Bread stays fresh for longer in a Swiss stone pine bread box

Whether for breakfast, snack or dinner: Fresh bread simply tastes wonderful. The smell of freshly baked bread alone makes our mouths water. To keep bread fresh and crispy, it must be stored correctly. Otherwise it quickly becomes hard and inedible. There are various ways to do this. From simple cloth bread bags to designer stainless steel bread bins. In this article, you will find out how to keep bread fresh and crispy for longer. And why there is nothing better for storing bread than a bread bin made of Swiss stone pine.

Nothing tastes as delicious as freshly baked bread. And nothing becomes hard and inedible as quickly as freshly baked bread. People who love fresh bread are therefore sooner or later faced with the anxious question: "What can I do to keep my bread fresh for longer?" Some keep their bread in a cloth bread bag. Others leave their bread in the paper bag they received from the bakery. Still others put their bread in a wooden, ceramic or metal bread box.

Most Swiss kitchens probably have one of these bread bins. Bread bins are available in a wide variety of colors and materials. The classic is the metal bread bin. It is inexpensive, easy to clean and, with its neutral design, goes well with any kitchen decor. Boxes made of ceramic or wood are also very popular. However, not all bread bins keep bread equally fresh. There are big differences between the various materials. And there are even big differences between a wooden bread bin and a bread bin made of Swiss stone pine.

Not all bread bins are the same

A good bread bin ensures that the bread inside can breathe. If a bread bin lets too little air through, it becomes too damp inside and the bread starts to go moldy. Bread bins made of ceramic, plastic and metal therefore have a raised base or air slots on the sides. This is not necessary with wooden bread bins: Wood breathes and regulates the climate inside in a natural way. This makes a wooden bread bin the perfect place to store fresh bread. It is almost never too damp or too dry in a wooden bread box. The ecosystem inside a bread box adapts perfectly to the room climate and the bread.

This is why bread stored in a wooden bread bin stays fresh for longer than bread stored in a metal bread bin. A wooden bread bin is therefore the best way to store bread. But which wood? There is a large selection of wooden bread bins. There are bread bins made of beech, bamboo, pear and many other types of wood. The absolute best wood for a bread bin comes from the Alps - Swiss stone pine. Also known as Swiss stone pine in Germany and Austria. Swiss stone pine offers many advantages over other woods. It is particularly beautiful to look at, has a wonderfully aromatic scent, is sustainable and, unlike most other types of wood, has an antibacterial effect. And as we all know, nothing is more important in the kitchen than hygiene.

The Swiss stone pine - a tree with tradition

The evergreen Swiss stone pine comes from the pine family. Depending on the language region, it is also called stone pine or Swiss stone pine. The Swiss stone pine resembles a fir tree in appearance and grows in two different areas: in the Central Alps and in the Carpathian Mountains in Eastern Europe. There, Swiss stone pines grow up to 25 meters tall. The Swiss stone pine is also very robust and can withstand temperatures of up to -43 degrees Celsius. The wood of the Swiss stone pine has a strong aromatic forest scent. This is why it is often used as furniture and carving wood - or in the kitchen for bread bins and chopping boards.

Swiss stone pine wood can look back on a long tradition in the Alps as furniture and carving wood. Nowadays, products made from Swiss stone pine are also increasingly found in the lowlands due to its antibacterial and calming effect. For example, as a room fragrance or as filling material for comforters and pillows. Swiss stone pine is said to have many positive properties: Among other things, it repels annoying insects such as flies and moths, has a calming and mood-enhancing effect and improves sleep. Researchers have studied Swiss stone pine wood in detail and attribute these properties to the ingredient pinosylvin. Pinosylvin is a chemical compound that occurs as a gas in the heartwood of the Swiss stone pine. This causes the typical Swiss stone pine scent and protects the wood from fungal attack. A Swiss stone pine bread bin therefore not only reliably protects bread from drying out - a Swiss stone pine bread bin also contributes greatly to a pleasant indoor climate and has a calming effect on anyone working in the kitchen.

This is why you should store your bread in a Swiss stone pine bread box

The scent of Swiss stone pine wood creates a pleasant feeling and a good atmosphere in the kitchen. It is also a sustainable alternative to other materials and goes well with any interior design style. But there is much more to this extraordinary wood: as pinosylvin acts as a natural fungal toxin in nature, it has a strong antibacterial effect. This makes Swiss stone pine wood a particularly hygienic material, especially for the kitchen. Chopping boards made of Swiss stone pine have therefore long enjoyed great popularity. The Swiss stone pine bread bin works on the same principle: as it is very difficult for bacteria and mold to settle in the wood, the bread is less susceptible to mold and other bacteria.

