Why you can’t store bread in the refrigerator, but in the freezer

Many people mistakenly believe that the refrigerator is the best place to store a variety of products. In many families, it acts as a universal "food warehouse." All products are placed here in a row, from meat to cereals and pasta. And also a refrigerator is used to store bakery products. Thus, they try to protect it from drying out. However, the refrigerator does not always cope with its purpose. Often a fresh loaf here spoils after a few days, stale and moldy.

Why the refrigerator is not suitable for storing bread

Throwing a bad loaf out of the refrigerator, people begin to blame manufacturers who allegedly made low-quality products. But few people think that the reason for everything is the refrigerator! It is not at all intended for storing such products..

It is not recommended to use it as such for several reasons.

Rapid moisture loss

50% freshly baked bread consists of moisture impregnating it. Due to this, it has an elastic, soft consistency.

The standard temperature inside the refrigerator, depending on the operating mode, is from 0 to + 5 ° C.

Reference! At this temperature, moisture from flour products evaporates quickly enough. Therefore, the loaf is stale on the second day.

Mold formation

Similar trouble happens if the loaf sent for storage in the refrigerator was previously hermetically packed in a plastic bag.

Causes of moldy bread in the refrigerator

• Most flour products include yeast - living organisms related to fungi. Actively emitting carbon dioxide in the course of their life, they loosen the dough, making it airy.

Reference! The yeast retains its activity and after baking, continuing to emit CO2 for another day.

• The loaf is sent to the refrigerator in a hermetically sealed in an airtight plastic bag. It overflows in its entirety. carbon dioxide.
• In addition to this should be added high humidity inside the plastic packagingarising from the inability of the released water to evaporate. As a result, we get the most favorable atmosphere for the early development of mold, which initially forms on the surface, gradually penetrating deep into.

Important! In the refrigerator, the development of mold on the bread occurs rapidly. Already in a day it can cover with a thin layer most of the loaf, making it unsuitable for consumption.

• The porous structure of flour baking determines its ability to quickly absorb extraneous odors. Dough products stored in the refrigerator absorb and retain the smells of products lying nearby (fish, vegetables, meat). However, they lose their flavor. As a result the culinary qualities of the product deteriorate in just an hour or two.

Attention! If you still decide to put the bread in the refrigerator, pack it in a “breathable” paper bag or wrap it with a cloth, such as a clean towel. This will save him from mold, while not allowing to dry quickly before time.

Why bread can be stored in the freezer

If you decide to preserve the bread loaf for a long time, then it is best to use a freezer for these purposes.

Why is a freezer better?

The fact is that preservation of freshness depends on the rate of evaporation of the moisture contained in it.

The faster dehydration occurs, the faster the fresh soft loaf turns into a cracker.

Reference! Moisture evaporation is possible only at temperatures exceeding 0 °. Below this indicator, water freezes, and its molecules lose their mobility.

This is the essence of preserving bread in the freezer, at a temperature below zero.

Rules for storing bread in the freezer

The process of freezing bread should be carried out in compliance with a number of rules.

• Bread preliminarily cut into batch pieces and freeze already in the form of slices.

Important! The fact is that once a thawed loaf with repeated freezing loses its taste.

• The loaf placed in the freezer needs pack in metal foil, thick paper or cling film. This will protect it from odors coming from food stored in the freezer. And also it will not allow moisture to evaporate until the moment when the bread completely freezes.
• It is recommended to freeze freshly baked bread. So the likelihood of retaining all its taste is higher.
• So that the defrosted loaf retains its original culinary properties, it should thaw graduallyat room temperature.
• It is recommended to take bread out of the freezer a couple of hours before the meal, just leaving it on a plate for "delicate" defrosting. It is not necessary to remove packaging from it until the very meal to avoid the loss of aroma and elasticity characteristic of a fresh product.

Attention! Preservation of bread products in the freezer is suitable only for short periods - no more than two weeks.

After this, under the influence of low temperatures, the process of degradation of starch begins. It loses its viscosity, and the melted bread begins to crumble and crumble when trying to cut or break it.