Don't you have cats? Mystery solved.

You are not supposed to let your cats play in the freezer. Right? =}

Usually because I wasn’t the last one to tie the bag closed.

What I wonder about twist ties is this: when we buy grocery store lettuce the heads are secured with a long twist tie. Sometimes the tie is twisted closed (as expected) but more and more often the twist tie itself is tied in a knot. Different harvesters? No instructions to them? Not a big deal, just kind of weird that something so basic is used so differently.

I have now started to use plastic clips that snap closed from the dollar store instead of twist ties. So much easier, secure and of course reusable.

Nitinol? Memory metal?

Sometime ago, I visited a friend who worked for an interesting company which makes Nitinol. A metal which has been used in space crafts to expand solar panels without using motors.

dcarch

I have now started to use plastic clips that snap closed from the dollar store instead of twist ties. So much easier, secure and of course reusable.

Another mystery is where do all these clips go? I keep buying them but when I go to grab one, there aren't any left. You'd think when a bag they've been used on is empty, they would make their way back to the drawer I store them in. Nope.

When you find the missing socks, the twist ties will be there with them.

That's only one of the mysteries of the freezer. I never put anything in the freezer that isn't properly wrapped or tied off...and yet somehow, the bottom of the freezer drawer ends up collecting little bits of frozen broccoli or other random bread crumbs and such. How does that happen?

The other thing that makes us crazy is DH wraps the twist ties in one direction and I in the other, so when you go to untie the bread wrapper, we often end up going the wrong way first and making it tighter!

^^^^Annie we were the same way! I'd always have to do it backwards to the way I do it.

Thanks for the humorous comments! The freezer does need to be defrosted, so I'll find a bunch of peas along with some bread crumbs at the bottom when I do it.

Dcarch, I met Nitinol humans. PITA.

No more twist ties if I can help it. Sometimes they break after much use.

Instead, I twist, or fold bag tops over and use these:

And I always store bags of frozen veggies inside ziplock bags to prevent tearing and keep them from picking up off flavors. I've noticed some bags of frozen veggies have perforations in them.

I was going to say exactly what Carolb said. I store my food in extra large Ziploc bags. I wash and reuse them as well. I even double bag often. I put my peas and corn as they get used into the same Ziploc bag. It's harder to lose a ziplock bag. :-)

I was going to say exactly what Carolb said. I store my food in extra large Ziploc bags. I even double bag often. I put my peas and corn as they get used into the same Ziploc bag. I wash and reuse the bags as well. It's harder to lose a ziplock bag. :-)

I use Ziploc freezer bags or Foodsaver bags or both for storing food in the freezer.

To close other bags, I use binder clips that I buy at Staples. You can get a bunch of them for cheap, and they last longer than the plastic clips.

My brother also twists the twist ties in the opposite direction from me, and so I do end up twisting them tighter when I try to untwist them. This is one of the reason I switched to binder clips.

Wait! What? You have to defrost your freezer? How old is it? Time for a new energy efficient one, jasdip!

Oh and I use clips too, or plastic ziplocks, although I am trying to cut down drastically on plastic (an almost impossible task).

Cyn, this is my chest freezer. I've never heard of a frost-free one.

I use clothespins. I keep the extras in a cup in the freezer door. Works well.

I have now started to use plastic clips that snap closed from the dollar store instead of twist ties.

the closest dollar store is 50 miles away. It would be a royal PITA if I had to go to a dollar store to close a bag.

I'm with Lars on the binder clips. We started using them when the kids were still home. They're great for bags of snacks, cereal and frozen foods. I think they stay in place better because they don't have a handle that sticks out.

Annie and Jasdip, at least your DH’s actually knew how to operate a twist tie. Mine thinks a twist of the bread wrapper, tuck it under and you’re good to go.

I too put open bags of frozen things in a ziploc bag or use my vacuum sealer.

Yep, binder clips.

I double bag with a ziplock bag or use a binder clip. I got 2 dozen clips in a ziplock bag from the thrift store for a $1. I can't do twisties anymore.

Mystery for me is why cars are made to go 120 when speed limit is 65.

I put frozen vegetables, still in the bag, in Tupperware. Haven't had problems with bread ties but those little plastic tab ones break before the bread is gone. Chips and any bagged pantry items that don't go in Tupperware are clipped shut. Things like hot dogs and meats that I freeze get wrapped individually in plastic wrap before being put in Tupperware or Zip Locks. Who ever gave the hint about wrapping bead portions (like hot dog/hamburger buns before putting an a zip lock or other bag, thank you. It works!

Packaging today drives me mad. And the caps on some products are so hard to open. If I lived alone, I don't know how I'd do it. Pom and OJ bottles, in particular, are so difficult to twist and I don't have arthritis.

I buy small metal clamps from Home Depot for use in the kitchen. They cost 60 cents each and have much more clamping power than other clips.

Home Depot

Our freezer is very old and needs defrosting too...good thing as it forces us to look at what we have in there! But we talked to the appliance guy who said if it's still running, leave it be. The new ones are @#$! And it takes forever to get one anyway.

I even use a teeny binder clip to re-close a foil package of Salonpas pain patches. Each pouch has 20 little patches.

With frozen vegetables, I notice that only the 'Steam In' variety have sturdy bags. I don't cook that way, but the vegetables in them are in better condition than those in flimsy bags.

Freezers that do not defrost, keep food fresh longer. You can still buy the chest freezers that are energy efficient that do not have automatically defrost. I can go several years without needing a defrost on my two freezers BTW. So, not really that big of a hassle.

graywings, you can buy little clips like that at Dollar Tree in their craft section. I never thought to use those in place of twist ties! Good idea!

Am I the only one who uses rubber bands?

You can get a lb of assorted rubber bands cheap. Takes very little room to store, reusable and fits all kinds of bags.

dcarch

No, i also use rubber bands for everything in pantry and freezer.

Me too! Rubberbands seem to freeze fine and remain reusable.

I like the idea of storing the opened and shut half-used bags of veggies - and fruit - in another container.... zip or box. It would make finding all those little bits easier to find if all in one place.

But we talked to the appliance guy who said if it's still running, leave it be.

I have heard that there is an enormous difference in energy consumption between old refrigerators/freezers and new ones?

I also use rubber bands, but mostly on bags of flour or rice, until I transfer the contents to a large jar or other container. Once I transfer the flour to a container, I cut out the label (including expiration date) from the package and tape that onto the jar or container. For things like rice, sometimes I just put the cutout on top of the rice before I close the container. I do this for pasta and including the cooking time instructions. I do store a lot of things in the freezer in jars, such as yeast and whole wheat flour.

Heavy duty rubber bands of all sizes. Quart ball jars in the pantry for ease of grab-n-use. Re-fill as needed from the air tight grain crate of rubber banded bulk bags. Most in the freezer depending how often they are used. Especially oily nuts and seeds.

I clip the labels as well and tuck into the inside of the jar.. I like to know the brand in case one is not as good as another. ---i have three brands of sesame seed at the moment for some reason and one is far superior than the others.

Every Fall, and already happened, i buy a bag of frozen peas, baby limas, shelled and whole in pod edamame. Good winter grabs. Once open i rubber band an into a gallon zip-lock.

Yes, Lucille, new freezers are supposed to be more energy efficient but the frost free less so than the manual defrost kind.

Refrigerant used for old freezers may be harmful to the environment.

Many towns/cities have special requirements for the removal of refrigerators and air conditioners.

dcarch