Food storage hacks are a hot topic with so many clever tricks out there to make certain items last longer.
One person who is well-versed in such tips is consumer expert Alice Beer, who has debunked which fruits, vegetables and other common shopping items should be kept in or out of the fridge.
In an episode of This Morning, Alice quizzed the hosts about where they keep their bread at home, and both said they use a bread bin.
She responded: “Which? did a survey and said the traditional metal bread bin is the worst place to keep your bread, for keeping it fresh.”
The survey unveiled that bread bins are unfavourable for preserving the texture of bread compared to cloth and plastic wrap.
Which? Science team leader Steph Kipling explained that a four-day bread storage experiment proved this point.
She explained: “We found that, even after one day, there were big differences in how fresh the loaves stayed in different containers.”
According to her findings, after four days, loaves kept in the cotton bag and plastic bag were still edible, albeit a little dry, whereas some of the others were “brick-like and inedible”, including those stored in a plastic and metal bread bin.
While many people would assume the fridge is the best alternative to a traditional bread bin, Alice noted that this is also a questionable storage solution.
The consumer expert said: “So bread, if you put it in the fridge it will crystalise the starch molecules, so you want it fridge out.”
“The best place to keep it is in a cloth bag [outside the fridge and not in a bread bin], better than a plastic bag, that will keep it fresher for longer.”
When it comes to serving bread, it’s worth noting where items like butter are stored to maximise their longevity and flavour.
According to Alice, butter can be kept out of the fridge for some time, though there are a few caveats to this method.
She elaborated: “Butter is made from pasteurised cream, pasteurisation will repel the bacteria, only keep out what you’re going to eat.
“But at room temperature, you can keep it for quite a long time, up to two weeks, or otherwise, keep it in the fridge.”
