blue artichoke

Reading through some old cooking magazines, I came across a really interesting product test by Cook’s Illustrated (September/October 2005): plastic bags. There have been several innovations in plastic bag closures, but are they just marketing? Sort of. The old twist-tie bags don’t do a good job at all of keeping moisture in or odors out. Not surprising. The slide zipper-close bags are better, but leave a tiny opening around the zipper, allowing for airflow. The best plastic bags are those with a double groove seal that you press together. These form an airtight seal. The other factor affecting plastic bag performance is the thickness of the plastic. “Freezer” bags are generally thicker than “storage” bags, but not by much. The top recommended bags by the testers at Cook’s Illustrated are Glad Freezer Zipper Bags, which were the second-thickest bags tested and have an airtight and watertight zipper groove seal, and Hefty OneZip Storage Bags, whose zipper seal is watertight (though not completely airtight). Ziploc brand bags had consistently poor ratings. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

Finally, with that very important food storage question settled, I’m hoping to find a plastic wrap that will actually stick to plastic.

Dinner last night: cashews
Dinner tonight: leftover meatloaf (made by Blue Grilled Cheese) and pierogies