Maybe I should try freezing on a sheet with the spread out. After frozen, spread them apart. Then put all the loose beans in a gallon zip lock which I re-use like 3 times. Is there some sort of glass/plastic (combo?) container I can freeze and it will last forever? Not interested in something which will crack or break after usign a couple years.
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The glass/plastic containers will survive better if they are left for the lid to defrost slightly instead of being immediately deformed (required for opening) after coming out of the freezer.
I keep cooked beans in 1 cup plastic containers in the freezer as they last better for me than the baggies, but also we find that the appropriate serving multiple, and we arenāt trying to optimize the space. Flat packed bags are more efficient in that way.
I do rewash & reuse the sandwich baggies (currently holding hot peppers, ginger, and garlic cloves), but they certainly donāt have the longevity of the freezer-friendly bags.
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I havenāt found anything but would also be interested. Iāve tried glass but itās too heavy for me when full, and you have to be careful about cracking, plus it takes up so much room. Iāve tried reusable plastic containers too but they eventually crack as well. For now I still use freezer gallon ziplock bags, stacked, in my freezer. I also use a food saver but thatās plastic too.
If someone could invent a good replacement for freezer gallon bags and saran wrap Iād be totally on board! Iāve eliminated most other single use items in my kitchen but those two are where Iām stumped.
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Iāve heard really good things about stasher bags for freezers but havenāt tried them myself.
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Stasher bags are awesome and sturdy, but I find them kinda hard to open (and I donāt have any finger/hand dexterity, grip, or joint issues).
Iāve had mine for several years and theyāve held up very well to occasional use, donāt know how they hold up to intense use
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I tried a few of those reusable ziplocks (a couple different brands) and my issues were:
- They were so hard to open and close that I couldnāt even do it myself. Maybe not a problem for able people, but even dh agreed they were kind of intense, but also he might have been trying to make me feel better, lol. So idk, but that disqualified them for me.
Also tho:
- They absorbed strong food smells even after being washed really well. This could also be because of the types of food I make (heavily spiced) so ymmv on that too.
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OMG OMG OMG!! I did not see this when I was writing my comment, hahahaha. You just made me whole day, lol.
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THis has been my hang up, along with price. I have had issues with silicone ice cube trays and stuff in the past esp holding soap tastes.
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Glad itās not just me! I found even things like tomato sauce left a really strong smell. And I know theyāre still ācleanā but it just icks me out because I feel like itās going to transfer that smell into the next batch of food.
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Yep, Iāve only had soap taste transfer (weirdly my reusable muffin liners are invincible, I can go from carnitas egg cups to fruit muffins no problem) but it makes me very hesitant to expand my silicone food stuffs collection. I had to color code my IP rings.
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Brand? Iām in need of muffin liners rn.
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Mama CupsĀ® Silicone Baking Cups -ā¦ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VMY940K?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I bought these in 2016 apparently so hopefully theyāre the same now 
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I promise not to hold you personally responsible. Iām very generous!
ETA: Are these the type you can use on a normal baking sheet or do you have to use them with a muffin tin?
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I got a bunch of silicone breast milk storage bags and then have been using them as baby human food bags (still strong tastes but less salt and pepper). If I can smell anything after the wash I boil them and it goes away. They are also easier to open than the big silicone bag I have. But they were on Gās amazon (repurchasing more after getting some at a baby place) so I may not be able to get the link. Because they are small they donāt work for big meals obviously.
I freeze in a combo of the silicone bags, takeout containers and glass+silicone/plastic lids. I have replaced pyrex lids before, but currently I am in a dropping phase of life
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Iām from Ontario where milk comes in bags, and we wash and reuse the inner bags for food storage (and use the outer bags for garbage cans).
We use the whole milk bag in this house 
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I generally use them with the muffin pan, although Iāve definitely used them for like āfat bombsā (truffles basically) on a sheet pan, and they seemed fine BUT they were only like 1/3 full. These are softer and thinner than the Amazon branded ones we got next and I didnāt like as much, but those definitely would be rigid enough to use solo- I donāt like their feeling though so I donāt use them much, havenāt noticed smell issues with them either but theyāre tier 2.
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Same, I also use Glad Cling Wrap. I can preserve cut veggies for a long time using it ā by tightly wrapping themā¦ almost like a vacuum bag. I also use it to portion ground beef, ground pork, sliced pork loin, pork chops etcā¦ Then I stick the plastic wrapped meat in a gallon zip lock. I use the gallon zip lock about 3 times before throwing away because they stay frozen the entire time and no juice or anything leaks from the plastic wrapped meats.
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Oh nice sale on chicken leg quarters at my local discount grocer. 55 cents per pound. These are prices Iāve seen like 10 years ago
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What a good find! I havenāt ever seen chicken that cheap!
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Yeah me neither. There are no worthwhile flyers or sales at any of the grocery stores here in Oklahoma. In Texas it was a lot different ā much more competitive and could always get good deals on meats.
But then after reading The Tightwad Gazette, Amy said to check every store in town no matter what. So I checked it out and was amazed. The deals reminded me of Texas. And so now every week I see incredible meat deals. They email me the ad each week as well.
Go figure, this discount grocer is at the same intersection as the Walmart Iāve shopped at for years. All that time driving by it ignoring itā¦ Iāve probably lost $7500 or more over the past 10 years by doing so ā guesstimate.
EDIT: Oh btw, my Citi Custom Cash credit card works at this discount grocer unlike Walmart. I get 5% cash back at this discount grocer because itās an actual grocery store. At Walmart I have to use a different credit card that only gets me 1.5% cash back. So not only do I get a lot better prices on meats compared to Walmart, Sams & Aldi, I also get the full 5% cash back
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