Moldy bread before its "expiry"?

Forums › Off topic › Moldy bread before its "expiry"?

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kontonnz

137 posts

Master Geek

#671519 12-Aug-2012 18:16

I've always been told never put bread in the fridge as it will go stale faster than you can say "bobs your uncle..."

I am also fussy about bread and anything over 3 days usually becomes bird food, either that or freeze it which is what my gran would probably say I should do rather than waste it...

i've found when bread is moldy straight from the store they have left the bread in the sun for a bit (which I understand their not meant to do) and it sweats the bread causing it to go moldy faster (not sure if this is true tho

mattwnz

20164 posts

Uber Geek

#671530 12-Aug-2012 19:00

kontonnz: I've always been told never put bread in the fridge as it will go stale faster than you can say "bobs your uncle..."

I am also fussy about bread and anything over 3 days usually becomes bird food, either that or freeze it which is what my gran would probably say I should do rather than waste it...

i've found when bread is moldy straight from the store they have left the bread in the sun for a bit (which I understand their not meant to do) and it sweats the bread causing it to go moldy faster (not sure if this is true tho

Depends on the bread. I find vogals lasts well in the fridge and freezer, and you can never taste any difference between fresh and frozen. I suspect however white bread, which can be pretty tasteless and cardboardy anyway,will get affected by both.

Dratsab

3946 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#671631 12-Aug-2012 23:18

I'm completely unfussy. More bread than is needed gets brought on shopping days then frozen. A loaf will get taken out and put in the fridge the night before it's needed and there it stays. I've always put bread in the fridge, probably always will.

coffeebaron

6234 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#671700 13-Aug-2012 09:52

- before bed, put ingredients in bread maker
- push start
- go to bed
- get up
- bread gone by lunchtime
- no mould :)

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John2010

532 posts

Ultimate Geek

#671737 13-Aug-2012 11:30

How one stores bread depends, in my view, on how long one wants to keep it.

There are two main arrows going in opposite directions with temperature when it comes to deterioration of bread, and the following is just my opinion for taking on board or discarding as one see fit.

The first is starch retrogradation (crystallisation of starch from its gel state) which speeds up as temperatures are lowered towards freezing point of water, below a little above freezing point there is insignificant retrogradation (so freezing is ok). This retrogradation toughens the bread, so staling, which many people confuse with drying. This infers keeping the bread OUT of the frig. Bread will also dry in the frig but that is, of course, preventable by plastic bagging tightly.

The second is bacterial and fungal attacks, which attacks speed up as storage temperature increases above freezing. So this infers keeping the bread IN the frig (in a bag to stop drying).

In both cases the type of bread will have an effect on the keeping quality as may any additives.

In my view if one wants to keep bread longer than the day following purchase then it should be frozen sliced and slices taken from the bag as required if the loaf is not to be all consumed at once after freezing. Both staling mechanisms are then essentially stalled. I didn't know until the responses to this thread that so many people try to keep bread longer than the day or so following purchase unfrozen (like sbiddle we would throw it out).

If one does not want to keep the bread longer than a day or so then in my view the frig is fine and will slow greatly mold growth (not prevent, because all bread will have viable mold spores and growth starting on it as soon as it cools from the oven).

If one wants to keep the bread longer than a day or so but it is only used for toast then one will likely find that the frig is also ok as the heating of the bread in the toaster will largely reverse the starch retrogradation (the starch re-gels with heat, but there is considerable hysteresis so not very repeatable).

In my experience bread, including soft white types, is just fine in the frig for a day or so and if in climates or localities, or for bread types where mold (and other critters) is a problem it is the best way. If one wants to keep bread longer than that it should, in my view, be no where else other than the freezer.

EDIT: typos and clarity

DaveDog

336 posts

Ultimate Geek

#671920 13-Aug-2012 19:35

khull: What I am more concerned is that what has the government done (or lack of action) to our economy for me to even read a post like this on an online forum.

OK - You've got me... What great legislative policy has been unfolded in front of us that's led to moldy bread? What have I missed?

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