In this article, we will be taking a look at,

1. why glass food containers are good for food storage,
2. how to store different fresh produce with glass food containers,
3. as well as a technique to take one’s meal prepping game to the next level with the use of glass jars.

The secret of keeping food fresh

All produce tends to lose its fresh qualities over time when left out in the open. But by using the right technique with the right produce, one canpreservethe produce in its initial state for months in some cases.

With cold storage technology (fridges and freezers) available in almost all homes and apartments, one now only needs to ensure

• airtightness – in order to minimize oxidization rot of the food due to exposure to atmospheric oxygen,
• cleanliness and proper separation – to ensure that other foreign odors or flavors do not spoil the food being store), and
• proper prepping technique – to ensure the killing of maximum germs and bacteria within the food before storage.

But even with food preservation being as simple as the above three steps, a very large majority of us still struggles with avoiding spoilage and food rot. Part of this struggle comes from using the wrong storage containers.

Why glass containers are best for food storage

Glass is technically known as a super-cooled liquid, an amorphous, non-porous, impermeable solid that will not change its state unless it is super-heated pass its melting point at 1472°F (around 800 °C).

This intrinsic nature of glass adds immense value to its use as a food container. Glass neither stains permanently nor holds the smell of food after washing. It has no chemicals in its construct that could leech out sporadically into foods to alter and spoil the flavor. It can be refrigerated, heated in the microwave as well as tossed in the oven for baking.

Additionally, nearly all glass food containers can be fitted with an airtight, leakproof seal or lid. This keeps the food inside fresh, while also keeping the rest of your unpackaged food in the vicinity safe from the odors of the stored food.

Why most plastic containers are just not good enough at keeping meals fresh

Plastic containers are notorious for leeching plastics (albeit in harmless quantities) into the food, thereby altering the original flavor. Plastics also tend to not have great airtightness, owing to their flexible nature. Cheaper plastic food containers are also not very durable. Cracks, scuffs, and scratches all will start appearing in a matter of weeks. Worse still are the stains and smells from the plastic containers that just don’t go away with a normal wash.

Nothing is worse than that delicious dessert you made two days ago to be spoiled by the smell of fish curry leftovers someone happened to store in that container a while back.

Metal containers are a step-up but not quite perfect either

Stainless steel or other metal food containers such as tins are no doubt a step-up from plastic containers. They provide a safe enclosure without leeching harmful particles into the food. They are much easier to clean. They last a whole lot longer and can be used even after being dented, for example. But they can impart a characteristic smell or flavor to the food.

There is also the matter of water damage, which is particularly cumbersome with older metal containers. Both stainless steel as well as tin cans would develop rust either from long exposure to moisture and contaminants or through “contagious” corrosion by coming into contact with some already rusty metal over time.

How different foods fare when stored in glass containers

While it is true that glass food containers store all fresh, cooked, as well as dry produce better than plastic or metal containers; but by how much would depend upon what food you are storing and how they are being stored.

Watery root vegetables, celery, and herbs

Root vegetables like carrots, radishes as well as celery stalks and fresh herbs love water content. The process of staleness for herbs and watery root vegetables is basically the drying out of their moisture content.

The best way to store them is either immersed in water inside the glass container or with damp paper towels. Also remember to chop off the green tops from the root vegetables as these would suck the water out of the root veggies. For even more freshness you can seal the glass container with an airtight lid and store away from sunlight or in the fridge.

Berries and fruits

The key to longer fruit storage lies

• separating ethylene producing fruits such as apples, pears and avocados from ethylene sensitive produce like vegetables or mangoes and citruses.
• keeping your bananas separate from everything else with the stalks wrapped in cling film to reduce the rate of ripening; and
• berries and grapes can be stored with other fruits but just make sure they have enough room to not get mushed.

Additionally,

• put some paper towels in the glass containers to minimize any additional moisture.
• only wash the fruits and berries before eating; and
• refrigerate everything with airtight seals or lids as it greatly reduces the rate of ripening of all fruits.

Leafy vegetables, mushrooms squashes and cauliflower

While you can store all these veggies as-is, a much better way is to chop them into usable sizes and then refrigerate dry in glass containers. Leave the lid either open or use a paper towel as a lid for mushrooms since mushrooms need to breathe to stay fresh.

Add in some lemon juice to the greens to keep them green for longer. Citric acid in general helps to fight off bacterial growth so is an excellent add-in to chopped squashes, broccoli, cabbages, and greens.

Onions, garlic, ginger, and turmeric roots

Onions and garlic like to be stored in open cool and dry places. Glass containers generally are not suitable for both of these produce as glass containers tend to trap the moisture of the produce. Just keep them out in the open in a basket when raw.

Ginger and turmeric on the hand, last well inside the fridge and even better inside the freezer and are fairly resistant to spoilage.

Chopped onions can either be pickled or stored with water in airtight glass jars or frozen. Garlic is best stored either as a paste or peeled and frozen in an airtight glass container.

Potatoes, yams and other starchy vegetables

Starchy vegetables prefer to stay in a dark, dry part of the pantry for minimal spoilage. Like onions, you should NOT refrigerate these when raw and whole. After cutting however, you should either store them with water in the fridge or freeze in airtight containers after a thorough washing under fresh water. It also helps to add a bit of corn flour to these veggies when freezing as it soaks up any additional water content.

Do not store starchy veggies with onions or garlic as the two just do not last long when stored together.

Clever meal prepping technique using glass containers

If you really want to take your meal-prepping skills to the next level with glass food containers, then you may find value in the super-easy and super-simple glass stir-fry technique by Turkish food writer and Youtuber Refika Birgül.

This technique utilizes nearly all the benefits of glass containers. It allows one to prep meals once a week and enjoy easy meal cooking throughout the rest of the week. You would need 2 glass jars per day of meal prep.

One smaller jar would contain the seasoned meat (poultry, beef, lamb, seafood, or tofu). Season this as you would when cooking a normal stir-fry. It is okay to over-season at this stage since you would be cooking the meat with a lot of vegetables later.

The other taller jar would contain the vegetables, noodles, rice, nuts, and garlic. The rules of this technique are:

1. Stack the vegetables and other ingredients like rice, garlic, and nuts in the descending order of how long they need to be cooked. That is, the ingredient at the bottom of the jar should be the one that you need to cook the least and the one at the top should be cooked the most.
2. All the vegetables must be dry. If you wash the vegetables, then dry them on paper towels before putting them in the jar.
3. Do not put a watery vegetable in the middle layer of the taller glass jar.
4. Only use fresh produce, so do not put something in that is still cookable but looks like it would go bad in a day.
5. Try to stack different colored veggies in the jar as different colored foods hold different nutritional elements.
6. Prep the ingredients in different, appropriate shapes; and
7. Stick to seasonal vegetables to enhance freshness as well as ease.

Refrigerate the jars and pop them out on any day of the week. Cook the meat first, then progressively add the ingredients from the bigger jar in the order that you filled the jar.

Easy, simple, and healthy. All thanks to the magic of glass food containers!