Homemade bread crumbs: An eco‑friendly kitchen secret
Not wasting food in our grandmothers' kitchens was a daily practice. One trick they used was to dry slightly stale bread rolls on the radiator and use them to make homemade bread crumbs. Those who make this themselves won't be surprised to see bread drying on the heater with a grater nearby. What should you keep in mind when using a breadcrumbs recipe?
When it comes to breadcrumbs, it's not advisable to take shortcuts and overpay for the store-bought version. Often, these are mixtures of crumbs from the entire bakery, including puffed bread or remnants of sweet pastries. Not to mention the unnecessary and harmful additives some producers use in stale bread. You can certainly have full control over the ingredients when making homemade bread crumbs.
Why should you prepare homemade bread crumbs?
Savings and ecology go hand in hand when we decide to make homemade bread crumbs. Often, leftover bread in our homes becomes too stale to eat directly after a few days. Instead of throwing it away, we can easily transform it into a useful culinary ingredient by creating homemade bread crumbs. The choice of bread is crucial here — the best option is bread with a simple composition. The drying and grating methods are also key.
Homemade bread crumbs: Practical tips
While my rolls may not look appealing, they serve as a great base for making a breadcrumb croquette coating or an essential addition when breaded fried carp is on the holiday table. When you have stale bread without any signs of mold, it's a good time to make homemade bread crumbs. They will dry completely on the radiator, making turning them into the desired product easier.
- It's best to keep stale rolls in a paper bag and then transfer them to the radiator.
- Grate rolls on a fine grater — a food processor is not recommended as it grinds dry bread into powder, which doesn't work well for breading.
- Sift the grated part through a sieve to catch larger pieces that may fall off during breading.
- Use immediately or transfer to a jar, close it tightly, and store it in the kitchen cupboard. Bread crumbs sealed this way can be kept for several weeks.
