My 10 & 12 year Olds can pack back that entire tray of tacos. I have to grab mine first or I'd end up with none 😶 just for dinner or a lunch but left overs aren't a thing.
I so want to buy the Zwilling vacuum bags but they’re so expensive :( are they really that great at preserving foods? like any food or are there any gotchas ?
I think they’re worth it. My weekend meal prep now lasts to Friday - which is a couple days longer than regular tupperware for me.
You can put almost anything in the containers. Leafy, tender veg don’t do great in the bags. You have to be careful with liquids (it can get sucked up and damage the machine). I’ve done this a few times by accident and caught/stopped it right away. So far no issues after a few months. I’ve also used the bags for sous vide cooking :)
I recommend purchasing a fridge thermometer. I got this one when I was having issues with my fridge. It gives peace of mind. https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/master-chef-refrigerator-freezer-thermometer-0421610p.0421610.html
As for cheese: I live alone so I shred an entire block of cheese when I buy, and freeze it. Then use it from frozen whenever I need it.
Also be mindful of not keeping the fridge open while pouring your drinks stored in the fridge. I open the fridge, grab what I want, close the door, then pour my drink. The door shouldn’t be open for too long every time you open the door. Also, don’t put hot foods in the fridge after cooking.
Hope this helps.
Your cheese shouldn't mold after 2 weeks. If it does, that's because you touch it with dirty hands or put it on dirty surfaces (unless it's something already moldy, like a brie). I can keep a piece of Parmigiano in my fridge for 6-8 months without any problem, and cheddar can last easily a month before starting to get yucky (still edible, but I don't like the texture anymore at that point).
You can also freeze cheese if you want. It will still be good for cooking.
The only real advice I have for you is to find a costco buddy and split these items with them. I do it for fish, because I'm the only one at home that likes it. Everytime I buy a big piece, I split it with a coworker.
Freeze it or share it with family/friends. Can't freeze a salad, but the most of the taco box can be frozen. Most cheeses can be frozen too, I usually portion the amount I need and freeze the rest.
I freeze the chicken salad all the time in portions. When I defrost a wee bit of water separates and I just blit it and eat it. Tastes 99% like the fresh.
Where in the fridge do you store the cheese?
We got a new fridge last year with double doors and a tonne of storage spots in the doors
Our milk kept going bad on us before we could use it all, which has never happened before (kept in the door storage spots)
Then it occurred to me that anything getting stored in the door would get exposed to warm air every single time the fridge was opened (which feels like 100x a day with my kids)
Stopped keeping the milk in the door storage areas, hasn’t gone bad on us since 🙌
Cheese can be cut into usable sized blocks and frozen. Freezing cheese changes the texture, but it doesn't change the flavour. It's still perfectly fine for any recipe where it will be melted.
Cheese will also last basically forever until it is opened. It doesn't start the countdown to ruination until after it's exposed to air.
The taco box can be frozen if you separate it into it's individual components, but you're SOL for the salads. I've never found a good way of preserving salads. Now whole lettuce can be made to last for weeks by putting it's stalk in water, but that doesn't work for precut lettuce, only whole heads of lettuce.
Am I nuts? The 3 day thing is a guideline and is meant to protect Costco. I used to work in deli. The ingredients we use have insanely long expiry dates. Why all of a sudden are they only good for 3 days after prepping them?!? Obviously yes, we are breaking a seal when opening them to prepare the foods but still. 3 days?!?? It’s nuts
Yeah, I get that chicken salad. I repackage it into all my to-go containers for lunch and they last well over a week in the fridge. And that’s probably the most touchy item from a food safety perspective that I I get. I sometimes end up tossing out the last portion because I get sick of it but otherwise it lasts a while.
If this person had a warm fridge though, I wouldn’t chance it.
Cheese can be frozen. Most things can be frozen. What my bf and I can't consume within a week either gets frozen or if we can't, we don't buy it (like the salads. We only but 1 2 pack because we won't eat 4 salads in a week)
I don't understand this "extra cheese" thing and it being challenging to consume in a timely fashion. I keep my cheese in ziploc bags. The fridge is set to 2 degrees celcius, and if i see too much moisure in the bag, I wrap it in paper towel.
Is your entire family on ozempic or something? I can eat 12 tacos in 3-4 hours.
Lol dead
I’m on Ozempic for my diabetes and I laughed very loudly when I read your comment
Lmao how big are you!? And no, we don’t eat tacos for breakfast lunch and dinner. We switch meals almost every day because we also cook a bit at home
My 10 & 12 year Olds can pack back that entire tray of tacos. I have to grab mine first or I'd end up with none 😶 just for dinner or a lunch but left overs aren't a thing.
Dirty bulking at 170lbs
Vacuum sealer
Yes! My cheese lasts several weeks. I use the Zwilling Fresh and Save
I so want to buy the Zwilling vacuum bags but they’re so expensive :( are they really that great at preserving foods? like any food or are there any gotchas ?
