I don’t know that I agree that breadboxes were solely used in times/cases where the risk of mice getting to the bread was present but I get your reasoning.
How else to store real bread?
So not just the sandwich/toast bread, that comes in plastic bags, but real bread, with a crust and in plastic wrap it would lose its crust, but without any protection, it dries out.
It’s a delicate balance act, where paper and a bread box seem to work best
I have never in my entire life seen an actual bread box, I thought they were a thing from England or something
My grandma used one. Personally I think the real function was to keep mice from eating your bread, but that hasn’t been a problem for a long time.
https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/did-you-know-history/did-you-know-breadboxes-really-did-help-keep-bread-fresh
To be fair, you originally said, “the real reason,” but have just listed three different equal reasons.
Bread can’t go stale if the mice keep eating it. There’s an order of operations here.
I don’t know that I agree that breadboxes were solely used in times/cases where the risk of mice getting to the bread was present but I get your reasoning.
As with many things it starts for one reason, then a different benefit comes up, becomes a norm just because, then peters out.
How else to store real bread?
So not just the sandwich/toast bread, that comes in plastic bags, but real bread, with a crust and in plastic wrap it would lose its crust, but without any protection, it dries out.
It’s a delicate balance act, where paper and a bread box seem to work best
I think most people just leave it in the plastic bag, but personally I have a bread bag that breathes so the crust doesn’t become spongey
English here. Anyone I know with a bread box use it in combination with one of the others. I have one, so we’re Bread Box + Twist and Tuck.
They’re pretty common here in Sweden, at least in my experience.