When you’re shopping for food, it can be fun to experiment with new foods and try them out. However, if you have a large amount of food that you don’t know what to do with, or if you simply have trouble finding storage space in your kitchen or refrigerator, you may need to know more about bottled and jarred packaged goods. There are plenty of ways to make the most of your space, whether you have an entire pantry of canned goods or just limited cabinet space in your kitchen. Here are 8 creative ways to store food in jars and bottles!
Table of Contents
1) How to DIY glass storage containers
Determine how many jars and bottles you will need for your recipe. If you are storing a one-to-one ratio of food to glass, simply use an empty jar or bottle with a lid that is the same size as your food item. 2. Place lids inside water while they are still hot from cooking and let them soak until they cool down to prevent any cracking due to sudden temperature change. 3.
2) What you need
Just a few household items that you already have around. If you don’t have some of these, check your local dollar store for little jars and containers that you can re-purpose for food storage. I’ve listed some of my favorites below. You can also search Amazon for things like mason jar salad dressing sets, salad kits, containers with dividers, etc. Here are some items that you might find helpful
3) Tips on how to use these jars
While these jars are perfect for storing almost anything, think outside of their traditional role. Try using them as a centerpiece at your next dinner party or fill them with candy and tie them with ribbon as a cute hostess gift. It’s not just storage that makes these jars special; they also make amazing decor pieces that can be used in multiple ways.
4) Ideas for storing liquids
If you’re looking for creative ways to store food, why not put it in bottles? Whether you have pickling juice leftover from last week’s pork loin or leftover wine, these tips will teach you how to repurpose them into storage containers. All of these containers work best with airtight tops, which are available at most cooking stores.
5) Ideas for dry foods
Dry foods are a great addition to any storage plan. They’re not just inexpensive, but they’re also easy to access when you need them. Many dry goods come in cans or plastic containers, which make for convenient storage, but bottle and jar work well, too.
6) Things not to store
Don’t store foods that are highly perishable, such as meats, dairy products, fresh vegetables, or fresh fruits. These foods should be stored in a refrigerator or freezer instead. Don’t put hot food into glass jars—the glass can break from thermal shock when it cools down rapidly. You can also accidentally crack your jar or bottle if you attempt to force food into it by banging or tapping on it.
7) Keeping it fresh with herbs & spices
You’ve probably heard that you can extend the shelf life of fresh herbs by placing them in a glass of water and covering them with a plastic bag. This is true, but it doesn’t actually add moisture to your fresh herbs, which can dry out within days. Instead, create a homemade natural preservative by filling an empty jar or bottle halfway with water and adding as many whole cloves as you like.
8) Why these are great gifts
Both glass bottles and jars can be reused time and again, provided you store foods that don’t need much light. Not only will your leftovers look better preserved, but you’ll also be sending food storage containers back through your recycling loop—thereby diverting materials from landfills.
