Dear Recycle Lady,
I have been reading lots of articles that suggest ways to avoid food coming in contact with various plastics.
Here is a suggestion. Many readers will have a stock of canning jars of varying sizes that are not being used. These jars are perfect for storing leftover foods in the refrigerator. Because the jars are transparent, you are more likely to remember to use the food. When empty, the jars can be put in the dishwasher and used again. Left over screw-top lids can be used or lids and rings can be purchased at local grocery stores, and they can be used and reused. Put them in the top rack of the dishwasher or wash by hand and rinse with very hot water.
If you do not own canning jars, every estate sale has them. Even when purchased new, glass jars are cheaper than glass storage containers, which usually have plastic lids. Jars Make Good Storage
Dear Jars Make Good Storage,
Many thanks for some wonderful suggestions. Glass is toxic-free and safe for food storage. Since glass jars come in all sizes, there should be a jar available for all leftovers. Plus, using glass jars saves money as they can be used over and over. The lids can be flats with rings or just a screw lids from other jars.
Have you considered freezing food in jars? Canning jars, as well as jam and pickles jars that have been through a heating process, can be used for freezing leftovers. Thin, store-bought jars, such as those that spaghetti sauce comes in are not safe to use as they are likely to break under the stress of freezing. With a few precautions, using glass jars is a safe way to freeze food. According to https://survivalfreedom.com and https://treadingmyownpath.com, food can be safely frozen in glass containers as long as you follow a few guidelines. First, use only freezer-safe wide-mouth jars, particularly for foods with liquid. Jars with a narrower neck and a shoulder can be used for foods that have spaces between them, such as sweet corn, as there is less stress on the jar. Second, leave at least one inch of headspace. Liquids expand when freezing, so leave headspace at the top of the jar to give liquids room to expand. Never use narrow neck jars for freezing liquids. Third, let contents of the jar cool completely before placing it in the freezer. Fourth, don’t overtighten the lids before freezing. It’s best to wait until the food is frozen, then screw the top on tightly. The most common reasons most jars break in the freezer is that jars with hot contents were put straight into the freezer; the jars were overfilled, not leaving room for expansion; a narrow jar was used for contents with liquid; or all of the above. Be sure to put a label of contents and date of freezing on the jar.
When defrosting food frozen in a glass jar, leave it on the counter for a few hours or defrost it overnight in the refrigerator. Never put it into a bowl of hot water as this will make the jar crack. If you are in a hurry, put it in a bowl of cold (never hot) water or add cold water to the contents of the jar-cold water is warmer than ice!
Dear Recycle Lady,
Please help us get cracker and cereal boxes into the correct bin. Previously, I read these boxes go with white paper, and a recent column said they go with cardboard. So, do these boxes go in with white paper or cardboard? Thanks, Avid Recycler
Dear Avid Recycler,
The simplest answer to this question is to put all boxes in the cardboard bin. If we were a large recycling center with lots of equipment, we would be able to distinguish between cardboard (brown inside) and whiteboard (white inside). However, we do not have that capability. Plus, the company that purchases our cardboard accepts both cardboard and whiteboard, but the company that purchases our office paper will accept only office paper and not whiteboard.
Some of the confusion over cardboard and whiteboard comes from the explanation of the “How2recycle” symbol. It says to put cardboard in with PAPER. What the symbol doesn’t say is that there are FOUR KINDS of PAPER: cardboard, white paper, newspapers, and magazines. Some boxes with this symbol are made of cardboard, while other boxes with the same symbol are made of whiteboard. Putting all boxes in with cardboard means both cardboard and whiteboard gets recycled, which is the best solution of all.
Have questions about recycling or interesting information about recycling? Send questions or requests to Recyclelady7@gmail.com. Dear Recycle Lady is sponsored jointly by the Greenbrier Recycling Center and Greenworks Recycling.
