Breadcrumbs are one of the quintessential recycled ingredients, one of the most useful ways to reuse stale bread without wasting it. Making them at home is incredibly easy; all you need is some bread, a few herbs if you want to give it a specific flavor, and a blender. In just a few minutes, you'll have a handy ingredient ready to keep at home, perfect for gratinating, creating tasty crusts, breading meat, fish, or vegetables, and enriching dough and fillings. Breadcrumbs can also be stored for a long time, as long as you follow a few simple tricks to ensure they stay dry, crunchy, and fragrant as if freshly grated.
Store Breadcrumbs at Room Temperature
The worst enemies of breadcrumbs are humidity and heat, so the best way to store them is in an airtight container, which prevents air and heat from contaminating the bread, which would soften it. Some people also add dried bay leaves, as this plant has the ability to prevent mold and repel insects. The jar should be stored in a cool, dry place, away from the stovetop and preferably in a dark place, perhaps in a pantry. This way, the breadcrumbs will remain as fresh as when they were just made and can last up to six months.
Can Breadcrumbs Be Stored in The Fridge or The Freezer?
There's nothing stopping you from storing breadcrumbs in the refrigerator or freezer, but these two storage techniques are not recommended for this specific product. The temperature of the refrigerator, and even more so the practice of freezing, inevitably leads to the formation of humidity, a factor that primarily affects the shelf life of breadcrumbs, causing them to lose their crunchiness. The only way to store breadcrumbs in the refrigerator or freezer is if you have access to a vacuum sealer, a technique that effectively removes all the air while also preventing moisture from penetrating the bag.
The Best Container to Store Breadcrumbs
To best preserve breadcrumbs, airtight containers are ideal because they are the ones that, more than any other, prevent external agents from penetrating the container. Of all the types available, glass containers are best, especially those with a rubber gasket and models with a common screw cap (like those typically used for canning, but in this case, sterilizing the jar isn't necessary). Glass, in fact, prevents the release of microplastics and in no way spoils or affects the flavor of the breadcrumbs, in addition to keeping them perfectly isolated from the external environment.
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