The Treasure in Your Trash

Some of my very favorite pantry things are the two bivg boxes of glass jars and bottles that I’ve rescued from the garbage. I clean them up and remove the labels so they are like new. I noticed a long time ago that food lasts longer in glass than it does in plastic. I often decant food that is packaged in plastic into glass containers. Just say NO to random food clutter and all the mismatched packages that don’t seal properly. Those invite staleness and attract bugs, moths, mold, mites, and rodents. My pantry stays clean, organized, and fresh.

You can accumulate a nice collection of jars and bottles when you pay attention to what you throw away. Because we automatically discard these containers, we don’t usually stop to consider how useful a jar or bottle can be. Transforming a bottle or jar that was once destined for the recycle bin is very satisfying. You can outfit your entire pantry with recycled jars and bottles. Make sure to keep the original lids. Do remember to test the jar or bottle for airtightness first. Fill the container with water and shake it. If water droplets come out, it isn’t airtight.

To resurrect jars and bottles that were going to the trash, de-label, clean and sanitize them and put the lids back on. First, soak a bottle or jar in soapy water and use an abrasive sponge to scrub off the label. After the glass dries, apply a citrus-based solvent to remove any sticky residue. Peanut butter works well, believe it or not. If you have a dishwasher with a sanitizing cycle, run them through once or twice to remove odors. Or, you can fill them with boiling water. Let the jar or bottle completely dry before you put the lid on, otherwise it may mildew. Save only the bottles and jars that have airtight, continuous-thread, “screw-on” lids—lids that take almost a whole turn to tighten—and not those with lug-type, “quarter-twist” lids.

I must admit I am somewhat of a jar-o-holic. I admire my hodge-podge collection of rescued jars in the boxes. Some of them are quite beautiful, especially the bottles that once contained high-end liquor. This motley crew of mismatched yet similar containers arranged on pantry shelves looks like a work of art with many different shapes, sizes, textures, and colors. You can create matching labels for an orderly appearance. A set of similar jars has a pleasing presentation. I have a set of eight decorative sixteen-ounce honey jars, which I refill with the honey I buy in a one-gallon jar. A collection of resurrected airtight glass jars and bottles is a very handy and fun thing to have!