I am always trying my best to use my groceries up and minimize food waste. Part of that means figuring out ways to better store some of my groceries so that they don’t spoil or as in the case of bread- dry out as fast. Enter cotton grocery bags. Cory has a handful he has had this whole time, so I am not claiming this idea, just expanding on what we had. Mushrooms get pretty gross if stored in plastic as they often come at the grocery store and as we sometimes buy them at the farmer’s market or grow them, a bag for either occasion seemed a good idea as often as we have them. My friend Megan had given me mushroom patterned quilting cotton that I used most of in making a pair of pillowcases, so I used the rest to make 3 bags for keeping fresh mushrooms in the fridge. I bought pre-sliced chanterelles and they kept considerably longer than in the plastic! On this train of thought I also have been looking for the best way to store fresh baked bread. Cory has been a bread making machine for a few years now and I never know how to store it, especially his challah which is so large. It’s too big for a tea towel to wrap so I decided to look up how best to store it. Wouldn’t you know it? Cotton or linen is best, and I had cotton to use! So I made a long bag for challah with a strap across one end to tuck in the open edge and a smaller bag for his brioche he has started making. I love fresh bread! Other items that keep well in cotton - lettuces, potatoes, peppers, green beans, etc. plastic doesn’t let your produce breathe so cotton can be a nicer alternative!
