A Survey

While I was making breakfast at home this morning I had an epiphany.  I was taking two pieces of raisin bread from the plastic bag and as I took the pieces out I took out and replaced the heel.  The heel being the end piece of the bread loaf.  I do like the heel on raisin bread and will eat it, toasted and slathered with butter.  I do not, however, eat the heel of white bread.  In fact, I remove it and put it back every time I get bread out of the bag.  Why I do this I truly don't know.  Is it because my Mom did it and I mimick what I saw growing up?  I don't know that I really believe that it helps keep the other pieces fresh so that's not really why. 

It made me wonder, does everybody do this?  Is it one of those "old wives' tales" that the replaced heel keeps the bread fresh?  And does it really?  Are there people who don't do this?  Does somebody out there do the non-wasteful thing and eat the heel on the first sandwich that is made? 

I want to know.  I really, really want to know what it is that you do.  Please leave a comment or email your answer to the question: Do you keep the heel in the bread bag and why or why not?

Most of the people I have asked so far say that they do put the beginning heel back in the bag and most have said that they believe it helps keep the rest of the loaf fresher.

I will post my findings in a later post.  Maybe by then I will also have preformed a test on the freshness theory! 

Thanks in advance!