In my friend’s comment yesterday, she alluded to the troubling issue of plastics and food storage. I’m glad she did because this topic has been on my mind for awhile now.

Plastics are somewhat of a four-letter word in our house. As I’ve learned more about BPA and phthalates, I’ve switched from plastic food containers to (glass) Pyrex; discarded my old Nalgene; tossed out plastic sippy cups and replaced them with sturdy glasses from Crate & Barrel; and spent good money on cloth or wood toys to replace plastic ones I tucked away. I buy unbleached wax paper bags for school lunches and think twice before using the microwave. When I do use it, I never cover foods with plastic wrap.

But I’m stumped for a good replacement for zip-top plastic bags when it comes to freezing foods for the winter.

I do my best to minimize our exposure to any chemicals that might leach out of them upon heating (when transfer is the worst, I’m told) by trying to let foods cool before bagging them. Later, when I remove the bag from the freezer, I cut open the plastic bag and heat the contents on the stovetop, rather than placing the bag in hot water or in the microwave. Still, I worry about the plastic.

Anyone else concerned? Any thoughts on good substitutes for food storage?