When, I buy chicken i get it on sale then stock up. Usually i put 2 breasts into Ziploc baggies and either put some in the fridge to eat within a couple days or freeze it.
do you all think it would be ok to put raw chicken in a re-usable containers and then wash and re-use or do you all think that's unsanitary.
i am trying to be more environmentally conscious and its a waste to use Ziploc bags and toss them out.
Those are great answers. I didn't think about freezer burn. I don't have a dish washer but wish I did. I have no room to put a dish washer even one of the ones that you can roll around. I will try all ideas and see what happens.
Thank you so much! I really really do appreciate it.
I don't think that it's unsanitary, but it's not as space-saving as the bags.
I reuse my bags. The ones for chicken, I mark with "Chicken" so they don't get used for anything else, even though they get washed.
I'd wrap in plastic wrap first and then store. If you just put them in a container where air can get to them, you'll get freezer burn.
You can also wash and re-use your Ziploc bags. I use the freezer ones several times before trashing them.
Consider using glass containers for freezing instead.
Most plastics emit chemicals when heated (like PVC) - wraps, bags and containers so you want to be really really really careful putting anything in the dishwasher, unless you opt not to use hot water or set to heat dry on your washer (which is why a lot of kid safe food containers and bottles are PVC free).
Soap works if used properly. Warm to hot water with soap will usually clean and sanitize anything. If you don't think it's clean then use a tablespoon of bleach in your wash or rinse water.
I think you can store them how ever you want. I don't reuse zip lock baggies, they are only a fraction of the cost of soap, water, the energy used to heat of the water, my time and energy washing dishes instead of simply tossing a bag that will eventually waste away....
I hate doing dishes and I can usually figure out how to rationalize not doing them...lol.
Yes it would be fine. Just wash the containers in the dishwasher.
You can wash out and re-use Ziploc bags - we do it all the time. A good grease-cutting detergent and hot water are fine, then hang the bag upside down (we use magnetized clips on the side of the refrigerator or just up-end the bag over a drinking glass. The bag is no less sanitary than the plastic container.
There is some concern about using plastic in the freezer as well as the microwave. It's pretty well established that water bottles should not be frozen and re-used. And if you buy big jugs of bottled water, you'll often see an expiration date on it! On the water??? It's got to be a combination of the plastic degrading and the water not necessarily being mold-free or bacteria-free. (I think buying water is one of the biggest marketing scams around - a huge environmental fiasco and a drain on consumer finances.) Anyway, a lot of people are switching to glass containers for freezing and microwaving. If you freeze or store in glass, just cover the chicken slices with wax paper and press out the air. (If you want to be really free of toxins, use natural, soy-waxed paper instead of standard waxed paper which has some petroleum products in it.
There's no question about glass being able to withstand high heats in microwaves or dishwashers.
A little off subject but if you like to buy in bulk, Google some freezer to crock pot recipes. They are AWESOME!!! So time saving. And you can make the food in the over/stove top, too.
I agree, should be fine. If you're still not sure put some bleach (just a little) in the dishwater.
When I put things like that in containers I still wrap in in wax paper or plastic wrap first.
I do this with all the meat I buy. Chicken, pork, beef stew meat, ground beef, etc.
I put the amount I want to freeze into quart size zip lock which I then squeeze the extra air out of, seal and then put a couple like that into a bigger zip lock. Not super eco friendly but also no freezer burn. So no wasted food.
I think if your rinsing and then washing in the dish washer reusable containers will be fine.
I have put raw chicken in reusable containers to freeze and then run them through the dishwasher just like any other dish. I try to avoid using plastic bags and when I do, I wash and reuse them.
I would think it would get freezer burned. What about white butcher paper? And tape it within masking tape.
I stock up on chicken, beef and pork.
I wrap each piece separately in saran and then store in the freezer in Freezer Ziplocs and pull what I need as I decide what I am making.
As for fresh, I don't keep a lot of fresh uncooked meat in my fridge but what is in there is simply in a Ziploc bag.
I see nothing wrong with putting your meats in a plastic or glass container and then run the container through the dishwasher when you are done. One downside to using containers is that you lose space in the fridge...
I like the convenience of Ziplocs and I use them all the time. I will only re-use a Ziploc if it is dry and has no residue from any meat in it. Example... everything I put in Ziplocs in my freezer are individually wrapped so when I empty a bag, I can easily just put new individually wrapped items in it because it has no residue.
