Glass jars for storage

A great use I've discovered for glass this year is using canning jars for the freezer.  The safest type is actual canning jars--Kerr, Ball, Mason--because their glass is tempered, rather than mayonnaise or peanut butter jars.  You can buy screw-type lids for them at WalMart, and the jars are often available for pennies apiece at garage sales.

I've been trying to get away from plastic use as much as possible and these jars have worked out great.  I use both quart and pint size.  They work for everything from soup to crumbled fried bacon or grated cheese.  Glass is not air-permeable like plastic is so the storage life-span is longer without that icky freezer taste.  And it's easy to see what you've got in there, too.

I use the small jars to freeze spices.  You can buy the large containers of salsa or applesauce at Sam's or Costco and freeze them in jars at an amazing cost savings.  Bread crumbs, grains, and flour store beautifully this way.

Just a word of caution--a breakable container can be a hazard with kids around!  Also, you can't defrost frozen jars of liquid under running water as they could crack.  So plan on defrost time accordingly.

Canning jars have worked in my cupboard, too, for storing beans and grains--and they look pretty, too!

A microwaving tip

I discovered a better way for covering food plates in the microwave than what I'd been doing.  Paper towel and wax paper cost money, and I really try not to use any kind of plastic because of the health hazard.

So I bought a couple of extra glass lids with handles--the kind that go on top of casserole dishes like Pyrex or Corning--at a thrift store.  They work beautifully!  They keep the splattering down, they pose no health risk, I can see through them, and they cost almost nothing.  Such a deal!