Best storage containers to organize/store dry goods?

zaq

Mon, Dec 13 2021, 12:01 pm

1.Anything made of rigid material (to frustrate rodents) with a sturdy airtight lid (to frustrate rodents, bugs and oxygen) that fits in your space.

2.Transparent containers let you identify the contents without labeling and instantly see what needs replenishing; opaque ones require labels but prevent the aging caused by light exposure. IME translucent is the worst of both worlds: it lets light in but the view is fuzzy so you can't tell your oatmeal from your matzah farfel and your spaghetti from your linguini.

3.Rectangular or square with rounded corners are best. Round containers waste space and those with sharp corners are harder to clean.

4. Glass and ceramic don't retain odors but they're heavy and breakable. Plastic is light and doesn't shatter when dropped, but it can eventually stain, discolor, and crack.

A repurposed 7 or 8 ounce instant coffee jar holds a one-pound sack of beans, barley or lentils. Gallon-size pickle jars make dandy canisters for larger volumes. If you can't consume that many pickles, you can ask a local restaurant if they still get pickles in these jars, or you can buy jars brand-new for about $8-10 a pop.

Don't buy a thing until you've measured your space three times. Keep in mind that shelves may not be exactly level, so measure the height in several places.