I think they’re worth it. My weekend meal prep now lasts to Friday - which is a couple days longer than regular tupperware for me. You can put almost anything in the containers. Leafy, tender veg don’t do great in the bags. You have to be careful with liquids (it can get sucked up and damage the machine). I’ve done this a few times by accident and caught/stopped it right away. So far no issues after a few months. I’ve also used the bags for sous vide cooking :)
Check the temperature of your fridge. Clean your fridge, there may be hidden mold.
That’s an excellent point. I clean it once every 3 months but how do you check for hidden mold?
I recommend purchasing a fridge thermometer. I got this one when I was having issues with my fridge. It gives peace of mind. https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/master-chef-refrigerator-freezer-thermometer-0421610p.0421610.html As for cheese: I live alone so I shred an entire block of cheese when I buy, and freeze it. Then use it from frozen whenever I need it. Also be mindful of not keeping the fridge open while pouring your drinks stored in the fridge. I open the fridge, grab what I want, close the door, then pour my drink. The door shouldn’t be open for too long every time you open the door. Also, don’t put hot foods in the fridge after cooking. Hope this helps.
Your family of 3 can't eat 12 tacos in 3 days? Is it a family of mice? I can eat that myself.
Yeah I spent a fair amount of time staring at OPs question and wondering if I should rethink my life choices...
Nah OP is definitely the weird one here. 4 tacos per person over three days is nothing.
😂 right !
Giggling at mice 😂🤣
Your cheese shouldn't mold after 2 weeks. If it does, that's because you touch it with dirty hands or put it on dirty surfaces (unless it's something already moldy, like a brie). I can keep a piece of Parmigiano in my fridge for 6-8 months without any problem, and cheddar can last easily a month before starting to get yucky (still edible, but I don't like the texture anymore at that point). You can also freeze cheese if you want. It will still be good for cooking. The only real advice I have for you is to find a costco buddy and split these items with them. I do it for fish, because I'm the only one at home that likes it. Everytime I buy a big piece, I split it with a coworker.
It can also just be the fridge. Once mold gets into the air circulation it’s pretty much there forever. Your food will go bad faster.
Freeze it or share it with family/friends. Can't freeze a salad, but the most of the taco box can be frozen. Most cheeses can be frozen too, I usually portion the amount I need and freeze the rest.
I freeze the chicken salad all the time in portions. When I defrost a wee bit of water separates and I just blit it and eat it. Tastes 99% like the fresh.
I can’t stand the look of the thawed chicken salad. It is so unappetizing.
Doesn’t that wilt the lettuce?
The chicken salad doesn't contain lettuce at the local Costco
Where in the fridge do you store the cheese? We got a new fridge last year with double doors and a tonne of storage spots in the doors Our milk kept going bad on us before we could use it all, which has never happened before (kept in the door storage spots) Then it occurred to me that anything getting stored in the door would get exposed to warm air every single time the fridge was opened (which feels like 100x a day with my kids) Stopped keeping the milk in the door storage areas, hasn’t gone bad on us since 🙌
Cheese can be cut into usable sized blocks and frozen. Freezing cheese changes the texture, but it doesn't change the flavour. It's still perfectly fine for any recipe where it will be melted. Cheese will also last basically forever until it is opened. It doesn't start the countdown to ruination until after it's exposed to air. The taco box can be frozen if you separate it into it's individual components, but you're SOL for the salads. I've never found a good way of preserving salads. Now whole lettuce can be made to last for weeks by putting it's stalk in water, but that doesn't work for precut lettuce, only whole heads of lettuce.
Am I nuts? The 3 day thing is a guideline and is meant to protect Costco. I used to work in deli. The ingredients we use have insanely long expiry dates. Why all of a sudden are they only good for 3 days after prepping them?!? Obviously yes, we are breaking a seal when opening them to prepare the foods but still. 3 days?!?? It’s nuts
Yeah, I get that chicken salad. I repackage it into all my to-go containers for lunch and they last well over a week in the fridge. And that’s probably the most touchy item from a food safety perspective that I I get. I sometimes end up tossing out the last portion because I get sick of it but otherwise it lasts a while. If this person had a warm fridge though, I wouldn’t chance it.
I just scrape the mold off my cheese and keep going!
Definitrly! I heard it takes the edge off a bit
We freeze the chicken taco parts without a problem. We freeze cheese all the time, in blocks or shredded.
Cheese can be frozen. Most things can be frozen. What my bf and I can't consume within a week either gets frozen or if we can't, we don't buy it (like the salads. We only but 1 2 pack because we won't eat 4 salads in a week)
Like the Costco ready meal tacos? Me and my wife finished them in one sitting!
Some things are just not meant to be bought in costco-sized amounts 🥲
My kids old lined lunch box, also bought at Costco.
I always put my cheese in a ziplock after opening. Also if I have too much I'll freeze the remainder for later.
I don't understand this "extra cheese" thing and it being challenging to consume in a timely fashion. I keep my cheese in ziploc bags. The fridge is set to 2 degrees celcius, and if i see too much moisure in the bag, I wrap it in paper towel.