We all go through a lot of sugar this time of year, and those tiny grains seem to be underfoot all the time in our kitchen. So we are in an especially good place to appreciate this perfect sugar packaging from France.
Look! Great Sugar Packaging from France
I bought this bag of sugar while in Nice, France, last month. I needed sugar for a dinner party, and I brought back the rest of the bag in my suitcase.
I like it because, first of all, it's extra-fine sugar -- very helpful for cakes, icings, and caramel. But the packaging is what I really appreciated. It's made from extra-heavy plastic, which might not be quite as recyclable, but it's awfully sturdy and convenient in this use. It also has a small nozzle opening with a cap that fits tightly. You can pour sugar neatly out of the nozzle, no spilling to make extra cleanup work.
It made me wonder why we don't see such useful, convenient, and well-designed packaging for staples like sugar here in the United States. Sugar and flour come in lumpy bags, awkward to carry.
I think that, first of all, grocery stores in most areas know that people have shopping carts and automobiles to help them carry those 5-pound bags home. There's no need for petite, modest amounts like this small bag of sugar. Secondly, Americans are probably more likely to buy in bulk. I usually buy a lot of flour and sugar at once (in big bulky bags) and transfer it to a canister at home. So the great packaging and easy pouring of this bag are pointless in that context.
All of that has been changing for me, though; I am growing more and more likely to buy my flour and sugar in two and three cup increments from the co-op bulk bins, buying just what I need at a time. This helps ensure that my staples are fresh, and it makes my market bags much lighter too!
Have you seen an example of good food packaging lately? Tell us!
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i think the method soap refills have that packaging, which, for liquids at least, appears to be better than bulky plastic bottles. for my baking needs, this packaging seems impractical, but if i were someone who only occasionally needed a little bit of sugar at a time, this would be a great storage solution.
view vanessa.vichitvadakan's profile
Has no one else noticed that it is "Sugar Daddy?"
Heehee.
view EmilyW's profile
Oh, how I wish my sugar came packaged like that. I only need a little at a time because I don't bake. I cook a lot, but I am a terrible baker.
view Aimi's profile
I live in Peru, and our ketchup and mayonnaise come packaged the same way. It's so much easier than glass bottles and jars that I'm used to in the US. Also, many people here don't have refrigeration, so squeezing out what you need without exposing the rest to the air is a good thing.
view Fnnkybutt's profile
I use stupid amounts of sugar and flour, so buying in small batches means I use 8x the gas to get it and get home. My solution to the overpackaging problem we have is to save all the containers. I get a lot of flak about this from people, but when I need a quick to go container to gift food to people, these containers really come in handy. Likewise, for jars that're left over when the product is gone, I save those too. Typically they wind up being used to store homemade syrups or whole grains.
view seidhr's profile
@seidhr: people give you flak for saving containers for reuse? That doesn't seem right.
view wunami's profile
I love the C&H milk carton style sugar packaging for that reason - easier to pour, and fits well on my cabinet shelves.
But lately I've switched to buying my sugar from the bulk bins at my coop grocery and storing in a jar.
I made the mistake the first time of measuring it out into one of the brown paper bags they had at the store and storing and trying to pour it out of the bag and got lots of sugar grit everywhere.
view Stevi Deter's profile
I've been using Platypus flexible water bottle for storing couscous (great for backpacking) for years and have recently used it to store sugar as well. I don't go through that much sugar so the small pouring nozzle is not much of an issue. I normally buy these item in bulk at the co-op so a funnel is very handy when it's time to refill.
view bicycle1228's profile