Join the Reuse Revolution with Plastic-Free Stasher Bags
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Plastic-free, microwave friendly, dishwasher safe, oven strong, fridge and freezer-friendly and endlessly reusable: can your storage bag or box do all that? I, like most of the county, have a storage are in my kitchen just for plastic storage containers. I call it the Tupperware Cupboard of Doom. Every time I open it, they cascade out, I can rarely find the right size, and getting a matching lid and bottom is even harder than finding matching socks. So I’ve been eyeing up eco-friendly Stasher Bags as a possible solution for a while. But I wasn’t sure if they were worth the cost, even though they are better for the environment.
SaveMoneyCutCarbon have sent me a set of reusable silicone Stasher Bags to try out — so are they worth the money? And do they help save plastic in the kitchen? Read on to find out how I got on with these multi-purpose reusable plastic-free Stasher Bags.
What Are Stasher Bags, and What Are They Made Of?
Stasher bags are plastic-free reusable, self-sealing silicone bags. They come in a variety of sizes and colours, and won’t degrade over time. Stasher bags are designed to completely replace clingfilm, plastic freezer bags and plastic tubs, and are infinitely reusable.
They are suitable for the freezer, fridge, dishwasher, microwave, and a standard oven or pot of boiling water up to 200 degrees Celsius. I have been sent four different sizes to put through their paces.
So What Are They Made Of?
Stasher bags are made of pure platinum silicone, which is made from sand and oxygen, with no added fillers, polymers, or by-products, meaning they are plastic-free. That means they’re also free from BPA, BPS, lead and phthalates. As Stasher bags are non-toxic, they can be safely heated without the worry of chemicals leaching into the bag’s contents.
Stasher bags will last years and years if looked after properly. Don’t turn them inside out as this could damage the zip. If they do eventually break, Stasher will recycle them. They also have loads of ideas for how to reuse them as well.
What Can You Use Stasher Bags For?
You can use Stasher Bags in so many ways — over 50 in fact, according to their blog post detailing the uses. You can use Stasher Bags in the oven — up to 200 degrees C. You can use Stasher Bags in the microwave to defrost or cook: leave the zip slightly open to let steam escape. You can use Stasher Bags in the fridge and freezer, and they save so much space compared to a plastic tub.
So far, I’ve used ours for snacks and sandwiches in my daughters’ lunch boxes. (With strict instructions not to accidentally throw them away!) To store food in the fridge and in the freezer, and to pop popcorn in the microwave!
Use Stasher Bags in The Fridge
I took this Stasher Bag to our local greengrocers and they put the grapes straight in. I rinsed them, zipped the bag up, leaving a small opening, and shook over the sink to drain. Now they’ll keep fresh in the fridge, with no need for any packaging.
Use It to Make Popcorn!
I made popcorn in the Stasher Bag with a flat bottom. As the popcorn kernels I buy are from our local cooperative, which uses biodegradable bio plastic bags, it involves minimal waste. Here’s how to make popcorn in a Stasher bag:
- Pour about half a cup of popcorn kernels into the bottom of a Stasher Bag with a flat base.
- Add a tablespoon of sunflower or vegetable oil and shake around to coat the kernels.
- Zip up almost the whole way and microwave until it stops popping.
- Carefully open using oven gloves (the steam could scald you if you’re not careful!)
- Add your toppings and end enjoy.
Or leave it in the bag and take it with you for snacking on the go!
Use Them in The Freezer
We go through periods of eating loads of bananas, and some where we don’t eat them and they get overripe. That’s when it’s time to make a banana cake. But sometimes I don’t have time, so I freeze the overripe bananas to defrost when I need them. This means my freezer has quite a few boxes with dead bananas in them, taking up lots of space. Now, however, I can freeze them in a Stasher bag, which takes up far less space.
You can write on the bags with a white board pen. This means you can see at a glance what they hold.
Don’t forget to pop the banana peels in some water in a jar for a few days — it makes great natural plant food! And then put the peels in your compost or food waste bin.
You can easily use Stasher Bags to marinade meat and then cook it too, as they are oven safe.
How do You Wash Your Stasher Bags?
You can wash Stasher bags by hand, or in the dishwasher. I open them up a bit and pop them over the prongs in the rack. Most of mine go on the top rack but the biggest one goes on the bottom rack. That’s fine though, as Stasher Bags are safe for dishwashers, both bottom and top rack. They can absorb the orange tones from other things in the dishwasher, like plastic tubs. This doesn’t affect their use, but if it offends you, you can apparently clean them by soaking them in a 50/50 solution of warm water and white vinegar for a few hours. I haven’t needed to try that out yet though. Always dry your Stasher bags carefully on a draining board.
How They Save Plastic and Space in Your Kitchen
- Unlike plastic containers, there are no lids to loose. How many mis-matched plastic storage containers do you have in your cupboard?
- They take up minimal space in the container cupboard (heaven!)
- You don’t need to transfer food from dish to dish, as it can go in any cooking method.
- Use instead of a bowl and clingfilm to keep food fresh.
- Use instead of clingfilm or foil to keep sandwiches in a packed lunch fresh.
- Use to transport snacks and fruit in lunch boxes.
So Are Stasher Bags Worth It?
Stasher Bags are an investment. The small snack bag costs £9.60, going up to £17.40 for the largest and the stand up version. They can be used over and over, and over, meaning if you get enough use out of them, they will become cost effective. And they also have the not-to-be-underestimated bonus of saving a huge amount of single-use plastic. So far, they’ve apparently saved over 1 billion single use plastic bags from ending up in landfill or the ocean. In my opinion they are a great sustainable storage and food prep solution. They are also a great space saver in the fridge/freezer, and in the cupboard. It feels good to know I’ll never need to buy a single use sandwich bag ever again!
You can save money on a whole host of energy and money saving eco friendly products by joining the SaveMoneyCutCarbon club. You can also see my detailed review of this eco-friendly service here.
I hope you’re converted to plastic-free reusable bags like me, please spread the word and Pin this blog post!
