Real-Life Food Storage Solutions
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Who else loves peeking into other people’s refrigerators and cabinets? OK, maybe just me, and admittedly I don’t do this in real life, but if I could do it virtually, I absolutely would. To be clear, this is with zero judgment. On the contrary, I’m motivated by the assumption that other people have their lives more together, and whatever food storage solutions they love might benefit me, too!
This said, after many years of cooking a lot and consequently having a lot of food — both ingredients and leftovers — to store at any given time, I’ve amassed a handful of products I consider necessities. Come on and peek at what works in our home!
Tried & True Storage Solutions
1. Upgrade Your Fruit Storage – with Science
Banana hanger. For the longest time I thought people used these just for looks. Joke’s on me, because it turns out they work really well to slow down the browning of your bananas. I love banana bread and muffins as much as anyone, but I also need a few medium-yellow for our breakfasts and snacks.
Banana hanger in the wild.
Banana bread, though you may be making it less often.
Fun fact: Hangers work because bananas tend to bruise first and most quickly where they come into contact with a solid surface. By suspending them in mid-air, you remove that quickening factor.
Another fun fact: Bananas release ethylene gas as they ripen, which causes many other fruits and veggies to ripen and spoil more quickly. Ethylene-sensitive foods include apples, avocados, tomatoes, and cucumbers, as well as leafy greens, onions, and potatoes. All of these items should be stored away from bananas — away from your banana hanger! — for the longest shelf-life.
Choices: This white and marble hanger looks nice on my countertop; even friends of my nine-year-old son have commented on it, so that’s really saying something. There are also simple chrome hangers and discreet options that hang from the underside of your cabinets.
2. Fresh Greens = Convenient Salads
Rubbermaid FreshWorks Produce Savers. I eat a lot of salad and like to have a variety of pre-washed greens on hand, but hate the slimy effect when they stay in the bag from the store. You know what I mean? These boxes allow just enough air circulation that the contents stay fresh and crisp for a length of time that would otherwise be super suspicious.
I have four of these salad keepers stocked in my fridge at literally all times – two large rectangular containers with baby spinach and mixed salad greens, respectively, and two medium square containers with shredded carrots and green or red cabbage, respectively. This makes tossing together lunch salads so easy. I think they have tweaked the sizes a little since I bought them several years ago, but you get the idea.
Bonus: If I have a couple bell pepper slices or green onions left over from a recipe, I can toss them in with the mixed greens, exponentially increasing the odds that I will actually eat them and not find them rotting two weeks later in the back of the fridge.
3. Store – and Gift – Soup with Ease
Deli containers for soups and stews. These are literally just the perfect size. The lids seal tightly, they nest perfectly prior to use, then stack nicely in the fridge. Although I’m trying to reduce our use of plastic, I figure these are relatively benign for storing soups and other items that I am going to heat up in another container.
Bonus: These containers also are lightweight and easy to gift to new parents and other meal train recipients. Favorite combos include carrot red pepper with a loaf of Dutch oven bread, and sausage tortellini soup with garlic knots and a salad kit.
Sausage tortellini soup is good for the soul.
Semi-homemade garlic knots are extremely good for the soul.
4. Glass for Everything Else
Glass containers for leftovers and meal prep. For items we may reheat directly in the storage container, these rectangular class containers finally fit the bill. After trying what seemed like every competitor with good reviews, I’ve now purchased and re-purchased PrepNaturals containers three times!
They are a nice size and, of course, quite sturdy. What makes them stand out, though, is that the lids latch on all four sides and miraculously seem to keep a tight seal even after being washed over and over again. When I send leftovers with my step-kids in these containers, I want them back. Ha!
5. Pricey Eggs Deserve to be Seen
Egg containers. These may or may not be crucial for you, but they definitely look good in the fridge and make it easy to tell at a glance when you’re starting to run low on eggs.
For me, a container like this is a must because we buy many of our eggs from a neighbor with a chicken coop. We wash these eggs ourselves, and must then transfer them to clean containers for storage. The exact ones that I use are actually from the dollar store (!) but this iDesign container is BPA-free, affordable, and gets stellar reviews.
Half-full = real life.
Use those eggs to make a Mediterranean frittata.
6. Stasher Bags Earn Their Keep
Stasher bags for literally everything. These are such a game-changer. They are slightly pricey, so I’m always looking for deals so I can add to my collection. Stashers are food-grade silicone, durable and versatile, and completely safe to use in the freezer, microwave, and dishwasher. I truly think they’ve done more than any other single item to reduce my use of single-use plastics in the kitchen.
Stashers come in various sizes and in lie-flat and stand-up options. Start with a small bundle to see which sizes are most useful in your life. Once you collect enough, there’s always one that is perfect for holding leftover meats, pasta, veggies, you name it. I also use them to store baby carrots and veggies in the fridge once I cut them, so they’re easy to grab for packing lunches.
I also have picked up some copycat lie-flat Stashers from Trader Joe’s, which so far have held up equally well, but have yet to see stand-up versions there.
7. Don’t Forget a Classic
Glass jars for salad dressings, sauces, and storing herbs. OK, so glass jars aren’t exactly revolutionary, but they work well and are a staple. I use them for storing homemade Italian salad dressing and balsamic vinaigrette, marinara sauce and similar, and storing fresh parsley and cilantro in the fridge. Just put about 2” of clean water in the bottom and stick the fresh herbs in so that the cut stems are submerged. Change out the water when it starts to look iffy. This keeps them fresh so much longer.
You’ll have to believe me that storing herbs this way is effective and actually looks pretty in real life.
Easy and air-tight storage for homemade enchilada sauce.
For small batches, of course you can buy pint-sized Mason or other jars of any size, but you can also just save jam jars to use the same way. Bonne Maman jars are my favorite.
In conclusion…
Of course, this is only a smattering of our food storage solutions. I hate to toss stuff unnecessarily, so we certainly have plenty of random Tupperware containers still floating around. Consider this post just the gold standard: the items I’ve replaced along the years and loved so much that I would — and have! — replaced them with the exact same product.
Have another favorite product, or another food storage problem you’re trying to solve? Leave a comment below and let’s discuss!
