How to store homemade pasta sauces etc without staining the plastic pots?

Middy

I live alone and sometimes I cook enough for 2 or 3 meals worth of food.

The problem is most of the food I cook is either homemade curries or tomato based dishes - spag bol etc.

I store the uneaten portions in tuppaware pots in the fridge for up to 4 days before I use them.

When I have emptied the pot, I put it in the sink with water to let it soak.

I am still getting tomato and curry stains left. It looks that I have never washed them. It has happened with cheap pots I bought in £1 shops and expensive ones.

Is there a cheap way to prevent the plastic pots from turning orange or a cheap way of removing the stains?

Own_My_Own

Have you thought of putting a large piece of cling film in first. Even with this going over the sides the pot will still close.

sb44

Try rubbing vegetable oil all around the container, this helps prevent the staining.

maman

Middy wrote: »

I am still getting tomato and curry stains left. It looks that I have never washed them. It has happened with cheap pots I bought in £1 shops and expensive ones.

I use the cling film idea for freezing things when I don't want to leave the containers in the freezer (like portions of red cabbage). After freezing just take it out for a few minutes and when at room temperature you should be able to store the 'frozen, wrapped blocks ' of sauce on their own. As an extra precaution I sometimes wrap them in the bags from fruit and veg as well. I mainly do it to save space.

The flat, plastic containers with lids are (IIRC) 10 for £1. They stack really well in the freezer. Yes, they do stain after a while but at 10p each they're fairly expendable. I wonder whether it's cost effective to line them with cling fim?

Honeythief

I upgraded to glass containers and make a point of using them for storing tomato/turmeric things that will stain. Nicer to look at and eat out of, no plastic taint on the food when it's reheated in the container, and no stains. Brilliant!

Lots of people have concerns these days about reheating in plastic so I like to think I'm a bit safer too but that isn't a prime concern. We still use plastic containers for lots of other foods.

Linda32

I've found that it makes no difference to the price either.

On the same subject, I'm sure Lakeland sells a black plastic saucepan for cooking beans in the microwave. No MSE at all, obviously.

I would continue to use the same stained dishes for these sort of meals so it doesn't happen to more dishes. I have a special saucepan for cooking beetroot in :eek: I let it boil dry once

Or you could pour into a sandwich bag first then put in your plastic dish.

Or ignore it, I would do that but then maybe I'm skanky

hilstep2000

I buy the foil containers. You can freeze them fine and write on the lids. I buy two portion ones in Poundland, and the loveliest size 1 on Ebay, perfect for me (I live alone too)

bossymoo

Or use old margarine tubs?
And keep the orangey ones specifically for this?
Or, use cheap sandwich bags to line tubs. I do this when freezing things so once frozen I pop them out, they stack in the shape of the tub, and I can reuse tub for something else. Need labels for bags though, or its pot luck dinners

krlyr

I bulk-bought some cheapy plastic takeaway tubs for freezing stuff. I find that the HM bologneses etc. stain a lot less than the Dolmio jars and that, but still leave them a little orange. Soaking the tubs for a few hours then a good scrub with a sponge gets it off though - the soak is important. Rarely have any orangey tubs in the cupboard any more now!

peachyprice

Linda32 wrote: »

Or ignore it, I would do that but then maybe I'm skanky

This would be the most MSE option:money: and the one skanky me goes for everytime