My first experience with Bimbo bread came when we began cruising in Mexico. In every grocery store — and tiny tienda — it was the predominant brand of bread. So I bought it.
And I learned that Bimbo must have been created especially for cruisers. It just doesn’t get moldy. I’ve kept loaves for three and four weeks — just in a gear hammock — before opening them. Even opened, I’ve rarely had any mold. And we were in some pretty hot climates — Sea of Cortez in the summer, El Salvador in the rainy season.
Pretty much every cruiser I know in Mexico and Central America used Bimbo bread, despite all of us making jokes about what might be in it.
And about a year ago, I heard that friends were finding Bimbo in Florida . . . and it kept just as well as they remembered from Mexico. I meant to write a post about it for the readers who are in Florida, but sort of forgot to. Oops.
Then, about a week ago, I was in a grocery store that I don’t often shop in and it carried Bimbo. Okay, if Bimbo has made it to farm towns in Illinois, it must be pretty mainstream in the US now.
As store-bought bread goes, Bimbo seems to be pretty much on a par with other mass-market brands. There’s white and whole wheat. The taste is pretty much like any other sandwich bread. It just lasts a lot longer, making it great if you’re going to be away from stores for a while.
And sometimes, they have cool premiums, like when they gave away models of a couple dozen different Bimbo trucks — cruisers kept collections and it turned out that this one was fairly rare (the one of a Bimbo semi was the rarest). It was the middle of summer when only a couple dozen boats are actively cruising the Sea of Cortez, and people would actually report on the radio net the new models they’d found. Okay, there wasn’t a lot else going on.
So, has Bimbo made it to your store?
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Ben Eriksen says
The bread may last a long time, but you will not if you eat it.
First Last says
Yes Ben, as well as the varied “carton” milk here in MX. I am a former cruiser, living in MX. My first thought is, there has to be plenty of preservatives to keep that mold at bay.
Matthew Manninen on Facebook says
Food that is BAD for you!!!
Gil Lhotka says
Bimbo has exoanded in the US buying smaller refional brands. In Texas they boight Mrs. Bairds. I will get some and see if it also lasts as long. Wondering if it is the same recipe everywhere?
Carolyn Shearlock says
Yes, they’ve bought lots of smaller brands. The ones labelled as “Bimbo” and NOT also labelled with another brand are the ones that last longer — they seem to be the same recipe as the Bimbo breads found in Mexico and Central America.
Edd rauch says
I know they are they are in the San Francisco Bay area. I haven’t seen it on a local shelf but I see their trucks from time to time on the freeway. I guess I will have to follow the next one I see. Also I have found very good luck in breads from places like The Grocery Outlet who seem to buy like surplus stock as their main trade, and the Dollar Store Which does the same thing. I think they purposely carry brands with a long shelf life for the smaller turn over verses the supermarkets that pride themselves on the “Made fresh daily” thing.
Peggy says
Bimbo is in Pensacola/Gulf Breeze stores… Walmart carries it here, so I bet it is everywhere now! We bake our own bread at home, but it doesn’t stay fresh on the boat… so Bimbo goes sailing with us.
Candy Kiesel / St. Somewhere says
We just got back to our boat in Marathon, and I went to the local Publix last night. I saw a loaf of bread that had a sticker on the end of the bag that said baked by Bimbo in USA I was wondering if anyone has tried this and if it lasts as long as the original. Thanks!
Susie H says
Bimbo Thins are great for long trips – ready sliced through flats of bread 8 to a pack, keep for ever (well beyond the use by date) and quite tasty. Popular with the whole crew on our recent transatlantic.
Leigh Ann Bishop Long says
What chemical makes it last forever? Pass.
Adam says
Leigh, EVERYTHING is made of “chemicals” . . . Including your body. Everything you can see, everything you eat & drink are all chemicals ( yes, even water). Just because you can’t pronounce it doesn’t make it bad.
The Sea and Sailors says
Bimbo bread? Ha ha 😉
Roland Falkenstein says
No baked good should last forever – sorry!
Taunya says
I don’t know if you’re able to find this outside the Pac NW, but Dave’s Killer bread is organic, and filled with lots of nuts and whole grains – but for whatever reason, it does not mold. Now, I haven’t tried it in the tropics, but even in our hot summers here, I have left it out for weeks and no mildew. I can’t find anything in the ingredients to account for it not molding, but a google search showed I’m not the only one who’s noticed this. Here in Oregon, we can get it at Costco.
Vivienne says
Bimbo bread has been around in Spain, Europe since the 1970s
Victor Diabo says
Hi,
Up here in Quebec we get a bread that is made with potatoes and it tastes the same as regular bread. The only thing different is that it seems to last a very long time without getting moldy or stale. It also seems to be soft and fresh even after one whole week. So far the longest we ever had a left over loaf was two weeks and it was still very good. I hope this was helpful.
Maryann Tillson says
It’s at the Kroger in Galveston, Texas. Thought about buying it a couple times, but always opted for my regular brand. What the heck, I’ll give it a try!
Jeremy says
Bimbo is the company that bought Hostess, and saved the twinkie from disappearing forever. Maybe that’s why their bread lasts forever.
Lynn Sterud says
The preservative listed in the ingredients of Bimbo Bread is calcium proprionate. This has been studied extensively and has been found to be safe.
https://www.verywell.com/calcium-propionate-keeps-bread-and-baked-goods-fresh-2506580
Susan Parker says
We found that Arnold Potato Bread last a long, long time. We’ve used it for years and are still alive!
Ryan says
I have some bimbo bread here with an expiration date of Feb 11 2008, 13 years ago, and there’s no mold or bad smell, it’s as soft as fresh bread and taste good. How is that possible?
Tony says
We haveBimbo bread here on Long Islan, NY And it’s a runnning joke in our home how it never seems to get moldy. Lol
Ryan says
I’m eating it now, exp date of Feb 11 2008, no mold, soft as fresh bread. Taste fine. I will probably be dead by tomorrow.
Carolyn Shearlock says
LOL!