Slaying the Plastic Dragon - Storing Food - Day 11

Some of these ideas I came up with on my own and some I gleaned from Plastic Free.

These are my best friends.

1)  I use canned pet food for my dog and three cats. That's a lot of cans to go through in a week.  I have two too many pets.  One cat was dumped on me not once but twice!   The other was due to youngest daughter pleading for her own pet and me being too softhearted to say no.  To cover the cans in the fridge I use aluminum foil that I reuse over and over again until it is falling apart.  I used to just throw it away then, however, even though my curbside collection won't take it, I've discovered that my county will.  So I am saving it up and taking it to the recycling center along with big cardboard boxes.

2)  For leftovers:  reuse plastic containers you already have.  I've got a couple of these hanging around.  I never was one to remember to save and reuse these though, simply because I felt like they never got clean enough and I'd lose the lids.  I toss them into the recycling but the more I learn the less I trust that they are actually getting recycled.  Actually, there is no recycling in plastic, just downcycling.

3) Put food into a bowl and cover with plate.  This has the added incentive of making you not forget about that leftover since you probably are going to miss that plate and bowl eventually!  Likewise if you use a pot with a lid or a casserole dish with a lid.

4) Use Ball canning jars for leftovers and for freezing.  You can find these at most grocery stores, Target, etc.   Just don't put hot food into a jar and then immediately put into the freezer.  Refrigerate first to completely cool and then freeze.  Never fill the glass jar to the top.  Leave an inch or more for expansion.  I have frozen homemade chicken broth successfully in these jars.

5)  If you've got the disposable income, you can buy a nice stainless steel container or two from Life Without Plastic.  These are an investment; they are pricey but I expect it to last for years and years.  These are great for freezing meat.  I just got one and this is what I am using to store my meat in when in the freezer.


6)  You can try out some of the beeswax wraps that are reusable and washable.  This seems like a pretty pricey alternative.  Apparently, you can make your own, if you are inclined that way and have the time!

The only downside is my tin is too big to store in the cupboards and I can't stand having a Christmas themed tin sitting on my counter all year long.  I'm trying to brainstorm for a solution!

7) For dry foods (trail mix, rice, etc) old tins that cookies and popcorn come in.  If they are rusty, you can line with an old clean pillow case or paper from a paper bag.  I've been keeping my bread in an old tin; the bread is either in a paper bag or a cloth bag.  This keeps the bread fresh for days.

8)  Wax paper baggies.  I got some at Whole Foods.  I pack a lunch for my daughter every Tuesday when she attends our homeschool co-op.  We reuse an old insulated plastic lunch bag that zips.  I think she's used it since she was 8 or so (she's now 15).  I bought it for when she attended a regular music summer camp where she needed to bring her lunch.  I use wax paper bags for things like raisins, carrot sticks, cookies.  She's not much of a sandwich person, so usually I put some cheese cubes in a small widemouth thermos.  I used to always put a paper napkin in but I just realized she's bringing the lunch bag back with her so I started putting an old cloth napkin in we had.  I can compost the wax paper bags and wash the napkin.  No waste!  One box of these is going to last me a while.

9)  The hardest thing for me is to store fresh greens, lettuces, spinach etc in the fridge without plastic.  Here is a list of how to store fresh veggies without plastic.