Works for Me Wednesday: Reusing Ziploc Bags

THIS JUST IN: Rinsing and reusing Ziploc bags (I know - there are many brands!) is apparently not an unheard of idea. I found this picture posted on Plow & Hearth, where you can find all sorts of things you don't need for your home!

I know there's some germophobe out there who will not like this tip but for the rest of us, here goes. This is something I learned from my gram who grew up reusing foil, paper bags and even paper towels. I always remember her keeping plastic Ziploc bags in the freezer and now that I have my own home, I can't bear to toss a Ziploc bag until it's served me well.

I buy the best quality Ziploc bags and believe it or not, a box in each size usually lasts me almost a year. I wash them well in hot soapy water after use, slip over a serving spoon in the dish drain and let them dry, then fold and store on my freezer door. Now mind you, I never reuse any in which I've had any kind of meat or liquidy food substance. Mostly what I reuse them for is to store things like bags of coffee beans, graham cracker and bread crumbs, and herbs. They're also useful for storing unused portions of bacon and hot dogs, wrapped first in plastic wrap. This keeps my meats handy and organized in the freezer. Oh and overripe bananas get cut in half and tossed in a bag (unpeeled) for later use in banana bread (hint - if you try this, do not take the bananas out of the freezer until you're ready to peel and mash them).

Here are a few other uses for those plastic marvels! I use tomato paste in a lot of recipes and always hated opening those cans and having leftover past. Several years ago I got the idea of buying it in large cans, and scooping it onto a cookie sheet with a small cookie scoop (line the sheet first with wax or freezer paper). After the scooped portions freeze, I store them in a - you guessed it - Ziploc bag. Each portion equals a tablespoon and about 3 of them equal a 1/4 cup.

I also buy grating cheeses in bulk (usually a pound lb. each of Parmagiano Reggiano, and Asiago) at the Strip District downtown, cut into 1 inch square pieces and store these in a Ziploc in a freezer. It's easy to grab one or two and use in my table grater for always-fresh taste of good cheese.

Perhaps one of these tips will work for you - they work for me! If not, check out the tons of other good tips posted at Shannon's site on Works For Me Wednesday.