TDG: Desperate Measures: Storage

[skmcdade]

LOL, if anyone is still reading this, I am the sister-in-law! I only just got to read the article.

Mamster's two principles are exactly the two principles that Tupperware Modular Mates uses! Nothing round cuz it wastes space, and nothing stays in the original packaging unless said packaging works better. Well, there are actually round Mod Mates for those who want them -- but mostly we just use the round Spaghetti Dispenser and that's it.

Modulars also come in different shapes so that you can get ovals for pourable goods and large squares or rectangles for scoopable items.

Tupperware is now pulling out of Target; it was announced June 17. But we do have mall kiosks/Showcases, as well as websites. The party is alive and well! We use the mall kiosks to get leads -- find people who like Tupperware, and get them to have parties.

Tupperware does sell container labels, pre-printed with the most common dry goods people are storing -- from flour and sugar to snack mix, pretzels, and chocolate chips. And tea bags and such too!

Yes, Rubbermaid is cheaper -- but Tupperware has a lifetime guarantee. If your grandma's Tupperware bowl from 1957 is broken, cracked, chipping, or peeling, you can take it to any Tupperware consultant (no receipt needed) to get a new bowl or credit towards a purchase. Same goes for the stuff you buy now.

Great article!

[Mottmott]

Eek! Has no one here heard of glass jars, metal lids? Transparent, easy to open, dw safe. And they look so neat on the pantry shelves with their contents all exposed for quick identification.

You can get them (square sided ones) large enough to hold 5# of flour or sugar (including at Target). They also come in smaller sizes. I like these squat sqare jars better than those too-tall French jars with the clamp down lid, though I do use them, too.

I also like various sizes of canning jars (which can also be had with squared off sides). The smaller ones are great for spices if you buy them loose and they stack nicely. And if you lose the lids, you can just buy new ones.

Not to mention all the jars you can recycle in your kitchen rather than the recycling bin.

[snowangel]

Eek!  Has no one here heard of glass jars, metal lids? Transparent, easy to open, dw safe. And they look so neat on the pantry shelves with their contents all exposed for quick identification.

For fridge storage of salads and stuff, I often just use a bowl with a plate as a lid.

[slkinsey]

Second, we have an invasion of mice. Gourmet mice. They like artisanal pasta, but leave the ordinary stuff alone, even though it's Italian. They like some flavours of crisps, not others (the children now keep track). They turn up their little noses at the traps we set with peanut butter, chocolate (I'm going to switch to 70% on the next round) and cheese (next time they get Mrs Montgomery's Cheddar).

Hee! I can remember when I was a kid and we had a small mouse problem for a few months. My parents set some traps, and every so often when the family was eating dinner around the kitchen table we would hear SNAP! "SQUEAK!" come from one of the cupboards. Kind of unnerving, as I recall, but we laughed about it. As far as I recall, our traps got them in the head and killed them right away every time. We used peanut butter. Perhaps some Nutella or Gianduia might do the trick for your gourmet mice?

For those readers that are horrified at the use of mouse genocide, I won't tell the story of how my grandfather tried to smoke out a squirrel who had taken residence in our North Carolina mountain house's chimney, in which the squirrel became confused, ran the wrong way and almost burned the house down.

[Marlene]

Tupperware loves me. After my kitchen was re-done, I put everything (everything) into various modular tupperware containers. I had so much room left over in the panty after doing this, I had to go buy more stuff and more tupperware of course! My floor to ceiling double sided pull out spice rack is all tupperware as well.

I have tupperware sandwich containers for my son's lunch. I have the rolling pin and the ice cream scoop. My husband swears by their potato peeler. My flours, sugar and tea are in the Tupperware cannisters.

I'm surrounded by Tupperware.

[bloviatrix]

What a great article.

A suggestion for those looking to label items: masking tape and marker. I keep a roll in my junk drawer. Whenever I'm getting ready to freeze something, I tear off a piece of tape and stick it on the container. Then I write the contents and date. Once the container is done, pull off the tape, wash and it's ready to reuse.

I also had to laugh about the mouse problem. We had a furry visitor last year who liked basmati rice, chickpea flour, and mung beans. I think he was an Indian mouse.

[Anna N]

A suggestion for those looking to label items:  masking tape and marker.  I keep a roll in my junk drawer.  Whenever I'm getting ready to freeze something, I tear off a piece of tape and stick it on the container.  Then I write the contents and date.  Once the container is done, pull off the tape, wash and it's ready to reuse.

Me too. And I try to label stuff that I stick in the 'fridge - like leftovers - and mark them with a best-before date. I even insist that my daughter label and date her leftovers that go in the 'fridge as I often babysit my granddaughter at her house and if I am not sure how long something has been hanging about I'm not about to feed it to my granddaughter! So I stuck some masking tape and a marker on top of her fridge! Sometimes she remembers - sometimes not - but if it's not labelled then I don't use it.

Anna N

[inventolux]

When will america substitute cryovac parties for tupperware parties?

[Marlene]

A suggestion for those looking to label items:  masking tape and marker.  I keep a roll in my junk drawer.  Whenever I'm getting ready to freeze something, I tear off a piece of tape and stick it on the container.  Then I write the contents and date.  Once the container is done, pull off the tape, wash and it's ready to reuse.

Me too. And I try to label stuff that I stick in the 'fridge - like leftovers - and mark them with a best-before date. I even insist that my daughter label and date her leftovers that go in the 'fridge as I often babysit my granddaughter at her house and if I am not sure how long something has been hanging about I'm not about to feed it to my granddaughter! So I stuck some masking tape and a marker on top of her fridge! Sometimes she remembers - sometimes not - but if it's not labelled then I don't use it.

Anna N

I label everything. For ziploc freezer bags, I just write on the bag. Date, product etc. For all my Tupperware, I use my Brother labeling machine. It has such pretty fonts

[bloviatrix]

In regard to Tupperware, I've been invited to 2 parties in the past 9 months. Apparently, it's one of those "hot" things to do. The NYTimes had an article about it several months ago.

[jsolomon]

S=k*ln(w)

It's not just a good idea, it's the law.

[SparrowsFall]

Ancient history, I know. But I just got around to reading this column of Matthew's.

I searched for years for the perfect canister. My sister finally found it and sent me a bunch. I bought a bunch more.

By "perfect," I mean that it:

o Is square/rectangular not round, and in the best of all possible worlds each different size just happens to fit or stack to within a quarter inch of (my) shelf height. Check.

o Has a comfortable grippable shape. Check.

o Is clear (*not* translucent). Check.

o Is pretty much unbreakable. (These guys are like soda bottle material but thicker.) Check.

o Has an airtight lid. Check.

o That you can open and close with one hand. (After lifting it down with one hand [see "grippable," above]). Check.

o That *stays open* when you're pouring from it. Check. (And hallelujah.)

o Comes in multiple sizes. Check. (Only three, but...)

Snapware.

I guess to be really perfect they'd have to be cheap. But these are right in there with rubbermaid.

Steve

[mamster]

These look great, Steve. Next time I go ape and redo everything, Snapware it is.