4. Bread
Bread is undoubtedly one of life’s staple foods but did you know that the one place it should never be kept is in your refrigerator? Though moisture loss causes bread to go stale fast and the refrigerator does provide humidity, that’s actually only one part of the story.
Bread is packed full of starches – and as refrigeration encourages the retrogradation and recrystallization of starch, storing bread in the fridge will quickly make it inedible. Research has discovered that when you refrigerate bread, the cooling process causes the starches in it to reform into a crystalline structure – which is what makes it harden and grow stale. This happens far quicker at cooler temperatures than it does if you were to store your bread outside of the fridge, at room temperature.
If you were to freeze your bread though, it actually halts the recrystallization process and prevents the bread from hardening. In general, when it comes to keeping bread fresh, it’s best to keep loaves wrapped in plastic or foil, in a bread bin on the kitchen countertop.
If you really want to preserve your bread for longer than normal, then the best thing to do is place it in the freezer and make sure to give your fridge a wide berth.
Also Read – The Truth About White Bread: Why It’s Time to Switch to a Healthier Alternative
