Ziploc Bags - Things You Might Not Have Thought About!

Dear Readers,

I use Ziploc bags all the time…so do you, probably. But here are some things you might not have thought about! I have used some of these tips and many others, and have noticed that they all will work better/best if you use the kind of Ziploc baggie, any size: sandwich, quart, gallon or two gallon with the squeeze style of seal instead of the kind with the little “zipper gripper”. I didn’t find that the zipper-gripper ones sealed as well or for as long. If you disagree, that is fine, use whatever works for you.

I forget where I found this list, but kudos to the author. Amazing what you can do if you just think about it! Makes you realize that you really DON’T NEED all those name brand, expensive, specific items. Just look in your kitchen!

In 1963 a unique bag with a plastic zipper seal was introduced at a packaging trade show. Most recently, the seal’s strength was demonstrated at a Riverton, Wyoming, school, where eighth-grade students discovered an uneaten sandwich in a Ziploc bag at the bottom of a locker. It had been there for months. Students were so impressed with the bag’s ability to seal in the odor (and mold growth) that they actually sent a thank-you letter (along with the sandwich) to the manufacturer, SC Johnson. In a letter back to the students, H. Fisk Johnson, the company chairman, called the locker “one of the toughest product test sites we’ve ever discovered.” Good thing Mom didn’t use wax paper!

Grandma

Kneading dough. You can place dough in a Ziploc bag so your fingers don’t get sticky. Or slip your hand into the bag and wear it like a glove.
Store panty hose. Nude, Tan, Nearly Naked — they look the same out of the package. Tear off the corner of the package listing the brand, size, and color, slip it into a bag. Store each pair in its own bag to keep hose organized and prevent snags. This is the best way to put your panty hose into the suitcase when you travel.
Remove chewing gum or candle wax from a tablecloth, a couch, or carpeting. Gently rub gum or wax with a Ziploc bag filled with ice cubes until the substance hardens. Shatter gum with a blunt object; vacuum up the chips. Carefully peel off frozen wax with a plastic spatula.
Pipe frosting. Snip off a tiny corner to use a Ziploc as a pastry bag. Yes, it works! I do it all the time! Squeeze gently; you do not want to make the hole larger than it is.
Store homemade soup. Fill up bags; lay them flat in the freezer. When the bags of soup freezes flat, you’ll be able to pile them up like stacked books for easy, space-saving storage.
Storing meats in the freezer and preventing freezer “burn” can be done with Ziploc bags. I buy the large economy size of meat, chicken breasts, thighs, or even hamburger and break it down to meal size servings. A sandwich size will hold two boneless chicken breasts or four/five thighs or a pound of hamburger. You could choose to pack larger quantities in quart size. Once you have everything portioned out, then place all of the same kind in a gallon Ziploc, remove the air and place in the freezer. You can go to the freezer and open the bag and replace the remaining in the freezer.
Protect precious cargo. No bubble wrap? Slip a straw into the top of a nearly closed Ziploc bag and inflate. Remove the straw and seal to make a cushion. Heirlooms, however, should wait for that bubble wrap.
Break up graham crackers or vanilla wafers to make a piecrust. Fill a bag with the cookies; roll a rolling pin over it. I find the gallon size work really well. You can make more than you need for one pie and store it in the refrigerator. Simply close and take the air out of the bag and roll it up. I have mine on the bottom compartment on the refrigerator door. Just refill it when ever you need more. If you don’t have enough graham crackers, simply add some Ritz style crackers and a bit of sugar to stretch, even saltines will do.
Making your own “shake and bake” is easy. Crush crackers, chips, bread crumbs or whatever you want to use to coat the chicken or pork chops, etc. into a gallon size Ziploc and add your herbs and spices. When you are ready to use, pour out amount needed onto a plate or cutting board and reclose the bag, roll up bag; take out the air and store in the refrigerator. You can store indefinitely and just keep adding to it whenever the contents get low.
Prevent a handbag from turning into a snow globe. Store pressed powder and other compacts in Ziploc bags.
Gather herbs from the garden. Before winter frost sets in, wash, pat dry, and freeze the herbs in Ziploc bags. Be sure to mark them with a black marker before you freeze.
Ice an injury. Fill a bag with ice cubes to create a cold compress. Crushed ice works great for this – I say from personal experience!
When you travel, separate out your daily vitamins or prescriptions in the snack size Ziploc bags. Then place the small size into a larger size and put in your carry-on suitcase. I don’t recommend putting them into checked luggage, if it gets lost or misdirected there may be some medications you need immediately.
Place your toothpaste, lotions, or anything that could leak into Ziploc bags before placing into your suitcase. This could prevent a big mess.
Fill small Ziploc bags with supplies for traveling in an auto with children. This could include crayons, wet-ones, Kleenex, snacks or anything else you could think of that might be needed.
If you do crafts and use small pieces; for instance in doing scrapbooking, then you might want to keep them in Ziploc bags.
School lunch money will fit in a snack size Ziploc and there would be less chance of your child losing it.
When traveling take your tea bags and sugar or powdered creamer along in a Ziploc bag. Most motels or hotels have a coffee maker and provide coffee. They however, do not provide tea bags. You can take the tabs off the tea bag and place it in the filter and run the coffee maker as though you were making coffee. Believe me it works, I am a tea drinker.

Here’s another fun use for Ziploc baggies:

Ziploc Ice Cream

1/2 cup whole milk or Half & Half

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla and/or other flavorings

Add ingredients to pint size Ziploc bag & seal.
Place that bag in larger Ziploc bag.
Add ice to fill larger bag halfway and 6 Tablespoons of salt.
Seal the outer bag. Now shake, turn, toss, & mix the bag.

In about 5-10 minutes you’ll have cold hands and yummy ice cream.

ZIPLOC OMELETS

This works great!!! Good for when all your family is together.

The best part is that no one has to wait for their special omelet!!!

eggs Have guests write their name on a quart-size Ziploc freezer bag with permanent marker.

Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into the bag (not more than 2) shake to combine them.

Put out a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper, tomato, hash browns, salsa, etc.

Each guest adds prepared ingredients of choice to their bag and shakes. Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up.

Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. For more, make another pot of boiling water.

Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily. Be prepared for everyone to be amazed.

Nice to serve with fresh fruit and coffee cake; everyone gets involved in the process and a great conversation piece.