Back when I first moved into an apartment with roommates in college, I was all about the cute little plastic containers with lids that fit all nicely together and cost more than I wanted to pay for them, but I did anyway…….all for food storage. I don’t know why we, as women, (some women, not all!) like these adorable little containers and like to choose which one to use for storing food and leftovers. Well, sometimes they have a great purpose, but most of the time, all you have to do is store your food in a reusable, washable, non-toxic little things called…glass jars.
It took me awhile to fully embrace this, but after reading about how you shouldn’t store your food in some plastic containers, how you definitely shouldn’t warm your food in the microwave in plastic containers, and how you sometimes shouldn’t freeze food in plastic containers, I became confused and ultimately grasped what my wise Mother had been saying for years. Glass jars make great food storage, are easy to wash, fit nicely in the dishwasher and hello! They’re free with the purchase of many food items, such as spaghetti sauce, salsa, jelly, peanut butter, olives, pickles, coconut oil…the list goes on and on. And since we don’t have a place to recycle around here, keeping the glass jars, replacing the questionable plastic containers, and realizing that it super easy and SMART, I am a glass jar storage convert.
I love to make homemade salsa. Homemade salsa is best stored in a jar, like so:
Leftover green beans? Store them in a jar!
Glass jars really don’t take up a ton of room like you would think. And the lids screw nicely on top, so you have many different sizes at your fingertips and you don’t have to go searching for the matching lid!
Here’s the bottom line, and this is *just* my opinion, but here it is, anyway. Glass jars are a) recyclable b) reusable and c) don’t have BPA lining the inside like most cans do. SO if there is an option in your favorite food in a glass jar, choose that over aluminum cans. If it costs more, just remember that you get a cute storage container with your purchase!
And here’s a tip that my jar loving mom shared with me. If you save a pickle jar, let’s say, and it stinks like pickles (of course), just leave the lid off of the top for a few days and the smell will disappear. Don’t throw it away!
taylor swift
Tuesday 15th of September 2015
so helpful
Gena
Tuesday 15th of September 2015
thank you!
JanetGoingCrazy
Thursday 23rd of August 2012
When my son was first eating baby food, I was obsessed (I mean, seriously obsessed) with baby food jars. I washed them all and saved them for (what?!?!) something... I don't know where they are now, probably trashed at some point, but I never would have thought to use them for leftovers. I am soooo doing this now! Although, I will have to use different jar because I don't have a baby. I'll find some somewhere!
Heidi @MamaNibbles
Wednesday 22nd of August 2012
I love using glass jars that old canning lids will fit onto, saves money and they are safe.
Grammy
Wednesday 22nd of August 2012
Thanks for the tribute, Gena. Also, after I saved jars until I realized that I had way too many and needed to discard some, I picked out the ones that stacked nicely in the cabinet and fridge and recycled the others, being sure to save some in several sizes. It is good that some of the jars have lids the same size as regular canning jars, so if the lids rust from accidentally leaving them in water too long, I can always purchase new lids and rings. I especially like it when I can buy plastic replacement lids because they won't rust. Or I can just wait until I have a new lid from another food item, save the lid and recycle the jar, keeping my clean, label-free jar. One last advantage to the jars, I can see the contents better, so I can use those leftovers before they ruin in the fridge.