Plastic Wrap

[Sangre]

Thanks for your information about plastic wrap. When I buy cheese, I don't have much choice about how it’s wrapped. But at home, how do I store it?

[Rebecca]

Sangre,
Good question.
1. Favor cheese with a rind as the rind protects it from dehydrating.
2. Discard the plastic wrap. Wrap cheese in waxed paper or butcher paper, then place this in a plastic bag..
3. Purchase small amounts of cheese for "short" versus long storage.

See http://rwood.com/Articles/Healthy_Cookware.htm

[Cesca]

Yes I've been reading about the toxins in plastic wrap or cling wrap. and I'm very concerned about this. It really made me sick thinking of how long I've been using plastic wrap. And I also have an electric steamer which is all plastic so I guess I'll have to discard that to.

Storing Cheese---Anyway I've been brushing on organic butter over the whole piece of cheese to keep it from drying out and then wrapping it in wax paper and it seems to be working. From time to time you'll have to brush it down again.

Small glass containers---Now I've been collecting small candy dishes and small sauce pans to store my leftovers or sauces in. I also had small 1-2 cup sauce pans by Corning that I never used and now I'm using them all the time.

Vision Cookware---I also received a Vision cookware set as a gift, and I said when will I ever use these so I carefully tucked them away. I better pull them out and start cooking with them.

Thrift Stores---I'm finding a lot of small dishes with lids by Corning, and Vision Cookware at these stores and garage sales. Found a beautiful Corning loaf pan for baking bread. I'm hope I can fine another one for I bake all my breads from scratch using organic whole-grains, which I mill.

Over the past year I've also been collecting glass gallon jugs and large storage tins so I can store all my grains and herbs. Instead of storing them in plastic buckets.

Gallon Wine jugs---I also want to start collecting these bottles so I can store my water for an emergency or traveling and camping. I've done pretty good collecting all these items and making a gradual change.

Now that I've made the switch to glass in preserving my foods I fine that my foods are keeping much longer being stored in glass. What a difference glass storage dishes have made.

Toxins---Since were talking about toxins I just read about the high concentrations of DDT found in Green teas and black teas coming from China. Any comments on this? Are there any Green teas that we can buy that are not sprayed with DDT or pesticides of any kind?

Sincerely Cesca

[Rebecca]

Thanks, Cesca, for your comments.

That's interesting that your glass-stored foods are keeping better than those stored in plastic.

Regarding tea, fortunately an excellent selection of organic green and black tea is available.

And you don't have to throw away your rice-steamer (the odds of it reaching unsafe temperatures are negligible). Or, you can "Google" to find stainless-steel rice steamers...and expect them to be more pricy than the conventional steamers.

Take care,
Rebecca

[Cesca]

Thank you Rebecca

For the info...on the vegetable steamer. I was just getting ready to donate it to a local thrift store.

Here is another tip for preserving cheese.

CELLOPHANE BAGS---I started using cellophane bags from organic corn chips---I just wash out the bag with Bi-o-clean Hand Dishwash Liquid. It leaves no residue or bad chemical taste on what ever your cleaning. Cellophane bags make wonderful storage bags for cheese. I got the idea when I had bought some organic pre-sliced cheese and had notice it was package in a small cellophane zip lock bag. Normally I buy my cheese in 2lb. blocks so the little cellophane bags would not do. When I emptied the last of my corn chips I decided to wash and keep these bags for storing cheeses and other foods. The corn chip cellophane bags are large gallon size bags.

STORING CHEESE---I wrap the cheese in wax paper and slip into a large cellophane bag. Using a clamp to seal the bag.

Cesca

[carolavis]

An article in the Tidings stated that 97% of the riboflavins are destroyed when cooking broccoli in the microwave. Boy, I have been using the microwave and plastic for many years. Can this be true?

[pincplastic]

Instead of storing them in plastic buckets. collect glass gallon, jugs and large storage tins to store all my grains and herbs.

________________
Plastic training

[Rebecca]

Sangre,
Good question.
1. Favor cheese with a rind as the rind protects it from dehydrating.
2. Wrap it like your grandmother did, in waxed paper or butcher paper.
3. Place cheese in a food storage container into which it snuggly fits.
4. Plan for "short" versus long storage.
5. Favor a less reactive plastic bag, over plastic wrap.