Save the money you spend on store-bought bread crumbs by making your own at home.

Leftover hunks of bread made without preservatives tend to harden after a day or two, so they make good candidates for pulverizing into bread crumbs in a blender or food processor.

Softer supermarket sandwich loaves will require drying in a 225-degree oven for about 10 minutes before slices become hard enough to pulse into dry crumbs.

Store bread crumbs in an airtight container or food storage bag for up to two weeks at room temperature or 2 months in the freezer.