With another Great Depression potentially looming over these United States, I’m discovering the simple stuff my grandma’s generation did to stretch a dollar.
For example, two weeks ago I got a breadbox, which is already proving a surprisingly nifty little investment.
Beyond the aesthetics of a tidy countertop, there’s a science to breadboxes, and Grannie knew it. By creating a nice, dark, moisture-retaining environment, the containers really do keep baked goods fresh longer than refrigeration, which speeds up the crystallization of starch molecules, causing staleness. Similarly, storing bread at room temperature in a paper bag within its plastic commercial wrapper can further promote freshness. Go figure.
(Okay, a lot of readers are likely giving me the “yeah, duh” look right now, but separated as we Boomers and post-Boomers are from ancient wisdom by modern convenience, I’m sure plenty of others share my ignorance of such things.)
The breadboxes of my grandmother’s day were usually wooden, sometimes ceramic. Instead I opted for the sleek stainless-steel version from Target shown here. Still, I’m sure Grandma would approve: In her later years she enjoyed baking with an electronic breadmaker, which I inherited.
Up to now, I’ve confined my use of the machine to holidays and special occasions. But given today’s incentives to become a home gourmand, looks like I’ll be increasingly resorting to my grandmother’s timeless ways of doing things around the kitchen.
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