How to Buy the Freshest Bread at the Grocery Store
Selecting a loaf of bread at the store and having it begin to go stale just one day after you buy it can be frustrating. There is no hard science involved to help you choose the freshest loaf of bread at the store, but a little-known secret can help ensure the bread you put in your shopping cart lasts at least to the "use by" date marked on your bread loaf.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
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Squeeze the bread loaf first. This gives you an indication of how fresh the bread is at the moment. If it feels soft, you have the start of a good thing. If it is slightly firm, the bread may be on its way to getting stale. This is the bread you may wake up to find has begun to harden the next morning.
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Look for the "use by" or "sell by" date. This is helpful in determining the distributor's suggested freshness quality. It is only a guide and not necessarily going to give you the freshest bread every time. Still, it is a guide you can't ignore. If the "sell by" date is almost upon you when you are purchasing the bread, chances are good it will go stale on you quickly, even if it is soft to the touch. You want to find the "sell by" date furthest from the date you are purchasing the bread. To do this, try reaching behind the loaves in front. Many stores stock product by putting the freshest at the back so customers will pull the oldest product first. It makes sense for the store, but the bread in back makes more sense for you.
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Check the tie around the bread. This is an effective way to know when the bread was delivered. There is a standard color code to guide you. Blue means the bread was delivered Monday of the week you are in, green for Tuesday, red for Thursday, white for Friday and yellow for Saturday. If you are purchasing bread on Wednesday, look for a green tie. If you are buying bread on Friday, a red tie means your bread is a day old and a white tie means it was delivered on that day. This is standard for most areas, but if you find an exception to the rule, consult the manager of your supermarket for the code.
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