First Posted: 5/14/2014
Food storage containers can be great tools for kitchen helpers or they can be a nightmare. Often, one of the jobs of the kitchen helpers is to clear the table and put away any leftovers. It’s seems to be the easier job for even small folks. However, it can be a nightmare.
Finding the right lid or the right bottom without them flying out of the cupboard is a common sight in our home. Recently, though I went through and tossed those that had aged slightly stained or just didn’t have a match top or bottom.
Choosing the proper food storage containers is important both for food safety and food quality. We all want to keep leftovers safe, however sometimes convenience and price come into play. Take home containers are convenient and free as they come from take out or take home restaurant meals. Take-out or take home food containers, however, are not designed to be reused or reheated. They are designed to only store the food in the refrigerator.
Food safety experts warn us not to reuse porous packaging materials such as paper, paperboard, and expanded foams (for example, Styrofoam cups and foam meat trays). These containers have air spaces that will harbor food particles and microorganisms. We think that when we wash these containers and remove all the food particles that they are safe to reuse. They are not! Microorganisms are very small and we cannot see them without a microscope.
Food storage containers that can be safely heated are labeled as such. Read the packaging of newly-purchased food storage containers. Some can be safely heated in a microwave, others are meant to store only cold foods.
Glass can be reused for all foods and for all processes. This is true regardless of what food was originally packaged in the glass container. There is an exception to this rule: single-use glass jars should not be used for pressure processing in the home canner. The lid or cover, however, can only touch foods that it was originally made for. For instance, a pickle jar cover can be used to make a salad dressing as they both contain vinegar.
What containers do you store food in? Are they containers which were designed to be reused or use to reheat foods in? Take inventory of your food containers to ensure that your kitchen helpers do the best job possible.
Here is a recipe which uses leftover rice. Store the rice in the proper food container.
Rice and Barley Salad
1 cup whole grain rice- leftover or cooked
1 cup cooked barley- see directions below
½ cup of chopped green pepper
½ cup sliced ripe olives
¼ cup of sliced cherry tomato
Dressing: 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or 2 tsp dried
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup of olive oil
Combine rice, barley, pepper, olives and tomatoes. Wisk together vinegar, basil, green onion, garlic, pepper and oil. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate until chilled. Yield: 4-6 servings.
How to cook barley: In medium saucepan with lid bring water to a boil. Add barley and return to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 45 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed. Enjoy
