Amaranth
7-15-16, 10:24am
Was having a discussion with friends about how a kitchen could be stocked with containers from food items.
The original discussion started with stocking a kitchen using Food benefits where you can only buy food but not dishes/pans, food storage containers. We were trying to figure out what you could do under those limitations.
We also realized that sometimes the better container choice was not a good choice in terms of frugal food, so that in reality it might be better to ask a more well off friend who was buying the more expensive item if they would recycle the container straight to you. And we also acknowledged that if you were buying everything with cash that had no strings on it, it would likely be better to buy the frugal food and then get kitchen items from yard sales and thrift stores.
We assumed the person had a few very basic items to start such as a pot with lid, sheet pan, paring knife, cutting board, canopener, plate, eating utensils.
Some things we came up with were
Food uses:
Storage jars for beans, grains, etc --Classico tomato sauces in canning jars
Freezer storage--Classico tomato sauces in canning jars
Juice glass--cheese spread where the lid comes straight off and there are no threads
Salad/cereal bowl--Cool Whip or butter tubs
Storage crock--some mustard and cheese containers are ceramic
Jar for making quick pickles--Classico tomato sauces in canning jars
Jar for making small amounts of sauerkraut or kimchi--Classico tomato sauces in canning jars
Sandwich container for taking sandwich to work--some lunch meat tubs
Plastic storage container with lid--some lunch meat tubs
Dried herb or homemade spice mix storage--various jars, empty spice/herb jars
Pepper grinder--pepper grinder (though a problem that these are one use)
Cookie/cracker storage--cookie or cracker tins
Household uses:
Flower vase--various jars
Pencil holder--various cans
Containers for homemade salve--small jars such as those pimentos come in
Seed storage--Classico tomato sauces in canning jars, cookie/cracker tins
5 gallon plant pots--5 gallon soy sauce or tofu containers from a restaurant
3 gallon bucket--3 gallon containers from a bakery or deli
What others come to mind?
The original discussion started with stocking a kitchen using Food benefits where you can only buy food but not dishes/pans, food storage containers. We were trying to figure out what you could do under those limitations.
We also realized that sometimes the better container choice was not a good choice in terms of frugal food, so that in reality it might be better to ask a more well off friend who was buying the more expensive item if they would recycle the container straight to you. And we also acknowledged that if you were buying everything with cash that had no strings on it, it would likely be better to buy the frugal food and then get kitchen items from yard sales and thrift stores.
We assumed the person had a few very basic items to start such as a pot with lid, sheet pan, paring knife, cutting board, canopener, plate, eating utensils.
Some things we came up with were
Food uses:
Storage jars for beans, grains, etc --Classico tomato sauces in canning jars
Freezer storage--Classico tomato sauces in canning jars
Juice glass--cheese spread where the lid comes straight off and there are no threads
Salad/cereal bowl--Cool Whip or butter tubs
Storage crock--some mustard and cheese containers are ceramic
Jar for making quick pickles--Classico tomato sauces in canning jars
Jar for making small amounts of sauerkraut or kimchi--Classico tomato sauces in canning jars
Sandwich container for taking sandwich to work--some lunch meat tubs
Plastic storage container with lid--some lunch meat tubs
Dried herb or homemade spice mix storage--various jars, empty spice/herb jars
Pepper grinder--pepper grinder (though a problem that these are one use)
Cookie/cracker storage--cookie or cracker tins
Household uses:
Flower vase--various jars
Pencil holder--various cans
Containers for homemade salve--small jars such as those pimentos come in
Seed storage--Classico tomato sauces in canning jars, cookie/cracker tins
5 gallon plant pots--5 gallon soy sauce or tofu containers from a restaurant
3 gallon bucket--3 gallon containers from a bakery or deli
What others come to mind?