How to Make Seasoned Breadcrumbs
I'm sure you're wondering why I'd bother to write a whole post about breadcrumbs, but would you believe there are still people buying them, and paying a fortune for flavoured breadcrumbs, or fresh breadcrumbs?
Breadcrumbs would be one of the easiest food preservation methods. Basically you take your bread (preferably stale or the crusts that no one will eat that would normally go to the chooks or *shudder* be tossed) and dry them.
Now there are so many ways this can be done.
During winter I put the bread ends on a cake rack and sit it on top of the wood heater. I flip the bread as I walk past if I think of it. The bread will be dry through overnight.
In summer, when it is blazing hot, I put the bread on a cake rack and sit it in the sun. I use a tulle food cover to keep the bugs off. If it's really hot, in the 30s, the bread dries through in a couple of hours. If it's not quite as hot, as long as it is in direct sunlight, it will dry before nightfall.
Another no cost method is to simply put the bread in a single layer on a cake rack, cover it with a tea towel and leave it for 2 - 3 days to dry. The time will depend on the temperature and the humidity.
Or you can use the oven. Put the bread on a cake rack and set it onto a biscuit sheet (this is just to catch any crumbs that might fall to the oven floor and burn). If the oven has been on, just close the door and leave the bread overnight. If the oven hasn't been on, set the temperature to 100 degrees Celsius, leave it 20 minutes, turn it off and leave the bread overnight.
Once the bread has dried right through, it will snap as you break it, you can either grate it, or whizz it in the food processor, or crumble it with your fingers to make bread crumbs. Easy!
So there are three free ways to make breadcrumbs and one that will cost about 21 cents.
Breadcrumbs would be one of the easiest food preservation methods. Basically you take your bread (preferably stale or the crusts that no one will eat that would normally go to the chooks or *shudder* be tossed) and dry them.
Now there are so many ways this can be done.
During winter I put the bread ends on a cake rack and sit it on top of the wood heater. I flip the bread as I walk past if I think of it. The bread will be dry through overnight.
In summer, when it is blazing hot, I put the bread on a cake rack and sit it in the sun. I use a tulle food cover to keep the bugs off. If it's really hot, in the 30s, the bread dries through in a couple of hours. If it's not quite as hot, as long as it is in direct sunlight, it will dry before nightfall.
Another no cost method is to simply put the bread in a single layer on a cake rack, cover it with a tea towel and leave it for 2 - 3 days to dry. The time will depend on the temperature and the humidity.
Or you can use the oven. Put the bread on a cake rack and set it onto a biscuit sheet (this is just to catch any crumbs that might fall to the oven floor and burn). If the oven has been on, just close the door and leave the bread overnight. If the oven hasn't been on, set the temperature to 100 degrees Celsius, leave it 20 minutes, turn it off and leave the bread overnight.
Once the bread has dried right through, it will snap as you break it, you can either grate it, or whizz it in the food processor, or crumble it with your fingers to make bread crumbs. Easy!
So there are three free ways to make breadcrumbs and one that will cost about 21 cents.
And really, it couldn’t be any easier to MOO a batch of breadcrumbs. Save the bread ends in the freezer until you're ready to make breadcrumbs.
Once you've made a batch you can either leave them plain, or season them.
To make Italian style breadcrumbs add 1 tsp mixed or Italian herbs per 2 cups breadcrumbs.
To make garlic flavoured breadcrumbs add 1/2 tsp garlic granules per 2 cups breadcrumbs (you can add more if you want a stronger flavour).
To make parmesan breadcrumbs add 2 tbsp grated parmesan per 2 cups breadcrumbs. Now, if you are putting the breadcrumbs in the pantry, use the dehydrated parmesan off the supermarket shelf. If you are going to use them straight away, use fresh parmesan from the fridge. Either way, the parmesan lifts the breadcrumbs from plain to delicious.
You can buy 500g breadcrumbs for $4 or you can save the bread no one will eat and make them as you need them for zero cost (and yes, I say zero cost because the cost of the bread was counted when it was bought).
They are so easy to make. Seriously, don’t buy them, save your bread ends and use up the stale bread and MOO breadcrumbs.
Once you've made a batch you can either leave them plain, or season them.
To make Italian style breadcrumbs add 1 tsp mixed or Italian herbs per 2 cups breadcrumbs.
To make garlic flavoured breadcrumbs add 1/2 tsp garlic granules per 2 cups breadcrumbs (you can add more if you want a stronger flavour).
To make parmesan breadcrumbs add 2 tbsp grated parmesan per 2 cups breadcrumbs. Now, if you are putting the breadcrumbs in the pantry, use the dehydrated parmesan off the supermarket shelf. If you are going to use them straight away, use fresh parmesan from the fridge. Either way, the parmesan lifts the breadcrumbs from plain to delicious.
You can buy 500g breadcrumbs for $4 or you can save the bread no one will eat and make them as you need them for zero cost (and yes, I say zero cost because the cost of the bread was counted when it was bought).
They are so easy to make. Seriously, don’t buy them, save your bread ends and use up the stale bread and MOO breadcrumbs.