Saving Money and Food: Glass Jars Help Food Last Longer

Discover practical tips for preserving food and reducing waste in your home. Learn how simple changes can save money and keep your pantry fresh.

Preserving Food Saves Money

As a homemaker, there are numerous skills to learn, and one of the most valuable is knowing how to preserve food to prevent it from spoiling. This practice is one of the best ways to save money.

According to research, the average household in the United States throws away 30–40% of their food. This means that if a family spends $500 on groceries, they may discard food worth $150–$200. You can find great deals and bargains on your groceries, but if you can’t keep them fresh and use them, it won’t help your budget.

How I Keep My Food Fresh: Vinegar and Glass Jars

I have been researching and learning how to keep food fresh and have been very intentional about it. Here are some tips I follow to keep produce fresh:

• I wash all fruits and vegetables with vinegar. I use a large bowl of water with half a cup of vinegar, soak the produce for two minutes, then rinse and dry them for a couple of hours before placing them in the fridge.
• I’ve learned not to store anything in plastic bags or containers. Instead, I use glass containers or jars, as produce stays fresh longer in them.
• For dry foods in the pantry, like cereal or pasta, I also try to store them in glass jars. I use plain Mason jars of different sizes. There’s a much higher chance that bugs will enter plastic bags and cardboard boxes than glass jars.

Esthetician Pleasure and Healthy Choice

Additionally, cereal, beans, and chocolate chips look much better in glass jars. The boxes and food packaging often have loud colors and designs meant to attract attention in the store, but they create a cluttered feeling in my pantry. They are also bulkier and take up more space than the actual food inside them.

When I store food in glass jars, it appears more like real food to me, and I am more inclined to use it. Something about those jars helps me make healthier choices when I cook because they look so attractive.

I also think this is what my grandma would do if she wanted to save food. She wouldn’t put it in a plastic bag; she would keep it in a glass jar.