Have you thrown your bread ever due to the formation of mold? Probably many times, right? It happens in every household multiple times. Molds are fungi that can be formed easily.
There will be several reasons that can form mold and several factors that affect in between.
But we don’t let your bread spoil due to molding now. Here in this article, we are going to talk about how to keep bread from molding. Read the whole article from beginning to end; you can find the best solutions and special tricks to save your bread from molding.
Reasons Behind the Formation of Mold on Bread
Before diving into the article completely, before knowing tricks and everything., let’s try to understand what are the reasons behind the formation of mold on bread. Also, let’s understand what exactly bread mold is.
There are several categories in the mold. However, Rhizopus stolonifer is the most common type and fastest growing among the various kinds. It comes in different colors and types.
There are several reasons and contributors behind the formation of mold on bread. Here are the top 5 reasons you need to notice
Temperature
Temperature is one of the crucial factors in bread moldings. Between a temperature of 22 degrees to 32 degrees, the chances of getting the bread mold are high.
At that temperature, the reaction rate is high. So the chances of getting the bread mold are very high. When the temperature decreases, like at a cool temperature, mold can’t be formed easily. At deep freezing, there will not be mold formation at all.
Moisture
Bread is a source of nutrients. But it’s not a sufficient factor to support fungi. Bread mold always requires a supporting factor of moisture. So when it receives even mild moisture, it can happily form over there. It can start and grow quickly within a short period.
When there is no moisture at all, there will be no formation of fungi or bread mold at.
Air Exposure
Oxidation is one of the processes that make the bread form mold and contaminate it too. After purchasing or making, leaving the bread without keeping them safer in normal air exposure enables the molecules to go for the oxidation process.
When it happens, it can lead them to form mold easily.
Environment conditions
Here you need to consider everything, like the humidity present in your area and the environmental conditions. If you perform an experiment on bread molding in different regions, you can notice that it changes from one region to another.
Environmental conditions can play a role in forming the bread mold.
Hydration
You should not assume that hydration comes from the water itself. Hydration can happen in any form, like the presence of humidity in the atmosphere. Hydration again gives sufficient moisture to the mold to settle on the bread.
These are the five main reasons behind the formation of bread molding. You can’t light as a factor for the bread molding. But this kind of fungi doesn’t need any light for growth.
How To Keep Bread From Molding
There are several things that you need to keep a check on to keep the bread from molding. Check the list below.
01. Storing
Whether it’s cooked home bread or purchased bread, where you keep that is extremely important. Yes, of course, environmental conditions affect the bread a lot. The bread condition and ingredients also play a role.
But here is a list from our end that you can try for storing your bread:
- Fridge
Many people get scared of it and might feel that the fridge cooling can damage their bread. You can also feel that the cooling can make your bread strong. But this is totally wrong.
You can keep it inside the fridge anytime. It definitely reduces the chance of bread molding. But make sure the melted drops of water inside the fridge shouldn’t fell on your bread slice.
If you can freeze it, it can completely prevent the bread from molding. You can store the bread from molding for beyond a week. This is the only way you can store the bread for the longest period.
The rest methods will be helpful only for a week or for a few days.
- Air-tight containers
Remember, you need to pay attention here. The air-tight containers never mean to block the air completely. There should be sufficient space for the bread to breathe.
The air-tight containers generally prevent the bread from reacting with the atmospheric air and reduce the reaction rate.
If you block the air completely, like there is no space at all inside where you kept bread, you can definitely notice the bread spoiling. So keep them in air-tight containers but keep them in a spacious place.
- Bread boxes
Fortunately, online stores, including Amazon, give a lot of options for storing bread. The bread boxes even come with separate blocks to keep your bread. They also come with good raw materials and BPF-free materials.
They will be durable, heat resistant, and maintains a friendly environment for the human body. This is an ideal choice to buy because the same box or case can be kept in the fridge too.
- Linen Bags
These eco-friendly and multi-purpose bags are helpful in storing the bread from molding and contaminating. But please remember not all the linen bags available in the market are completely organic and safe.
That’s why there will be some complaints about the linen bags. So make sure you read the reviews properly before buying.
02. Balancing with the atmosphere
Of course, we can’t control the atmospheric conditions and environment. But if you let your bread be exposed to the atmosphere just because you can’t control it, even with precautions, you can’t keep the bread from molding.
Hence you need to make sure the bread is in a safe container at the right temperature. Also, if there is any change in temperature, the bread should not be affected. That’s why we suggest the readers go with the fridge mostly.
03. Avoid Damp Places
As we discussed earlier, you don’t need to provide damping necessarily. There could be some dark, damp regions in your home where the bread can easily catch the molding. Hence make sure the place should be dry.
Wet places and wet bread can easily form bread molds than dry ones. They hold too much moisture required to form the bread mold. So avoid wet places. Instead, place them in a dry place.
04. Leaving idle in the atmosphere
It’s not only about the bread molds with the reaction to atmospheric air. Leaving idle anywhere can make the bread to be prone to several insects and microorganisms. It’s unhealthy to consume them.
So never ever leave your bread idle exposed to the atmosphere. Make sure it’s covered properly and kept in the right place.
05. Bread Moisture
This is the very underrated point in keeping the bread from molding. When your bread has more moisture, you can’t keep the bread from molding.
When the bread has sufficient moisture, with the slightest exposure to air or even without that, the bread can form molds. So be careful with the preparation process itself. Ensure the bread contains sufficient moisture, not above or below it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Which type of bread forms molds faster?
The bread molding also depends on the type of bread. Lean bread, which doesn’t contain anything much apart from the basic ingredients, will not spoil faster or will not get molds in them. It also can’t be stored for a longer time.
But when you bake bread with more list of ingredients, including fats and high-level sugars, it can be easily prone to molding. Even commercial bread comes with many elements.
With such bread, you need to pay attention to keep the bread from molding. If you bake the bread in a basic way with basic ingredients, you don’t need to worry much. But with commercial bread, make sure you follow all the steps provided.
What are the ingredients that will help in bread molding?
There is no such thing as ingredients that can contribute to bread molding. But if the milk used in it or the water or any liquid items, including fruits, are beyond the required, then they can help in bread molding.
They need not be exactly perfect. But anything too much will definitely add more moisture to be locked inside the bread and will help in bread molding.
Conclusion
Well, these are our words for how to keep the bread from molding. We explained to you the right reasons and also the perfect solutions for what you can do. We have also included the possible queries and answers to them.
But the thing is, the formation of bread molding mostly occurs in storage issues. Hence follow the ways provided for storing.
Also, check the reasons and try to avoid them as much as possible. You will not find bread molds ever.
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