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Raw Pet Food

A forum for raw-feeding families to chat, discuss, and learn!


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Timothea
Muse
Kelly
Heather
8 posters

    Plastic bags or containers?

    Heather
    Heather


    Posts : 237
    Join date : 2009-02-17
    Age : 37
    Location : O'Fallon, MO

    Plastic bags or containers? Empty Plastic bags or containers?

    Post  Heather Sun Apr 19, 2009 6:44 pm

    In my forever quest towards eco friendly I've given thought to using plastic gladware or similar containers in place of ziploc bags. Bones puncture the bags so easily, they leak all over the place when thawing, and can only be used 2-3 times before tossing. On the other hand, it's easier to store meats flat in the freezer so I can take out a piece at a time when I need to. Containers would be expensive upfront but worth it as they can be used over and over and over again for years. They can easily be sanitized, will never puncture or leak. However, I would have to compact meat in them and for odd pieces like ribs, upper/lower leg bones, heads, etc from the whole animals I buy there would be no applicable container I could use for storage in the freezer. What is everyone's thoughts on this?
    Kelly
    Kelly
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    Location : London, Ontario

    Plastic bags or containers? Empty Re: Plastic bags or containers?

    Post  Kelly Sun Apr 19, 2009 7:30 pm

    Hm. Good question.

    Well, I would say that then maybe MOST of the stuff could be in containers, and then only SOME of it (the awkward stuff) could still go in bags? Less waste, but I don't know that you could really get away from bags completely...

    UNLESS... you made a washable re-usable bag... perhaps of fleece? I don't think water goes through that easily, so maybe blood wouldn't either.
    Muse
    Muse


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    Join date : 2009-03-30
    Location : Sault Ste Marie, Ontario

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    Post  Muse Sun Apr 19, 2009 7:40 pm

    Do you worry about sealing the bags? You could use plastic grocery bags on the occasion you get them. Or put an ad out offering to take unwanted grocery bags? A lot of people hate remembering the reusable ones and keep using the plastic ones and they often pile up. I asked my mum if she had any kicking around for cat litter and she gave me about a thousand.

    To a limited extent they can sometimes be reused, and they help contain the mess of thawing. I've also been known to reuse giant ziplock bags, but they don't get terribly large and don't work for everything.

    Then there's always that red butcher paper stuff! Not so reusable as one might like, but it's better on the environment than plastic and you can buy giant rolls of it for large awkward items.

    That's the best I've got!
    Heather
    Heather


    Posts : 237
    Join date : 2009-02-17
    Age : 37
    Location : O'Fallon, MO

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    Post  Heather Sun Apr 19, 2009 7:49 pm

    Thanks for the replies. I think I will try and get containers for boneless meats and small things like chicken leg quarters, pork neck bones, rabbit, squirrel, duck, etc but then for the odd things I can buy the 2 gallon bags and use them. I'll try this out and let everyone know how it goes.
    Timothea
    Timothea


    Posts : 140
    Join date : 2009-02-21
    Location : Kitchener Ontario

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    Post  Timothea Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:41 pm

    I bought a roll of freezer paper when I got my 12lbs of meat, and forgot to buy freezer tape, so wound up using ziploc bags. They worked really well, and I can see what's in my freezer, and no way would I have fit it all if I used Gladware. If I thaw the meat before I give it to Charlotte (she eats most of her meals frozen, bless her) I take it out of the bag to thaw it, as it's easier to clean the bag for reuse that way, and I just wash out the bowl after. I guess the only responsible thing to do is to get a walk in freezer, hang carcasses inside and hack of what you want when you want it, oh well, in my next life maybe...
    Heather
    Heather


    Posts : 237
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    Age : 37
    Location : O'Fallon, MO

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    Post  Heather Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:44 pm

    Timothea wrote:I guess the only responsible thing to do is to get a walk in freezer, hang carcasses inside and hack of what you want when you want it, oh well, in my next life maybe...

    DON'T tempt me! Wink
    Kelly
    Kelly
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    Post  Kelly Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:45 pm

    GIANT FREEZER! I WANT!

