1 Corinthians 13:4
Two
years back my husband and i moved to Coimbatore and as we were setting
up the new house, buying jars and containers for my kitchen was
something that i put at the bottom of my to do list. Who would even
think of these little ones when you have the big budget stuffs like the
sofa, dining table, fridge, washing machine, mixer, oven etc. Initially,
the absence of these supporting actors in the film managing the kitchen
went unnoticed, as i could easily manage the spices or flour straight
out of the package they came in. I would seal the packet by tying a
rubber band around the neck of the packet. Thanks to the Indian market
where almost everything, from sugar to pulses, comes in the kind of
plastic packet you get Cheetos in. And for the cooking oil, empty
mineral water bottles did the job.Also i used clips to seal the opened
bags. For those Indian women who are not familiar with these handy clips
i add a picture below. Caution: These clips do not always give an air
tight seal.
Now back to the subject. Two months passed. I organized the cupboard once in every week, wiped the counter top every single night before i closed the kitchen. But every morning even after removing the items from the drying rack and placing them in their right positions i felt like the kitchen was still messy. Packets of spices (the Indian daily-used spices are countless :D) piled up on one side and two deformed plastic bottles, all covered in oil on the other side, ants marching in a perfect line into the cupboard where i have stored the flour and sugar very well secured with rubber band. I was curious to know what is so interesting in there for these hundreds of ants. My eyes followed their long queue to end in the sugar packet! The ants have put a hole on the packet to make the entrance to their heaven! So that is it. I checked the flour packets. Yes. As expected there they are, bathing in the ocean of fine pure powder. Do these ring a bell? Hmm..Finally i brushed the dust off from the long forgotten low priority, which is no longer low, list. On the list last but one item was the kitchen container set. By the way, last item was a new cover for my phone. So that was how i decided to get containers and oil dispensers for my kitchen.
Choosing the right container
Properly storing oils, spices, flour, pulses, sugar and other similar items is very important. It not only makes your kitchen look well organised but also keeps the flavour intact and also preserves the food items from pests. Most importantly, not using the right container can cause many health problems.
Are plastic containers good?
When
we think of containers, the first option that comes to our mind is
mostly PET bottles or such plastic containers. They are lightweight,
easily available and cheap. They come in microwave safe version making
it easy to store and reheat the leftovers.
Using plastic containers to store food can lead to many serious health problems. BPA or bisphenol A, a harmful chemical used to make certain plastics (Type 7 plastic with symbol 'PC' or 'other') seeps into the food stored in it leading to many health issues when consumed. It can disrupt the functions of hormones especially estrogen. Studies have showed that BPA has an adverse effect on the brain development of fetuses and young children. The European union and Canada have banned BPA use in baby bottles. PET (Type 1 plastic with symbol 'PET' or 'PETE') is also found to yield endocrine disruptors under conditions of common use. Type 2 (HDPE), Type 4 (LDPE) and Type 5 (PP) plastic containers are considered to be relatively safe for limited use as they are more stable (or release less chemical into food!).
How many times do you wash your plastic tiffin box after eating a spicy delicious biriyani out of it? Once?! Please do not lie. You wash it, smell it. Smells like biriyani. You wash it again, smell it. Smells like biriyani. The third time you wash it, smell it. 'Mmmm not much of that smell, bearable'. You leave it on the drying rack. Plastic can absorb traces of food which is why the smell or even the reason for the degradation of the flavour of spices which is stored in a plastic jar. So even after you wash three times, there is enough biriyani left on your tiffin box for harmful bacteria to feed on! You don't want that.
Summary: I do not recommend plastic containers for kitchen.
 |
| That's my old plastic container. |
What about glass containers?
One
of the best choices of food containers is the glass containers. Glass
containers not only add beauty to your kitchen but also they do not have
a bad effect on your health. Glass is non reactive. So no fear of
chemicals migrating into food. You can heat your leftovers safely in a
glass container. Glass is also non porous which helps to keep the food
fresh with flavours intact.
Today in the market we get glass containers in different shapes and
sizes. My personal preference is a glass container with screw lid. I use
them to store cookies, spices, flour etc. I feel like, with a screw
lid, the container is completely air tight. I also prefer plastic or
stainless steel lids to metal ones. Metal lids can corrode over time and
get holes on them. Sometimes it's difficult to find a spare lid. When i
use plastic lid i always see that the content of the jar doesn't touch
the lid.
Summary: I strongly recommend glass containers.
Are Stainless steel containers a good option?
Stainless steel oil dispensers are also available. Using
glass oil dispensers is also a good option but be very careful. In case
the oil drips and spreads on the bottle, there is a chance of bottle
slipping off from the hand unless it has a silicon coating. So to be on
the safe side you can use stainless steel oil dispensers. Be sure to get
a wide mouthed dispenser for the ease of cleaning. The opaque nature of
stainless steel also protects the oil from sunlight giving it a longer
shelf life. You can also store cookies or muffins in stainless steel
containers so that kids can handle it safely.
If you need to store anything , for eg: rice, in bulk amount, big stainless steel containers are a good option.
When using stainless steel containers be sure not store foods that are highly acidic.
Summary: I strongly recommend stainless steel containers.
Are there other options?
Another option available in the market is the ceramic
containers. They are similar to glass. They are non porous, non reactive
and very easy to clean. Ceramics are basically safe to store food. But
usually ceramic wares are glazed and the only health concern about using these are the components that might come from the
glazing like pigments, lead or cadmium.These materials are harmful when
taken into the body, so the risk of them entering food is controlled
during the manufacturing process. In Canada ceramic wares cannot be sold
if it releases more than the allowed amounts of lead and cadmium. I am
not aware of any other country having this strict regulation. So if your
relative in Canada offers you a gift, you can undoubtedly ask for
ceramics.
There are containers made from metals like aluminium and
copper. I suggest not to store food in such containers as they are very
reactive and corrode easily. It can mix with the food stored in it.
Another option available in the market is the silicon made
containers. But recent studies show that they are not leach proof
either.
Conclusion
My favorite is containers made of glass. They are simply pretty. Almost anything can be stored in it. It can be recycled and above all, i feel safe to store food in it.So that's it friends. I hope this article was helpful. Next time when your hubby tells you "What's the big deal about buying containers for kitchen?" , show him this post.
Leave a comment. Tell me what i have missed out. Share with me how you store things in your kitchen.
Great one Nitya!! Nice writing style!
ReplyDeleteHelped me lot, keep up the good work dear👍❤
ReplyDelete