Keep bread fresh in hot weather by avoiding popular storage method - it's not the fridge
Keeping food fresh in hot weather can feel like a losing battle, especially when it comes to bread. But by avoiding one common storage stop, it's easy to do.
Bread, like most baked goods, comes with a short shelf life and can begin to spoil just days after it's sliced.
Though many are aware that the ideal storage for bread is a cool, dark spot, keeping it in such a place can prove challenging, particularly during the summer.
Food safety experts warn that high temperatures and humidity can render even a bread bin unsuitable for storing this beloved pantry item.
The loaf-shaped containers, often made from metal, plastic, and wood, are designed for baked goods, but they fail to preserve bread effectively when ambient air is warm.
Some people may think the fridge is a suitable alternative, but this moisture-rich environment can wreak similar havoc on fresh loaves.
When bread is stored at low temperatures, around 0C or below, moisture rises to the crust's surface and evaporates, altering its weight and taste.
Instead, German nutritional specialist Birgit Brendel suggested using ceramic or pottery containers for bread storage.
She explained that such materials allow for an interchange of air and humidity, which helps prevent mould formation and stops the bread from "going bad".
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But that doesn't mean you need to get rid of your bread bin altogether, just stick to old-fashioned ceramic ones.
According to an expert at the fridge and freezer retailer, Liebherr, the open pores of an earthenware container will absorb excess moisture and even return moisture to the bread when it begins to dry out.
They continued: "Also, mildew doesn't stand much of a chance in a good, well-made clay or ceramic bread pot."
The Liebherr expert added: "Bins without an airtight seal, which allow air to circulate, offer similar advantages, and bread will also remain relatively fresh for a good length of time in a wax-coated bread bag."
If a bread bin is something you're lacking in the kitchen, there are other short-term alternatives. Wrapping freshly baked loaves in cloth can keep them fresh for days, and some people swear by leaving the sliced end face-down on a chopping board with the cloth on top.
As for supermarket bread, removing it from its original packaging and popping the slices into a wax-coated bread bag is a great option.
