The Consumer Reports column on page 2D of today’s print and e-editions of The Monroe Evening News is titled “Don’t let good food go bad.” (If you’re not a MEN subscriber, I also found this story at The Morning Call.)

Lisa Lee Freeman, editor in chief of Consumer Reports’ ShopSmart magazine, explained how to properly refrigerate or freeze food once you bring it home – and a lot of mistakes people make when they are packaging up food for storage.

One of the no-no’s is re-using margarine tubs and yogurt containers to freeze leftovers or food for another day. Those product containers weren’t meant for repeated use.

What I do instead is invest in products that ARE meant for food storage. When they are on sale, stock up on your favorite items. Be sure to clip and save the occasional coupons – I have current coupons in my coupon box for Ziploc storage containers, Ziploc freezer bags, Rubbermaid take-along tubs, and Rubbermaid Produce Saver tubs (I’m going to try that product.)

Freeman also recommends labeling leftovers with the date and what’s in them. You’d be surprised how uninteresting a frozen leftover is if you can’t figure out what’s in the tub. Easy way to do this: write the details on a small piece of paper, put it on the tub with really sticky tape.