I was wondering if any of you have ever done a cost comparison on which product is the least expensive to use for leftovers: aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or plastic storage bags? I use the store brand or generic of each of the above, as well as, generic storage containers (like Tupperware) with lids, Corningware, and canning jars, knowing these are the least costly, as well as more environmentally-friendly; however, when those are not an option, which is cheapest to use, foil, plastic wrap, or plastic storage bags?
By Marla from MO
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Margarine tubs are going to be even cheaper than any bags you can buy. I buy the 1 kg tubs which are obviously bigger, but sometimes the smaller ones are handy too. Plus they stack easily in the freezer too. :)
I think it depends what purpose it is being used for. For example, I like gallon size freezer bags to store ground beef when I buy a large amount at one time. I can put enough meat in the bag and flatten it out and it takes up less space in the deep freeze and thaws out faster.
This is an interesting question, "mom from Mo" but I agree that a lot of the answers depend upon circumstances; the kind of food being stored, whether it is intended for long term or short term storage, and what works best for your needs.
Personally, I fight with plastic wrap so much (getting it off the roll without accidentally folding it into unusable dimensions) that I don't find it all that wonderful on a regular basis. Plastic bags are more than decent for short term storage but then again these can fail if the seal gets soiled or if it doesn't get sealed or zipped correctly.
Long story short, all three are very useful so I keep all three on hand and use them each for separate foods and circumstances. As well, a roll of freezer paper is great for many long term, frozen food storage needs. Sometimes, in the freezer, you might need more than one of these items to preserve great food for future use.
If you find a better answer, go for it. Otherwise, stock all and may the best product for each circumstance win! :-)
Depends of how long you want to keep, if just for a few days and you are not planning on freezing I find just the plastic covers with elastic around edges, it fits over just about any size dish/bowl you already have and it can be used over and over, they are very inexpensive and they come with different sizes in a pack. I just wash them and store them in my towel drawer.
*I personally think that putting my left overs in a quart jar with a lid is better.
*When reheating I can reheat the whole jar or spoon out what I want and reheat that by itself in a bowl or plate that I will be eating out of.
Good luck and keep us informed on what you end up doing with this dilemma of yours. :)
Since the size works for me I use sandwich bags, filling only the amount I would eat. I remove as much air as possible. If there are 3 or 4 packets to freeze I will put them together in a larger bag (saved bread bag) and label.
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