    *has a naughty dream about the giant freezer she wants to run away with*


    .. we use dollar store plastic baggies... we waste a lot of them. Sad
    yassy
    yassy


    Posts : 28
    Join date : 2009-04-09

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    Post  yassy Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:37 pm

    I remember reading clever idea on storage in other list. this person bought shoe box and put meal in there and wash it clean when stuff is out and wipe and re-use it.
    Heather
    Heather


    Posts : 237
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    Location : O'Fallon, MO

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    Post  Heather Thu Apr 23, 2009 10:30 pm

    Yep. That was Giselle and I already hit her up for advice. LOL
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    steviesun


    Posts : 51
    Join date : 2009-06-21

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    Post  steviesun Mon Jun 22, 2009 6:36 am

    I use plastic bags. I take stuff out to defrost it and the bag goes straight back in the freezer until it's needed again. That has the added bonus that the empty bags help take up extra space that's left and reduce how much energy is needed to keep the freezer cold.

    Also, for little portions like organs and sardines, I reuse some of the packing left over from my boyfriend's business. They're like little plastic pillows when in use, we slice one side off and are left with a roll of little plastic bags. They're only any use for little things, but well, I hate throwing things away that haven't been used at least twice.

    Not quite sure how I'm going to reuse the fresh black bin bag I used to wrap the fawn up though.
    Siam
    Siam


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    Location : Massachusetts

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    Post  Siam Mon Jun 22, 2009 6:36 pm

    I have one big plastic bag full of all my meat (only feeding one cat so it's not a ton) and I defrost food in a plastic container because I was going through bags very fast and it was wasteful. I will still use them when I need to smash a wing or thigh.
    Heather
    Heather


    Posts : 237
    Join date : 2009-02-17
    Age : 37
    Location : O'Fallon, MO

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    Post  Heather Sun Jul 05, 2009 2:50 pm

    Well I am using my first container for meat storage. I had a large salad container sitting around that I found the lid to and used it to store about 9 lbs of chicken in to freeze. I would probably get smaller containers if I were to buy them and store like 1-2 days worth of food in but if I can reuse some stuff for free then I'll do it! Also cleaned out the freezer and tossed all leaky bags.. including my large 2 gallon ones *cries* and rolled up the rest by size and rubber banded them. They take up much less space now! Right now I have lots of liver, venison and 60 lbs of chicken quarters (I stocked up when they were still cheap 41c/lb) in the giant freezer as well as the mutton I have leftover. Fed thru all the beef and most of the pork necks. Added some squirrels to the smaller freezer and also a roadkill duck I picked up Thursday. I feel I need to feed thru this venison though before I post for more meat on CL. I am in the spring cleaning mood but it's summer! Rolling Eyes Thank goodness I have 2 dogs now!
    Giselle
    Giselle


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    Post  Giselle Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:35 pm

    Heather, I know we've talked about storage ideas before, but I had a thought.

    I do, occasionally, yanno! Laughing

    What about hitting up a couple few yard sales and picking up some used plastic containers? I don't 'do' yard sales regularly, I come back with too much stuff, but I have seen many types of reuseable plastic things there.

    A great way to remove residual staining and that greasy feel from used plastics is to fill a sink with hot water and to wash the plastics first with a good dish soap. Leave them in the water without rinsing and add a box or two (depending on how many you are washing) of baking soda. Agitate them and dissolve the baking soda - leave sit for 10 min., then do it again a couple of times. Drain and rinse.
    They should be clean, odor free and non greasy!

    If there's some stains, odor that didn't come out, you can use an all fabric bleach powder and a toothbrush or cloth to rub them away. Just wet the toothbrush or cloth, dip into the powder and scrub.

    I may not have mentioned in our previous discussion, Heather, that I also reuse plastic containers when I get stuff from the WaWa, Mickey Dee's or takeout meals from the local restaurants. The smaller containers, like fruit or yogurt cups and mac & cheese containers work well for storing Punkybutt sized meats (he's 10 lb, give or take a few oz). And the round dinner containers are often surprisingly sturdy. I'm storing beef hearts cut in half in several now.

    I prefer the plastic containers, but the cardboard and foil ones are good for one or two uses, too.
    Heather
    Heather


    Posts : 237
    Join date : 2009-02-17
    Age : 37
    Location : O'Fallon, MO

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    Post  Heather Sat Jul 25, 2009 4:46 pm

    Here's the bag vs container update.

    clicky

    I'll be adding to it as I redo the freezer. Smile So far I am loving the containers but certain things like anchovies are not fitting very well so I am having to keep them in quart bags.
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    steviesun


    Posts : 51
    Join date : 2009-06-21

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    Post  steviesun Mon Jul 27, 2009 5:46 am

    Heather, your blog post has given me a brainwave. I now have a way to transport in my cool box without getting blood everywhere those items that I like to feed every couple of days but that bleed EVERYWHERE. I will be cutting the tops off our 4 pint/2 litre milk bottles and popping them in there before into the coolbox.

    Thank you for the inspiration.

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