How to Reuse Yogurt Containers I

e crunchy set has been doing forever: save your yogurt containers. You get a reusable container when you purchase yogurt.

The best ones are the quart-size containers that come with tight-fitting lids. Recently, there are numerous manufacturers make delicious and healthy organic yogurt, and they pack it into nice sturdy plastic containers. If you prefer single-serving cups, those are usually sold without lids but they still have a bevy of household uses. The best part about saving yogurt containers is that they are stackable. If you always buy the same kind of yogurt, all the better. You're less likely to get stuck with containers and lids that don't match, in that case.

An added environmental bonus: local yogurt producers are popping up all across the country, so your yogurt has the potential to fit into a locavore food plan. In fact, there are so many uses of used yogurt containers. If you want to get started, wash out your yogurt containers and use them like this:

1. Use yogurt containers as measuring cups: 8 oz = 1 cup of liquid. There are 4 cups of liquid in a quart. If you're in a jam and don't have a clean measuring cup to your name, your yogurt containers are there for you.

2. You can use small yogurt containers as ice-cream molds: Do you know those baby-size yogurt containers that appear to be destined for the recycling or garbage bin? Squeeze an extra use out of them by using them as DIY ice-cream molds. Of course, 8 oz yogurt containers work fine, but the tiny yogurt containers make for daintier ice-creams. By the way, have you considered freezing homemade pudding in ice-cram molds? Um, I think you should do it now.

3. Use 1 quart yogurt containers as to-go containers at dinner parties and pot lucks: You know when you cook for a crowd and you'll never finish it all, but you just don't have containers to send the food home with guests? Right. If you had saved your yogurt containers, your guests would be walking down your custom stained concrete walkway with doggy bags.