Hi Honeys,
I'm a happy wee Rosie and all because of a new way to avoid using single use plastics in our kitchen ♼ We do try really hard to live a sustainable life, recycling as much as we can to avoid items ending up in landfill. Our everyday rubbish bin will only go out usually once a month, and even then it's never more than a third or so full. We're always looking for ways to reduce what goes into that general waste bin. We do like to use our recycling bins though 😊
With just a tiny extra effort most things can be recycled now and anything that can't we've been trying to just avoid buying them and to find better alternatives to use instead. Do you remember how excited I was honeys, to find those wonderful little reusable produce bags? We still love using them and wouldn't be without them now.💖
Which bring me to our latest effort to avoid single use plastic in our home...
Have you seen the silicone version of a zip lock bag honeys? There are at least two different versions I've seen online. One version acts exactly like a zip lock bag and closes in the same way by just firmly pressing the edges together.
The other version, the one we now have, closes by using a solid bar which slides along the top. Let's take a look shall we?
As thrilled as I am with this really useful silicone product, I'll admit I was disappointed that it was packaged in a plastic bag.
Surely the kind of consumer a product like this is marketed towards would be buying it because it provides a way to reduce the use of single use plastic? Doesn't it beg the question then honeys, since these bags would be washed before their first use anyway, why package them at all?
A Closer Look...
When removed from the packaging, the bags are made of a heavy silicone and seem to be good quality...
The bag was a little difficult to open at first, but this might just be newness I think and will probably get easier as the bags are used. When opened out the bag has a flat bottom which allows it to remain upright while being filled.
The bag is sealed using a solid "slider" which unfortunately appears to be made of plastic. I can't help it honeys, I'm rolling my eyes so hard here I'm practically staring at the back of my head 😐
Why plastic? It's very solid, this little slider, it might be acrylic or a poly-carbonate but it's still plastic and is the only thing I don't love about this little bag.
It's such a shame too, because it's the only negative I can find.
As you can see, a lot of thought has obviously gone into making this product and whoever is responsible really has made an effort to create an item that can do all of the assorted little jobs presently done by those pesky plastic zip lock bags.
Because they're airtight, these wonderful little bags could easily be used to extend the lives of sliced or chopped fruit or vegetables in the fridge. To transport sandwiches or salads to work for lunch or even to take along treats for furbabies on their walks 💖
Of course being waterproof too, you could also use them to store liquids such as soups, stocks or even to put together ingredients for a casserole or a hot pot all ready to be emptied into a slow cooker, pressure cooker or instant pot for a quick and easy dinner.
Built In Measuring Jug...
The front of the bag even has raised measurement guides allowing any ingredients added to be counted in cups, in millilitres and in fluid ounces. These little silicone pouches have the capacity to hold up to 4 cups, 1000 millilitres (1 litre) or 30 fluid ounces.
The instructions on the packaging of the bags, as you can see, don't recommend using them for oven or microwave cooking (that slider is plastic after all.) Although Matt on YouTube did make a very yummy looking cake in the microwave, using one of these silicone pouches by simply leaving the slider off.
They can be used to store foods in the freezer but only to a minimum of -18C.
So, lots of positives honeys and (for me anyway) there really is only one drawback and that's the plastic slider. These little silicone pouches are only £2 so for what they cost I think they're an awesome product.
If they can, over time, replace the mountains of boxes of plastic zip lock bags that get used once and binned, only to end up in our rivers and oceans, then they get my vote a hundred times over.
For quite a few years now we've been using the Ikea zip lock bags. They're made from a heavy, sturdy vinyl which lets me re-wash and re-use them countless times. It's been quite some time since we bought any actually so that system works but yes, I do love cooking with silicone.
My little silicone muffin cases that can be washed and re-used versus using paper cases? There's not even a choice to be made honeys.
Verdict...
Will we buy a couple more of these? I think we might honeys. Will I go crazy (almost) bulk buying in the way we did when we discovered the glass versions of the clip and lock dishes? No, I don't think we will. We use those glass dishes almost every single day and I love, love, love that we no longer have plastic tubs and containers in our fridge (or our cupboards!)
So, since the actual silicone zip lock bags/pouches (I think they're made by a company called Stasher?) can be used in the freezer and in the oven and don't have any plastic sliders I think I might just hang on till they become more available on this side of the pond.
Over to you honeys. Have you tried using these little silicone pouches yet? Are you trying to cut your use of single use plastics?
I hope you're having the best week dear ones, till next time, smile lots and hug even more 💖 Hugs always, Rosie xx
