A recent study of over 5,000 American households found that Americans throw away almost 70 percent of the food they buy. When asked why they waste food, survey participants cited spoilage as the number one reason. If you’re interested in some techniques that may help you save money by wasting less food, read on. We’ve compiled some simple ideas to help you better utilize plastic food storage containers.
1. Freezer-proof storage bags: these special plastic food storage containers are sealed against freezer-burn. Freezer-burn is a nasty chemical process that dehydrates your food and makes it develop an “off” taste while stored in sub-zero temperatures. These special bags keep your food the same as the day you bought it - for up to three years!
2. Breathable vegetable bags: this is a new item on the market that is designed especially for fruits and vegetables. They work by sealing your fruits and veggies against spoilage while allowing a small amount of air circulation inside the bag. This tends to keep them fresh for much longer than conventional plastic food storage containers - depending on the produce, up to six weeks.
3. Multi-compartment plastic food storage containers: these plastic containers are great for small amounts of leftovers, homemade broth, fruits and veggies, and just about anything else you can think of. They are especially handy because you can pop one “cube” of frozen food out at a time, making serving leftovers a breeze. Freeze individual cubes of fruit for smoothies or broth for soups.
4. Vacuum food storage has several advantages, from taking up less freezer space to extending the storage time with great quality. Air causes foods to become stale or spoil, and removing it using special bags and a special vacuum machine reduces volume and keeps foods fresh much longer than any other method. Special attachments allow you to remove air from your plastic food storage containers as well. Vacuum storage not only takes less space in the freezer but also protects against the damage of freezer burn.
Special food storage containers address various concerns like lack of storage space in your refrigerator or freezer, wastage of money by throwing food or just enabling you to keep your food fresher for longer. Achieve long term food storage by storing your grocery for much longer in these special containers designed for the purpose and avoid having to throw your food into the garbage.
The number one reason cited for this unbelievable waste was food spoilage. We’ve put together a list of ways you can use plastic food storage containers to help control food waste and save money. With vacuum food storage comes several advantages, from taking up less freezer space to extending the storage time with great quality. Are you tired of throwing away food that turned bad before you had a chance to use it? It is time to use your refrigerator and freezer to extend the life of your groceries and for long term food storage.
- Robin Holland-Smith