I've shared it before non-toxic and non-scratch cookware I useAND how do we avoid chemicals in our waterbut I have a lot of questions about how to store food without plastic in the refrigerator freezer.
Containers and plastic bags are normal fare for this and it can be a difficult switch. It's taken me years, but I've finally ditched all of our plastic food storage containers in favor of glass, metal, or silicone options. The bonus here is that most things can go straight into an oven or convection oven to reheat, which minimizes dishes in the long run.
Food storage in the refrigerator
Instead of plastic bags and plastic containers, I now use these to store food in the refrigerator:
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- Glass Mason Jars– Quart and half-gallon sized jars work great for storing things like soups, sauces, gravies, and even leftover casseroles and sides.
- Silicone food storage– I love my collapsible fridge storage containers from Xtrema as they don't take up much cupboard space when not in use and are easy to put in the fridge.
- Glass and silicone storage– Lifeactory makes some great all-glass food storage containers that have a silicone cover to help prevent breakage
- Zip Top Silicone containers are a great alternative and they come in fun colors to use in the kitchen or to use in kids' lunch boxes.
Pyrex glass container with lid– These have plastic lids but are pretty cheap and some of the first containers I got when I made the switch.
I also removed the plastic wrap (plastic and BPA), wax paper and foil (aluminum) when we made the switch and use this instead homemade reusable food wrap by Mommypotamus to cover the cups and dishes in place.
Freezer storage
Finding safe freezer storage options is a bit more difficult because liquids need room to expand when they freeze and glass can be tricky.
I use some of the same stuff in the fridge:
Non-toxic plates, glasses and cups
After we had kids, I wanted to make sure our plates, bowls, and glasses were non-toxic and not plastic. We used first Corelle simple white dishes, but have slowly transitioned to metal containers (which have the added benefit of being unbreakable). In use:
The bonus to all of these options is that they are all dishwasher safe and most are oven safe. We don't use microwavesbut most are also microwave safe.
How do you store food without plastic?