A Swiss stone pine bread box is therefore far more hygienic than a plastic or metal bread box. Swiss stone pine wood has even more advantages over plastic and metal. As a natural material, it can breathe and regulate itself. It creates its own climate inside a bread box. This climate creates the best conditions for bread to stay fresh for longer. However, if bread in a bread bin becomes moldy or hard, a bread bin can compensate for this.

How to store bread in a Swiss stone pine bread box

Before the bread goes into the Swiss stone pine bread bin, another question arises: Where is the best place to put the Swiss stone pine bread bin? Does it even matter where a bread bin is placed? The answer is: Yes, it does matter where a Swiss stone pine bread bin is placed! Ideally, the Swiss stone pine bread bin should be free-standing - this means that it does not touch any walls or other kitchen appliances. This allows the bread bin to breathe and the bread inside stays fresh for longer. In small kitchens, where there is not much space available for the bread bin, the general rule is: place the bread bin against the wall rather than the window and against the window rather than next to kitchen appliances. Kitchen appliances such as the stove, steamer and oven cause fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Depending on the time of year, it can also be either very warm or very cold by the window. Neither is ideal for a wooden bread bin.

Once the right place has been found, the bread is placed in the bread bin. It will stay freshest if you wrap it in a cloth or place it in the bakery's paper bag in the bread bin. This prevents the bread from absorbing the taste of the Swiss stone pine. Do not store the bread in a plastic bag. This is because the bread starts to sweat in a plastic bag. The moisture can cause mold. But don't be put off if the bread in a Swiss stone pine bread box becomes moldy or dries out quickly: Swiss stone pine wood must first get used to the climate in your home and adapts better and better to the environment over time.

What to do if bread dries out quickly?

If the bread in your Swiss stone pine bread box dries out quickly, it is because it is too dry in the box. This is usually caused by the room climate - Swiss stone pine wood adapts to the humidity in the room. If you do not find the air in the room itself too dry, it is best to increase the humidity in the bread bin:

• Place a glass of water in the box
• Wipe the box several times a day with a damp cloth (inside and outside)
• Wrap the bread in a damp cloth before placing it in the box
• Close the bread bin properly: Make sure that the lid is fully in place on the bread bin. If the box is not closed properly, moisture can escape and the bread will harden. Despite the perfect climate inside the box.

What to do if bread starts to go moldy?

If fresh bread starts to go moldy quickly, it is probably because the climate in the bread box is too humid. In this case, the bread bin can no longer regulate itself by allowing the wood to breathe. There are two reasons for this: Either the bread or the room climate is too damp. You can compensate for both. First of all, however, it is important that you clean your Arven bread bin carefully. To do this, carefully wipe the entire bread box with acid and water. Vinegar, lemon juice or citric acid are ideal. Dilute the acid with water. Then dry the bread box in the sun. Molds do not like UV radiation. However, the bread bin should not be placed directly in the blazing midday sun - it is best to dry it in the morning or evening. To ensure that your Arven bread bin remains mold-free after cleaning, we have put together a few tips on how to avoid moisture in your bread bin.

• Do not defrost frozen bread in the bread bin
• Only put ready-baked bread in the bread bin
• Do not store your bread in a plastic bag
• Do not put too much bread in the bread bin at once (the lid must lie flat on the bread bin)

If the bread in your bread bin starts to go moldy despite all these tips, the humidity in the room is probably the cause. New bread bins in particular need some time to get used to the room climate - the longer the Swiss stone pine bread bin is in your kitchen, the better the wood will cope with a slightly more humid climate. If the mold doesn't get better after a while, you don't have to buy an expensive dehumidifier straight away: It is enough to place the bread box in the sun from time to time to allow the moisture to escape.

How to keep your Arve lunch box hygienically clean

One of the many advantages of Swiss stone pine is that the wood is less susceptible to bacteria than plastic, for example. Nevertheless, you should give your bread bin some attention and clean it regularly. To do this, remove the crumbs and wipe the wood with a damp cloth. Make sure that the wood does not get too wet: Because too much moisture damages the wood.

A damp cloth is not always enough to get a Swiss stone pine bread bin clean again. This is the case, for example, with fingerprints or splashes that occur during cooking. You can easily remove such stains with a light sandpaper. As a nice side effect, sanding releases a new Swiss stone pine fragrance.