Food storage hacks are worthwhile for so many different items, especially baked goods.
While many people wonder how to store savoury loaves, banana bread is one food that’s often overlooked.
For those who can resist eating the sweet treat in less than a few days, understanding the best storage method can work wonders for its shelf life.
Speaking to Martha Stewart, Olivia Roszkowski, chef-instructor of plant-based culinary arts at the Institute of Culinary Education revealed the foolproof method everyone should follow when storing banana bread.
Olivia explained: “Proper storage starts when you take the banana bread out of the oven.”
She continued: “Place the banana bread on a cooling rack as soon as you remove it from the oven so that there is airflow all around the baked bread, allowing it to cook quickly and evenly.”
Though it can be tempting to rush the cooling process, the chef-instructor claimed that doing so is detrimental to the longevity of the bread.
According to Olivia, it encourages trapped moisture which can result in a soggy texture and even worse, invite bacteria growth. To avoid this, always follow the rule of letting the bread cool to room temperature (around 21C).
To keep banana bread as fresh as possible once cooled, it’s best to reach for a clean and dry airtight container.
But first, it’s worth taking an extra step – wrapping the loaf in plastic wrap, or even slicing it and wrapping it in plastic wrap, according to Olivia.
She added: “This will make sure the banana bread does not lose its moisture and become stale.”
Wrapped tightly and stored at room temperature, the sweet loaf should last for three or four days. However, there is a way to make it last a whole week longer.
Olivia warned that refrigerating banana bread can dull the flavour and impact the texture, which is why many bakers prefer room-temperature storage.
Choosing the fridge is very effective at inhibiting the growth of mould that can occur at room temperature, however, and will “increase its shelf life by up to a week”, as claimed by Bryan Quoc Le, food scientist and author of 150 Food Science Questions Answered.
This method offers better longevity and keeps the bread moist down to the last slice, but it does come with the caveat of a slightly less intense flavour.
To restore the bread to its full fruitiness, the food experts suggested warming the refrigerated slices before tucking into them.
