I guess it would be more appropriate to ask if you reuse your Ziploc bags, how often do you reuse them and what for?
I prep food (rice, beans, stock etc) in trays and cubes then pop them into Ziploc bags with dates etc and use them.
But I've been wondering how often should I reuse the Ziploc bags, especially the freezer ones.
What else do you use your ziplocs for? Or are there better alternatives? Ives tried containers but they take up too much space.
Ziploc bags: how often and how long to use them For?
byu/still_learning101 inFrugal
Posted by still_learning101
11 Comments
I reuse them unless they have been used for raw meat. I throw them away when the plastic starts looking opaque or if the seal breaks.
I don’t use them. They’re not reusable enough for me, too fragile. I have an excellent arsenal of resealable containers and I use those instead.
I extend their useful lives by first putting food in a disposable, plastic, supermarket veggie bag and then putting that in the freezer Ziploc (or other brand) bag. If I eventually get a slit in one somewhere, I just put a little masking tape over the cut.
However, when I use freezer quart bags for soup, broth or home made tomato puree (I have one of those machines that separates tomato seeds & skin from the pulp) I just put the liquids directly into the bag & freeze them flat. When I cook with the contents, I snip off the ziploc part and squeeze the partially or wholly defrosted contents into the pot.
Reuse them until they fall apart or develop a hole.
At President Jimmy Carter’s funeral his grandson gave a eulogy where he talked about finding Ziplock Bags drying on their dishrack in Plains Georgia.
Somewhat related – I was able to mostly replace ziplock bags with twist-tie and fold-tops bags. They are about 3 times cheaper and do the same job (well, without the zipper of course).
I don’t like to invert the seal area when washing, that pops them. I make batch pesto and divide that into pint size, freeze flat, and those don’t really wash later. I freeze pint size: huckleberries, cherries, chick peas (multicooker batch, divided), herbs. I wrap portioned cooked meats in clear wrap first before putting them in zip locks to freeze. Same with tube steaks, which we throw into beans, so I’m comfortable with washing and reusing them. I keep all my cheese in the fridge in zip locks and wash and reuse them. Yeah, we have usually got 7 or more kinds at the same time. I put open graham cracker packs in a zip lock to stay fresher. Bulk brown sugar, powdered sugar, any flimsy clear bag, I’ll double bag into a zip lock.
I’m a huge Tupperware user, too. Recently we thrifted glass Snapware. I reuse large plastic and glass jars, for macaroni, dry beans, rice, spices, chocolate chips, oatmeal and cereals that are bought bulk and transferred from the flimsy bags. But not pickle jars, except one we use for fridge pickled onions on tacos.
Geez, we cook from scratch a lot.
FYI, the Kirkland brand “Ziploc” bags are superior to branded Ziploc and the hold a bit extra
I’ve been using the same ones for years.
Once. I know it’s wasteful, environmentally unsound, and unfrugal. But I don’t like washing them. I use reusable containers, jars, and reusable dishwasher-safe bags when I can.
Freezer zip lock bags hold my homemade bread slices. Those and the parchment ment paper squares get reused several times, with when the separating papers show much wear. Frozen grapes and berries get used once and discarded. Seasonal fresh fruits are wonderful frozen snacks.