If you re-use glass food containers (e.g., pasta sauce jars), I have a question

[melissel]

How do you get the odor of the previous food out?

 

I'm working my way toward going GF, so I have lots of smaller amounts of things like xanthan gum and tapioca starch and sweet rice flour. I'm wanting to re-use my glass jars to store these, but no matter how many times I scrub the jars and run them through the dishwasher, I can still smell the original food. I suspect the problem is in the lids, but I'm not sure.

 

Is there a way to get the smell out, or does it not really matter? I'm worried about mold and about taste transference, but I can let that go if, in others' experience, neither is really an issue.

 

TIA!

[Orthodox6]

I wash the jars/lids in the dishwasher, then check for thorough cleanliness. (If the original product was tomato-based, the lid may be too hard to clean, even by hand.) Then I set the jar and lid (open) to sit overnight and "air out" to become absolutely dry. Last step, I insert a paper napkin (or paper towel piece) and close the jar. . . . Been doing this for several years.

[SonshineLearner]

I saw some lovely glass containers made for food storage at Costco. (they have plastic lids) I would have purchased them, but I had just purchased exactly the same ones... but in plastic... (URGH!) I had been holding out so long... and it would have only been another couple of weeks.

Anyway, besides that.... it is the lids.. and the glass a bit.. that retains the smell. I suggest washing out in the dishwasher... and leaving the lid off. If you can do the spaghetti jars... with fresh canning lids that fit.. that's the easiest. Also, at Wal-mart, I believe, I purchased plastic lids that go on the canning jars... Perfect. (The have small and large ones)

:)

[Carol in Cal.]

If it's in the glass, if you can find powdered bleach you can fill a jar with very hot water, drop in a pinch of bleach powder, and it will foam and clean the jar completely (this is also the most effective way I know of to get stubborn coffee stains out of a coarse mug.) But I don't think that you can do this with the lids. I think it would ruin them.

 

For things like grains and flours, I usually store them in canning jars. The pint size wide-mouthed ones are really good. They can be thoroughly cleaned, they seal perfectly, the lids are replaceable, and they stack. There are also wide-mouthed quart jars and half and full gallon ones for bigger amounts. They are not free like pasta sauce jars, but they are so much better and really not terribly expensive. This time of the year or a little later you can find the larger ones. They tend to be seasonally available, so stock up when you find them in the stores. I get mine at a hardware store.

[BridgeTea]

Garlicky dill pickles are great. Reusing the jars from them, not so great! I think the lids are the real culprits, too.

[fairfarmhand]

have you tried baking soda? Scrub with a paste of it and let it sit. Or try some vinegar.

[mcconnellboys]

I run everything through the dishwasher (multiple times, if necessary)....

[Wheres Toto]

For smells I usually use baking soda and vinegar. Sprinkle baking soda inside and on the lid, then add vinegar. It will bubble up and can usually remove some pretty strong smells.