Itâs Grocery Month at Epicurious, and weâre thinking about super-fast checkout lines, alternative mylks (not a typo), and the cheapest bottles of olive oil (and wine). Check out the complete series .
Anyone that’s discovered tomato paste in a tube
The Epi team’s love of tube foods is so great, in fact, that it made us start thinking about what other groceries we would like to see revolutionize their bad packaging design.
Problem: Try as you might, you can never use a full can (small though they be) in one go, and it feels extra-fussy trying to come up with a storage solution for the leftovers. Not to mention the fact that the chipotles require extra prep (chopping, pureeing) before you can use them in a dish.
Solution: Some tubes of chipotle puree are sold in stores already, but we’re ready for them to become ubiquitous. No more mincing, no more foil-covered cans crusting in the back of the fridge. Just a squirt of spicy, smoky, easy heat for our braisessweet potatoesliterally whatever
Problem: Sesame oil is notoriously potentâso you only use a little at a timeâand is exceptionally adept at going rancid
Solution: Smaller bottles, dude. Yes, even smaller than they already are. The fragrant oil will overpower a dish when used in excess and for most people there’s no way to use a whole bottle before it goes off.
Problem: We love canned beans for a quick dinner
Solution: I don’t know, 10-oz cans and 20-oz cans or something? I’m not a marketing specialist.
Problem: Flour poofing out of the package seams in the middle of the baking aisle, luring bugs and making a mess. Tops that are impossible to open cleanly. Narrow openings that don’t help anyone measuring anything.
Solution: If yeast can come pre-measured, I say flour can tooâwhich would be especially useful for cooks who bake infrequently. At the very least, resealable packaging with reinforced openings should be a givenâand if that packaging could be freezer safe
Problem: When we just want a little wine to deglaze the pan, we have to take it from the bottle we’re planning to drinkâand we’d rather be drinking that wine.
