Containers and packaging

 

One of the hardest things to do, sometimes, is finding good containers and packaging that I'm happy with.  Many of the things that I make use very specific containers, such as the small cake molds above, which I use every single time.  These become part of the baking protocol that must be followed every time so that I have uniformity and consistency since they affect the actual baking of the product.

I keep stacks of containers such as these.  When I can, I try to use the same container for more than one product, but that's not always possible.  Sometimes I want to make a smaller size of something and so a bigger container that is already part of the "kitchen stock" is not suitable.  Some things are so rich or so sweet that they need to be in a smaller size because it makes more sense as a serving size.

If a manufacturer were to eliminate one of my usual containers from their offerings, I couldn't always find the same thing somewhere else.  That hasn't happened yet, and hopefully it won't.  But I recognize that it could happen.

Finding just the right container for either baking or serving/packaging is actually a very satisfying thing.  The end result, knowing that I get consistency in the final product and an appropriate serving size, is extremely rewarding for some reason.  

Sometimes when I add a new item to the menu, the hardest part is deciding how big to make it, what to bake it in, what to package it in, and figuring this out can take quite a bit of time.  Sometimes it's impossible to find exactly what I want and I have to compromise.  But in the end, I am always at peace with whatever the choice is.