Getting creative with condiment bottles

My family loves their condiments. Fries without ketchup? Forget it. Hamburgers or hotdogs without ketchup, mustard, or sauerkraut (depending on who you ask)? Unthinkable. But that’s not what this blog is about. It’s about that classic bottle that comes to mind when I think of ketchup in a diner in central PA. They aren’t so elegant, but the design is just right so that when you squeeze the bottle, it usually comes out in a thin, steady stream of whatever deliciousness is inside. Oh, and you can shake and drop them all you want and find that they are 1) pretty indestructible and 2) unlikely to make much of a mess. 

I am writing about condiment bottles because it turns out that they can be handy at home in more than one way. I discovered this because my sister, who has decreased fine motor skills, likes to use Listerine mouthwash after brushing her teeth. At some point, the opening and closing of a Listerine bottle (which also has a child safety feature) was not possible for her. A caregiver had the idea to fill a condiment bottle with Listerine, which can then either be more easily poured into a small paper cup or even squirted directly into her mouth. It takes away the possibility of spilling an open bottle of Listerine and can reduce the frustration and/or waste of pouring too much or too little. 

But these condiment bottles are not only useful for mouthwash: You can use them in the kitchen to replace other containers that might be difficult to open or control the flow of, such as salad dressings, syrups, and, well, most other condiments or sauces that you can’t eat without. However, a few things to note...

First, while these are likely to be useful for those who have a harder time controlling the flow of liquid from a wide-mouth bottle, they do require a degree of squeezing. Secondly, you want to double check that it’s a good idea to store the liquid in a plastic bottle. For example, it is often recommended that olive oil be stored in a dark glass container. In that case, you might want to explore other options, such as a container that has a pour spout built into it or bottle spouts that you can insert into a glass jar. These work well for oil, vinegar, syrups, liquor, wine, and more. 

Examples of products mentioned in this blog: 

Single Plastic Squeeze Condiment Bottle (8 oz) by Restaurantware - Available at Restaurantware Website, Amazon

Olive Oil Spouts Stainless Steel by Qmet - Available at Amazon

Drip Free Cooking Oil & Vinegar Dispenser by Vucchini - Available at Amazon, WalMart