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What fabrics to use for fabric painting?

Food-safe fabric for a bread bag

  • What material to make a reusable bread bag (that keeps it from drying out)? I've never been described as an environmentalist - I know I am not as "green" as some people, but one thing I feel strongly about is I don't like being wasteful. As far as the kitchen goes, I tend to avoid using plastic bags, cling wrap or foil if I can use a reusable container instead. (Yes, I know that washing the items also has an environmental cost, but that isn't the topic of this question.) I've recently started baking my own sandwich bread and am not sure what to keep the loaf in. I tried a bag that was specifically labeled as a "bread bag" made out of some bamboo fabric that did absolutely nothing, as the crust (and the cut end) got dry within a few hours of being in the bag (and I made sure it was closed tightly). And that was from just sitting on the counter - I'm likely going to keep my homemade loaves in the freezer, because that's what I've always done with the store-bought stuff - DH and I don't go through it fast enough before it gets moldy. I'm thinking I may have to buy some fabric and make my own, but I'm not sure what to use. I guess I need some kind of coated fabric that will keep the air out (and the moisture in). Apparently a lot of people are into making homemade "sandwich bags" and "snack bags" etc. so I found a lot of discussion online about various fabrics to use. But now I'm even more confused because there seems to be a lot of disagreement about what is/isn't food safe. Here's what I've found so far: rip-stop nylon - OK to use if the shiny, coated side is away from food Polyurethane coated nylon - OK to use, but apparently hard to find? PUL fabric - not considered food safe by FDA - Others say it's OK to use if the shiny, coated side faces away from food Oilcloth - what's sold as "oilcloth" is some kind of vinyl coating that's unsafe, but "homemade" oil cloth is better - Others say that purchased oilcloth is OK Can anyone comment on what they think I should be using, or any other types of fabric that you can recommend? Thanks.

  • Answer:

    For what it's worth, bread bags (like the bamboo one or the paper ones they come in at the store) are intentionally breathable. Yes, the bread will dry out faster than if it were in an airtight container, but you can eat dry bread. You can't eat moldy bread. So that's the reasoning behind that. My personal solution for this is a gallon-size ziplock bag and the freezer. I realize you're looking for a not-a-ziplock solution, but I've been using the same ziplock bag solely for storing bread in the freezer for at least a year now.

LaurenIpsum at Ask.Metafilter.Com Visit the source

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This is the recipe: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/king-arthurs-classic-white-sandwich-bread-recipe It's not quite as squishy as Wonder Bread, but it was fairly soft and fine-crumbed, at least enough for DH's taste. King Arthur Flour has several sandwich bread recipes here: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/yeast-breads-and-rolls/sandwich-and-loaf-breads . There's a recipe there called "White Sandwich Bread" that calls for potato flakes as part of the recipe, so I'm thinking of trying that one too.

LaurenIpsum

http://ask.metafilter.com/159442/We-can-only-consume-SO-MANY-croutons and now when we bake bread we wrap it in a towel and store it in the microwave oven. It keeps a little longer and stays soft. We actually so rarely use the microwave for anything other than a timer we now refer to it as the Electric Breadbox.

bibliogrrl

I am seconding rebeccabeagle. We rinse and reuse plastic freezer bags like there's no tomorrow, and we buy a new box maybe every two years at most. That feels more environmentally appropriate to me than buying some super-high-tech fabric that probably won't work as well. Most "bread bags" you buy are, indeed, designed to keep bread dry, so they won't help you in your quest to keep it from drying out in the freezer.

Sidhedevil

I'm with pjaust - my bread lives on the counter (cut-side down on a wooden cutting board, to be exact). Hasn't gotten moldy yet. Agree with maybe making smaller loaves? Or if the recipe is hard to scale, just be open to letting it go. Homemade bread is amazingly cheap, and by being free on the counter, it takes a good while to mold, since you're not trapping moisture in. So maybe rethink it as you've got your money's worth out of that loaf, time to make a new one!

spinturtle

I've never had bread stay fresh at the end. That's why I cut the heel off and keep it for use as a cap on the end. Given the speed with which mold can develop on bread I'm no sure I'd put much faith in using anything reusable for it.

wkearney99

We get ice cream in these plastic gallon buckets, then we hang on to the buckets once they're empty and use them for all kinds of things. One of the things I use them for is storing homemade bread. It does go moldy if we don't eat it fast enough, but it certainly does not get stale. I'd think anything with a lid that seals would work, and you could probably find something like Tupperware that is more like the shape of the bread.

galadriel

Lauren, we have the same sandwich bread/toast issue, and I finally found a 5x5 pan that cuts down on waste a lot! MeMail me if you want and I'll see if I can dig up the ordering info.

cyndigo

(sorry about the slight derail...) Would you mind sharing the recipe that your husband approves of? The biggest reason I don't make more homemade bread is because I like the soft squishy texture of store-bought. I'll try the potato flakes tip, but an approved recipe would be great. Thanks.

CathyG

This has nothing to do with bags, but if you'll add two or three tablespoons of instant mashed potatoes to one of the cups of flour in the bread, it will keep the bread softer 'way longer... Just spoon the potato flakes into the measuring cup, then fill it up with the flour. Enjoy!

northernlightgardener

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