How do you cover leftovers in your fridge? Are you still using plastic wrap or have you tried something different? Our oceans are being destroyed by plastic and our recycling is literally piling up with no where to go so I believe we should all be doing our bit to reduce the use of disposable plastic in the world. Of course reducing our exposure to plastic is also better for our health so we really do have good reason to look for alternatives!
One of the easiest ways to do this in our kitchens is to switch to multi use covers for our food. I have been using solid containers such as small pyrex dishes with lids to keep my leftovers. But when there is something left on plate or in a small bowl and there is limited room in the fridge, I needed a cover. So, a few months ago I invested in three types of silicone covers and made my own beeswax ones.
This post will be a review of the four options I have been using to cover plates and bowls.
Fitted Silicone Covers
We have a lot of leftovers in our house – I always cook extra so that Andrew can take food for lunch each day. If we have leftovers for more than one day the food will be kept in a bowl and covered. These Bare & Co. fitted covers have been very useful to cover various size bowls. The fit is tight and the cover can be used when heating the food in the microwave.
The only negative about these covers is that they only come in a multi size pack. I would really like about 6 of the one on the top of the bowl in the picture above but this is not an option.
But overall I would recommend these covers.
Clear Flat Silicone Covers
These covers came in two sizes – a smallish square and a larger rectangle. You can see that the cover on top of the bowl covers it but does not seal. When you pick up the cover is appears to be quite sticky and you would expect that it would stick to itself but it doesn’t really. I use this to cover things in the fridge but if you wanted an air tight solution e.g. for a cake or piece of bread on a plate, this type of cover is not very helpful.
Green Silicone Wraps
These Bare & Co. wraps are quite versatile. I purchased some for covering bowls etc. and some for cooking. They make a good alternative to baking paper. They are very useful but once again not tight fitting. Once they have been washed, you can stick them to the edge of a cupboard or on your splash back until you want to use them again. I have used these to cover a casserole dish in the freezer. Whilst not air tight, the wrap stayed over the edges of the dish quite well during freezing.
Bees Wax Covers
I made some beeswax covers using the instructions from The Inspired Little Pot using material cut out in different shapes and sizes, baking paper, beeswax pellets and a hot iron.
These covers are probably the most disappointing of all the ones I tried. They are of course, not airtight and they do not shape very well around the bowl or plate. I did make some larger covers and they cover my bowls quite well but they are bulky. These covers can be washed in the sink in warm soapy water and they dry quickly. Apparently they will last for about 12 months. I am only about 3 months in to using them and they are holding up quite well.
A word of caution when using beeswax covers: Do not use them to cover raw meat or chicken.
What’s the best way to cover your food?
Personally I believe that using glass or pyrex containers with solid lids is the best way to store your food. However, if you need to cover a bowl or dish I would recommend the fitted silicone covers.
Just off the topic a little, but related – I also purchased some silicone bags for lunch and reusable paper towel. I haven’t used the towel as yet but the lunch bags have been great over the past few weeks when I have been travelling for work.
But why not try some of these options for yourself. Do your bit to reduce the plastic waste in the world and keep your family healthy.
What Next?
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Until next time,
Gillian (and Andrew)
