This tip is one of those headsmackingly* simple ideas.
In my freezer I keep 2 gallon zipper style freezer bags. Whenever I have any crumbs left-bread crumbs on the cutting board they get tossed in there. Some examples of crumb sources: crumbs left on the cutting board after cutting my homemade bread, the crumbs left in the bottom of the chip bag that are too small to eat, a few crackers that have gotten a bit state because SOMEONE didn’t fold down the little plastic bag inside the cardboard cracker box, the dregs of the cereal box, leftover graham crackers etc.
I simply keep the savories (crackers, bread, chips) separate from the sweets (cereal, cookies, graham crackers).
Now I never buy bread crumbs-instead I’m using something that I would have thrown away. It’s like getting FREE breadcrumbs! When I need to, I just reach into the freezer and use my savory crumbs. So what if the crumbs I use in my meatloaf are part potato chips, part bread heels and part cheese its? It just adds extra flavor!
And the sweet crumbs can be used to make “graham cracker crumb” style crusts, mixed with a bit of butter & sugar for use on top of apple crisp etc, or used in muffins in place of part of the flour (I’d only do this with 1/4 of the flour or less).
*Note: you know, one of those things where you smack yourself on the head and say “doh! Why did I never think of that?”
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
It shouldn’t take me too long to fill a bag. I always said I must be a crumb magnet and attracting everyone elses because there is no way one person can make as much crumby mess as me.
I do something similar – I freeze the heels of my bread and when I get 6-8 of them, I make crumbs in my food processor, bake them to dry them out and re-freeze them for later.
I’m glad I’m not the only one!
When I posted about saving the pound cake crumbs, a few people thought I was a little nuts.
But those brown crunchy poundcake crumbs make the BEST ice cream topping!
l used to bake all our bread when my kids were young, mixed whole grain. l’d bake 8 loaves at at time, in cleaned and seasoned juice cans (pre-bread machine days!). This gave us lovely round slices with a crusty muffin like top. After they cooled l’d slice most of them and freeze. All the crumbs were collected and frozen, the best bread crumbs l’ve ever had!
And as an aside, my Brittish Granny always said “Crumbs!” as an expression of surprise
What a great idea!
Even an old dog can learn new tricks-
I already do this for the savory, but it never occurred to me to do it for the sweet.
Thanks so much for the tip!
dawn
Meredith-you are not nuts!
Everyone else-hope this is as useful to you as it has been to me! My Salmon loaf with my savory crumbs came out fantastic. . .