What do you use to store leftovers in?

Discussion in Food & Drink started by Theo • Aug 29, 2014.

  1. Theo

    TheoWell-Known Member

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    My favorite are the round ziplock containers with the screw top lid as they are a good portion size and are secure. I have some of the square ones, but keeping them stacked up can get messy. I have a few rubbermaid ones too which are good, but can be tough to close.
    My old landlady had pyrex dishes with Lids which were great for the fridge, but not to take out for picnics or for lunch. She had a thing about storing things in plastic containers.
    Alternatively I use old hummus or coleslaw pots to store leftovers.

    What are the best ones you have used?
     
  2. stacyje

    stacyjeActive Member

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    I use plastic containers to store my food and dry goods in. I freeze them in theses containers so that late on I can microwave or thaw them for servings. I use zip lock bags also it just depends on what I type of foods im storing. Those are the only to things that I use is ziplock bags and plastic storage containers. I often use caninsters for my rice and sugar items.
     
  3. Allison2021

    Allison2021Active Member

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    I also continue to store leftovers in plastic containers. However, a few of my friends have switched to glass containers. Recently, I have had to defend my choice of plastic.
    Plastic is easy to use. It cleans well and quickly in the dish washer or washing by hand. It is a light weight that makes it less cumbersome to handle or lift. I can pile them into towers of 3 in my frig without weighing down the refrigerator shelf. Lastly, the lids make the contents airtight and less likely to spoil.
     
  4. akiii123

    akiii123Active Member

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    I usually store the leftovers in the fridge. I prefer to use steel or aluminum utensils to store the leftovers. I think it is not a very good idea to store in plastic container as they start smelling for some reason that is unknown. I have also heard that storing your things in plastic container can make the food react with certain strong chemicals present in the vessel.
    I would like to know about any storage vessel that are completely good and are harmless for storing food.
     
  5. jneanz

    jneanzActive Member

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    I like Tupperware from back in the day but it can get pricey. Rubbermaid has decent products and there are a few disposables that are good for short-term storage. However, I find freezer bags to be the most practical.
     
  6. Theo

    TheoWell-Known Member

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    Yes, I love freezer bags and the dollar store stocks their own versions too now which make them practical to use. I don't see anything wrong with plastic, I know people I have met don't like it, but they still use it because it is more convenient. They don't like plastic containers but will use plastic bags!
    In an ideal world everyone would use glass, but it is expensive and also can be dangerous in the fridge. I have seen flatmates pull out and drop dishes all the time.
    Plastic makes it affordable for everyone to use and also safer.
     
  7. isabbbela

    isabbbelaWell-Known Member

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    I usually use plastic containers, like Tupperware. I have several different sizer and shapes and I use those both to store food on the fridge and the freezer.
     
  8. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

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    We use a mix of Tupperware and plastic containers to store leftovers. Also if it's fried food, they are just kept in a plate and stored inside the ref. We don't really use ziplock containers to store leftovers.
     
  9. prettycolors

    prettycolorsActive Member

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    Since I'm not keeping leftovers for too long some plastic containers I already have in the house are enough. I tend to make something out the leftovers as fast as possible, if kept for too long they loose some of the taste. I'm also under the impression that storing food in plastic containers for too long gives a bad taste/smell. This is why I've been thinking about glass containers, had no bad experience with those.
     
  10. Parker

    ParkerWell-Known Member

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    I safe my leftovers in plastic containers. I still have some Tupperware, but I mostly use the cheaper Glad plastic containers.
     
  11. LuckyGirl08

    LuckyGirl08Active Member

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    I like using containers for left overs or zip lock bags. I barely have left overs in my house but when I do it is not that much.
     
  12. DrRipley

    DrRipleyExpert

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    We just use plastic containers we get from takeout or ones we buy from the grocery. Sometimes I wish we had something more heavy duty but usually leftovers don't last long in our household anyway so I think it's okay that we're just using cheap containers. The most I worry about it how unhealthy it could be but I don't use it that much anyway so I don't worry too much either and I try and make sure if it really is microwave safe before I put it in the microwave.
     
  13. rz3300

    rz3300Active Member

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    Well it really comes down to whatever I have on hand, but usually I have a lot of those tupperware containers that seem to do the trick. If worst comes to worst though I guess a whole lot of freezer bags can do the trick, but those can get a little messy. As long as I have my go to ones that I know will keep food fresh I am good to go.
     
  14. prose

    proseActive Member

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    My favorite storage containers are the glass Pyrex containers with the rubber lids. Unfortunately, the lids disappear in my household (I think my husband leaves them at work).

    Rather than purchasing new lids or new storage containers, I try to reuse containers from grocery store purchases. For example, I will wash and reuse containers from cottage cheese, sour cream, dip, as well as glass jars from pasta sauce, salsa, and pickles.
     
  15. Corzhens

    CorzhensWell-Known Member

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    Some people do not know that rice can be stored in the fridge and re-heated for future use. Leftover rice can also be cooked into fried rice with different garnishings like egg omelet or pork sausage or even hot dogs to make it more palatable. For excess rice, we put it in plastic bag, the transparent one that is used to store meat and fish. Kept in the vegetable section of the fridge, the stored rice can last for more than a week.
     
  16. ohiotom76

    ohiotom76Well-Known Member

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    I mainly use plastic containers for storage, but one of the biggest problems I run into with them is how easily they stain when I store stuff like tomato sauce, carrots, beets, food with turmeric and other bright colors. I've even tried buying plastic container sets which specifically say that they don't stain, but they still did.

    Another problem with the plastic containers is that they scratch easily, which then tends to attract more staining. I mainly use the containers for storing stuff in my fridge and reheating stuff in the microwave, but I would not use them to bring food to a potluck or over someone's house, because they look too "used"

    I've tried buying some glass storage container sets with rubber lids, and they are good for not getting stained. However, they do get really hot when heating stuff up in the microwave. Also, because they are glass, I always have to be careful about them cracking - such as when I take a hot container out of the microwave and set it on a cold counter.