How Should You Store Food Containers to Prevent Musty Odors and Stains?

The way to keep storage containers from developing a musty smell is to leave the lid slightly ajar rather than fully sealed, or to keep the container nested inside another container in the cupboard. Moisture builds up inside a tightly sealed empty container over time, and that moisture can turn into a moldy smell. Keeping lids in their own compartment, separate from the containers, both lets the containers nest more neatly and cuts down the time spent hunting for the matching lid. Drying containers completely before putting them away is another simple step that prevents that musty smell; a damp container left sealed in the cupboard for hours traps that moisture smell inside itself. How can you tell it's time to replace a storage container? If the surface of a plastic container has deep scratches, or its lid no longer sits properly, the container has lost its reliability for hygienic storage; residue trapped inside the scratches may not wash out fully. A container with a lingering smell that survives repeated washing should also be replaced. With glass containers, the biggest risk is cracks along the rim; even a small crack lowers the container's resistance to heat. How should containers be nested? Plastic containers of different sizes take up far less cupboard space when nested largest to smallest. Storing the lids upright in their own box, like books on a shelf, means you can see them all at once instead of digging for the right one. Marking each lid to match its container's size makes finding the right pair much faster, especially when several similar sizes from the same brand are mixed together. How can you stop foods like tomato sauce from staining containers? Colorful, oily foods such as tomato sauce, roasted peppers or red pepper paste can leave a permanent stain on plastic; rinsing the container with cold water for a few minutes before washing it cuts down considerably on staining becoming permanent. Wiping the inside with a thin layer of oil before use has the same effect. If a stain has already set in, leaving the container in the sun for a few hours, or filling it with baking-soda water overnight, can fade it considerably; hot water isn't recommended, since it can drive the stain deeper into the plastic. Do glass containers need different storage from plastic? Glass containers don't hold onto stains or smells the way plastic does, and most are safe in the microwave and dishwasher. On the other hand, glass is heavy and can shatter if dropped, so it is safer to store it at an easy-to-reach, stable height rather than on a low shelf. Standing glass containers side by side, or with a cloth between them, rather than wedging them tightly into one another, stops them from knocking together and chipping the rims when lifted out. Where should wrapping materials like plastic wrap and foil be kept? Plastic wrap and aluminum foil cut more easily and don't stick to themselves at the edges when kept in an upright drawer away from heat and moisture. Plastic wrap left near the stove tends to soften over time and stick to its own box. In short, the rule for storage containers is to leave the lid slightly ajar, nest containers largest to smallest, and rinse colorful foods off with cold water before washing. Glass needs less upkeep but should be placed more carefully because of the risk of breaking if dropped.