Food storage hack to keep bread fresh for longer

Store-bought bread is at risk of going stale or even growing mould in just over a week, while fresh bread can begin to go off in as little as three days. However, ensuring you store your food correctly can help to reduce food waste and ultimately save you money.

Research carried out by social media movement SORTEDfood found that 93 percent of shoppers are spending more on food than they’d planned to and 70 percent of consumers feel their large food shops don’t stretch as far as they’d hoped. This financial strain only furthers when you consider the amount of food being thrown away daily because it has gone off.

In the UK, we throw away 6.6 million tonnes of household food waste a year according to research by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

Almost three-quarters of this is food households could have eaten, which is why planning ahead is so essential when unpacking your food shop and storing items.

READ MORE: What the Queen ate everyday for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Speaking to Express.co.uk, Ben explained: “If you don’t think you’ll get through the whole loaf then cut off, wrap up and freeze a proportion of it when it’s still super fresh.

“Don’t wait until practically stale to make that decision.

“If you slice it and bag it up, it’s really easy to take a slice or two out of the freezer at a time. A minute in the toaster and you’re good to go.”

To avoid the risk of freezer burn, wrap your bread in plastic film or beeswax wraps.

Beeswax wraps are a great environmentally-friendly alternative to plastic wrap, and are able to be frozen and unfrozen an indefinite number of times.

The earlier you freeze your loaf or slices of bread, the fresher it will taste once you do get around to eating it.

To thaw your bread, simply remove it from the freezer and let it thaw for between one and three hours.

You can also store your frozen bread in the refrigerator overnight to thaw it slowly.

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Beeswax wraps are a great environmentally-friendly alternative to plastic wrap, and are able to be frozen and unfrozen an indefinite number of times.

The earlier you freeze your loaf or slices of bread, the fresher it will taste once you do get around to eating it.

To thaw your bread, simply remove it from the freezer and let it thaw for between one and three hours.

You can also store your frozen bread in the refrigerator overnight to thaw it slowly.

If you are wanting to make toast, you can do so straight from the freezer. Simply pop your frozen slice of bread into the toaster slot and wait.

However, if you do open your bread bin to find that your loaf is starting to go stale, there is another way you can keep it for longer.

Ben said: “Deliberately dry it out by cutting into croutons or blitzing into breadcrumbs and tossing in olive oil, salt, pepper and optional herbs or garlic, before drying out in the oven.

“Then, once crisp, golden and cooled, store in an airtight container to add to salads, or to top soups, pasta dishes or risottos for weeks to come.”

SORTEDfood is launching a new meal planning tool and hosting a day of workshops in London on September 22, 2022, with their team of chefs and experts demonstrating innovative yet simple solutions to help Brits cut their grocery spending. Sign up for the workshop here: Sorted Food Workshop – Sorted