If you've ever despaired over a jar of spice that has clumped together before the best-before date, silica gel packs just might be the perfect solution.
The scoop
A poster on the r/smoking subreddit shared a handy hack for anyone who wants to make their herbs and spices last longer.
Smoking foods has seemingly surged in popularity, with many people putting their culinary skills to the test by smoking meats and veggies at home. Whether you're out smoking on the grill every weekend or only cook when you have to, you can extend the lifespan of your herbs and spices simply by putting a silica gel pack into your spice jars.
Silica gel packets, which often come with new purchases, are usually thrown away immediately. However, this hack prevents spices from clumping together after they've been exposed to moisture.
How it's helping
First and foremost, this hack can extend the shelf life of your seasonings, which will prevent you from having to throw out spices that are still good and save you money on grocery bills.
Silica gel packets are often included with clothes, shoes, and electronics to absorb moisture and keep your purchases dry. However, they usually end up in the trash straight away. Silicon isn't biodegradable, so it sticks around for hundreds of years and can be harmful to wildlife.
Instead of throwing out the silica gel packets that come with your next purchase, you could try this hack instead. By increasing the life cycle of one of these pouches, you stretch the time it takes for it to end up in a landfill.
What everyone's saying
Commenters praised the hack for its ingenious reuse of the pouches, though some people were concerned that their spices could be contaminated.
One user reassured their fellow Redditors by saying, "They're food safe as long as they're not broken."
Another person added: "Yes, do not eat silica beads. That's why they're in the paper packets. They're perfectly safe as long as they're not broken open. There are thousands of food and medicinal items that are sold with these packets inside."
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
"Works wonders, especially for things that are very hygroscopic, such as garlic or onion powder," someone else concluded.
|
When you think about a product's packaging, which of these factors is more important to you?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
The way it looks 😍 
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
