Martha Stewart's Smart Way To Reuse Takeout Containers For Pantry Organization

Who knew that a trip to the deli counter on your way home from work could net you more resources for your kitchen than just the oodles of noodles you're planning on serving tonight? Turns out, those plastic containers with lids are the real treasure in the deal. And that's not just our opinion. Homemaking guru Martha Stewart thinks so, too, according to the Martha Blog. For Stewart, those takeout containers work great when she needs to stash something, like salt or pepper. Basically, she stashes anything that doesn't usually come in large amounts. Makes sense. Outside of a chef in an industrial kitchen, who ever buys 25 or 30 gallons of salt?

Kidding aside, she's onto something when it comes to keeping the home organized — her kitchen, specifically, in this case. Spices need to be stored in airtight containers — for a couple of reasons, actually. Most spices will technically last in the cupboard for a couple of years, meaning you can't get sick from eating them once they expire. But they can lose their kick, making them less delicious and not as powerful for flavoring your dishes. As such, they're items that are best bought in small amounts. It's easier to use them up when you just buy a little at a time. Turns out the homemaking maven is onto something here.

On a related note, some spices are waaaay pungent. This is a great feature when you're cooking up something delicious. It's not so great when they're sharing their spicy goodness with the herbs around them. Putting them in plastic containers with fitted lids, like your leftover carryout containers, reins this effect back a bit. While there are plenty of genius ways to store spices without cluttering up your kitchen, this one is simple, affordable, and effective.

Those deli containers are good for more than just spice storage, though. Many of them are made in pretty decent sizes — 32 ounces or greater. That's a good size for leftover food storage. Leftovers need to be tucked away in the fridge in airtight containers (within two hours or less of a meal). We already know that those deli containers fit the bill in that regard. Buying a new set of 50 of those containers costs over $20. But there's no need to spend more cash on containers — just tap into the food storage hack of using leftover containers instead.

There's also no need to trade out containers when you get ready to put those leftovers in your lunchbox in the morning. Just pull your leftovers out of the fridge and go. And on a related note, many of your favorite make-ahead foods, like potato soup, mac and cheese, and bean dishes, ride well in takeout containers, so if you regularly do meal prep for the week, these work for that, too. In short, there are few better ways to make sure you get the most bang for your buck than by starting the cycle over again. That is, use those takeout containers once again to carry food you plan on eating later, just like when you acquired the containers the first time.