At The Foragers Cottage, we design and make sustainable homewares that are built to last. We work closely with talented artists to combine unique illustrations with sustainable materials.
Let's take a closer look at our best seller, the Wheat Fields Bread Bag - designed to keep bread fresher for longer, made from 100% Fairtrade and GOTS certified organic cotton.
Our bread bags are designed to keep your bread fresher for longer, and we're often asked how they work. In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at the science behind our bread bags and explain how they can help reduce food waste.
First, let's talk about what makes bread go stale. When bread is baked, the heat causes the starches in the flour to gelatinize. As the bread cools, the starches begin to recrystallise and harden, which is what makes the bread go stale. This process is accelerated when the bread is exposed to air, which is why bread stored in plastic bags or bread bins tends to go stale more quickly.
Our bread bags are made from 100% Fairtrade and GOTS certified organic cotton - a natural and breathable fabric that allows air to circulate around the bread. However, when bread goes stale, it's not just the moisture that is lost but also the gases that are released during the baking process. These gases, which include carbon dioxide and ethanol, can react with the starches in the bread and cause them to recrystallize more quickly.
Our bread bags are designed to slow down this process by allowing just the right amount of moisture and gases to escape. Cotton also helps to absorb excess moisture, which can cause bread to become mouldy. Bread stored in our bags stays fresher for longer, and is less likely to go to waste.
So, how do you use our bread bags? It's simple! Just place your loaf of bread in the bag, tighten the drawstring to close and then store wherever is most convenient. When the bag gets dirty, simply tip out the crumbs and pop it in the wash.
The Wheat Fields Bread Bag regulates the moisture and gases that escape from your bread, helping to keep it fresher for longer and reduce food waste. If you're looking for a simple way to make your kitchen more eco-friendly, give our bread bags a try!
