7 Excellent Tricks for Extending the Life of Your Meals Storage Containers
Tracking down—and maintaining—a set of airtight, sturdy, and stain-absolutely free foods storage containers feels like an extremely hard endeavor for lots of, specifically individuals who meal prep. Soon after all, how quite a few of us have thrown in the towel and submitted to skirmishing absent a smaller mountain of mismatched ex-takeout containers in area of the real deal?
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However, individuals flimsy plastic containers and lids aren’t just all set to rain down from your cabinet and smite you, avalanche-design they are also not airtight, which means they are ineffective at preserving your meals refreshing for as long as possible. (And crucial protection reminder: Lots of takeout containers are neither microwave nor dishwasher protected, which suggests unsafe BPA could leach from the plastic into your food stuff if you decide on to aggressively heat them irrespective).
The good news? So prolonged as you observe the good protocol, retaining a top quality set of plastic or glass food items storage containers in good form is tremendous straightforward. Confident, you could close up accomplishing a little bit additional hand washing, but believe in me: It is worth not having to keep every little thing in a stack of tomato sauce-stained containers (or even worse, possessing to toss out a week’s really worth of wonderfully prepped dishes thanks to premature expiration). Come across our most loved meals storage containers here, then observe the fuss-no cost upkeep etiquette beneath.
Make confident your containers are microwave protected.
This is value mentioning all over again, as heating plastic containers that aren’t labeled “microwave safe” is unsafe. Microwave security is also a attribute a lot of have a tendency to think applies to all storage containers, which only is not the case. Just before you prepare dinner or reheat just about anything in the microwave, make sure to look at the container’s packaging for the label, which is regulated by the U.S. Foods and Drug Administration (Fda). According to the Fda, “You really should not use some plastic containers because heated food items can bring about them to melt. The Fda endorses applying glass, ceramic, and plastic containers labeled for microwave oven use.”
…But plate leftovers before microwaving them in any case.
Even if you are sure your food items storage containers are technically harmless to go in the microwave, transferring leftovers (especially vivid, remarkably acidic and/or fatty food items like spaghetti and meatballs) will keep your valuable containers from finding completely stained or degraded. Plating leftovers in advance of you reheat them is a good way to ensure your container’s good quality stays intact. Of class, if your container is glass, you are in the clear—just make guaranteed take away the plastic lid.
Spritz the container with a light-weight coating of cooking spray.
Here’s a a little bit astonishing hack for protecting against stains on plastic containers: Spray a light coating of cooking oil on the within of the container just before you fill it with food. Even if you are storing the most saucy, soupy of leftovers, the oil kinds a skinny barrier amongst the plastic and the food stuff that will help repel future staining.
Make confident they are dishwasher safe and sound, and use the prime rack only.
Again, examine those labels—and only thoroughly clean containers in the dishwasher that are evidently marked “dishwasher harmless.” The superior heat of the appliance can essentially lead to lids to warp (goodbye, restricted seal) even if they are dishwasher safe and sound, so think about hand washing your most treasured plastic containers regardless. But in a pinch, toss them on the prime rack of the dishwasher only—the base rack is nearer to the heating factor, which indicates it is extra likely to melt your plastic.
Give containers a fast rinse as quickly as you vacant them.
Just like your cookware and meal plates, the for a longer period you enable foods sit and dry in a food storage container, the extra tough it is to clean up it—and the additional probably it is that you will see your roasted veggie remnants stain the area for months to occur. As quickly as you spoon leftovers onto a serving dish, give the container a rinse with warm drinking water (and improved still, soap).
Take out stains with bleach, and odors with baking soda.
If you do place stains on your plastic containers, only soak them in a bleach solution—we advise 1 tablespoon bleach for every cup of heat water—for 30 minutes. Make guaranteed to absolutely deal with the plastic with the alternative as they soak, then totally wash and rinse the container in hot, sudsy h2o as soon as they’re performed. For lingering odors, wipe the exterior with a sponge that has been flippantly dusted with baking soda, then wash nicely.
Admit when it’s time to exchange your established.
Even the very best of the most effective storage containers will not very last for good. The moment you notice any indicators of degradation or warping, toss them in the recycling bin and get yourself a new set. You could also take into consideration creating the swap from plastic to glass storage containers, which have a substantially for a longer time lifespan (come across the most effective glass picks right here).
