beyond - air flow, darkness, coolness. I don't think anyone's worked out the ideal mousetrap yet for this, seemingly. I wonder if there are wicker colanders? I think that might be ideal - small, non-metalic mesh.... Plllog, I may have relatively good unrefrigerated luck due to our microclimate - at the base of a hill (=wind generator), relatively close to the ocean things are often fairly refrigerated ambiently around here. Couple that with dh's obsession with growing shade and lath-and-plaster on at least two rooms, plus high vented ceilings, and the house stays pretty cool all on its own. For example, I'm freezing right now.... (indicating it's time to go hang out some laundry, boost the vit D levels, dry the clothes and stir the blood into warmth in one fell swoop)....See MoreHow FRESH is Grocery Store Fresh Fish?
Comments (46)Ammonia? Nope! Just "fishy," and that's often why people don't like fish. Just soak that baby in salty ice water and cook it prior to dinner. It will taste and be fresh. @donna_in_sask DH just called from Costco asking the usual DH questions. I didn't tell him to buy fish, but it's a 3 hour drive home since it's rush hour. He went for a doctor appt, and I gave him the Costco list. He's bringing home those nice lamb chops they have, but no fish. Tonight is just homemade pasta sauce over angel hair, Caprese salad with real buffalo mozzarella and some garlic toast....See Morelyndaluu2
12 years agoynnej
12 years agopfmastin
12 years agograinlady_ks
12 years agopfmastin
12 years agoci_lantro
12 years agosally2_gw
12 years agograinlady_ks
12 years agoynnej
12 years agoCrissy Welch
2 months ago
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