Bread stays fresh & doesn’t go mouldy for 3 weeks if you follow 4 storage hacks – including genius celery stick method
NEARLY 11 million loaves of bread are sold each day in the UK.
And with 99.8 per cent of households buying bread, storing it the proper way can reduce food waste and save you money.
Add a stick of celery to the bag
Consumer Expert Tom Church explained how this “odd” hack works.
He said: “If you’ve ever opened your loaf of bread to make a sandwich, only to discover that it’s gone mouldy, consider placing a stick of celery into the bread bag.”
Instead of bread going stale, it will “absorb the moisture provided by the celery and, in turn, remain fresh”.
Tom added: “Your loaf won’t become dry and mouldy at the same rate, so your chances of getting a sandwich together will increase!”
Bread bought from a supermarket can last up to 14 days in the fridge.
Add in a stick of celery and you can increase this shelf life up to a week.
Cut holes in the bread bag
Frakking Creations on YouTube shared a food storage hack to keep bread fresh and mould-free for three weeks.
It works by storing the bread in the original bag it’s bought in, but adding small holes to allow moisture to escape, otherwise, it can condensate, and cause mould to grow faster.
Using a pair of scissors, make small cuts around the top of the bag where its sealed.
Add a few holes to the back and underneath the loaf too.
Note, it’s best to cut fewer holes now, then adjust based on how cold and full your fridge is.
The YouTuber explained: “When you make small cuts into the bag, the bread will slowly dry out.
“Adjust how many holes you cut to prevent the bread from drying out too much.
“By doing this, the bread lasts longer than what you would normally expect.”
As for how well this hack worked, the loaf could last up to three weeks before mould appears.
Use a sealed container
TikTok content creator, Cary, also known as @pairswellwithwhine, uses a simple plastic container to keep bread fresh.
The container has a flip lid, with a silicone seal to ensure no moisture enters.
Simply place the bread, in its original bag inside and fold the sides of the bag over the sides of the container. Place the lid on top.
Instead of inserting your hand into the container, simply pull down on the sides of the bag and the bread rises.
Freeze the bread
In a last ditch effort to reduce food waste, freeze your loaf of bread, or any left over slices.
First, check your freezer is running at the correct temperature – minus 18 Celsius and this will make sure the bread freezes quickly without affecting the quality.
Next, place the bread in the middle of the freezer or drawer – you don’t want the bread touching the sides of the freezer as this could cause freezer burn on the sides of the bread.
As for how long bread can stay frozen for, most loaves can stay for three months.
Sliced bread defrosts quite quickly so it’s great to always have fresh bread to hand.
And bread can be toasted directly from frozen.
Other food storage tips
Plumbworld shared a list of food storage tips to help the average household save approx £235 a year.
- Fridge must be 3°C to 5°C and freezer -18°C
- Use airtight containers to prevent food from drying out
- Organise your fridge and follow the ‘First In, First Out’ rule
- Understand expiry dates
- Store foods in the right place
- Vacuum sealing to remove air around food
- Freeze leftovers promptly
- Use clear storage so you can see what needs to be eaten
- Dry store herbs and spice