What to do with empty Gu glass pots
Some of us have a sweet tooth. While the rest of my family would love me to cook a pudding daily for them, weekends are my limit. But sometimes if they’re on offer, I’ll buy them some Gu desserts. In individual little glass pots, they’re delicious, A treat. Easy and fast puddings that are predominantly ready to eat. The bonus is the lovely little Gu glass pots to reuse over and over again.
Over the last few years, I like so many others have acquired a glass Gu pot collection that’s taking over a shelf (or two), and threatens to topple every time we take a glass out to use. I have started to cull my pot numbers because there’s only so many pots you can use.
If you’re like me and you’ve been hoarding them, then don’t just throw them out.
Make use of them.
Upcycle them
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Here’s a mass of ideas of how you can reuse them and get more value from the little Gu cheesecake and chocolate glass pots you’ve eaten! Don’t forget that some Pringles type crisp lids may fit snugly on your glass pots (the older ones at least) so you can keep items safely inside. You can also buy lids from places like Etsy.
What to do with Gu glass pots
Use for food
(and yes you can put Gu pots in the oven, just treat them like other ramekins. 180C should be perfectly safe on a baking sheet or tray)
Make mini cheesecakes. A standard cheesecake recipe should fit across 12 Gu pots. They can even be frozen to eat another time. Just defrost at room temperature or in the fridge.
Make crème brulee, Make the custard like dessert, then torch or grill the sugar on top before letting it harden to make that traditional crack when eating.
Make a trail mix to put in them. Combine nuts, dried fruit, cereal, seeds and for a treat some chocolate chips or pieces.
Prepping ingredients for baking. Make like the professionals and prep all your small baking ingredients or decorations in pots.
Snack pots. Great for family movie nights, you could use them for individual items (nuts, popcorn, chocolates, sweets) to share, or give them out for everyone to make their own savoury or sweet pick and mixes.
Condiments or dressing pot. Go a bit posher and decant sauces into Gu pots, rather than leaving the tubs or containers on the table!
Use as mini dip pots. Chocolate dip or savoury dips
individual sponge cakes. For frangipanes use 100g butter, 100g caster sugar, 100g ground almonds, 1 egg, bit of vanilla extract. Beat then divide between pots, add raspberries or blueberries and bake at 180C for around 20mins.
Use as food bowls for rabbits or hamsters
Cook individual yorkshire puddings. Make yorkshire pudding batter. In preheated oven heat oil until hot, then pour in a bit of batter in each. Bake for around 15 mins
Make mini souffles.
Cook individual mini crumbles in them. Just add berries or diced apple or pear (cooking apples you’ll need to cook down a bit with sugar in a pan first), then top with crumble mix. Bake until lightly browning on top.
Make up jelly pots for children. Pop fruit in the bottom, then top with jelly before cooling to set.
Store used teabags before they go in the bin or compost.
Add balsamic and oil to dip in bread pieces as an aperitif or starter.
Roast whole garlic bulbs in them. Put one bulb in each, then squeeze out the garlic puree to use in cooking.
Melt butter or coconut oil in the ovenServe homemade lemon posset in them.
Use for egg wash
Use it them to separate eggs, or to crack the egg into before poaching.
Make mini porridge snacks. 1 tbsp oats, 1tbsp milk, 1 tbsp water (or just 2 tbsp water). Add choice of flavouring – banana, apple, vanilla extract or even a little chocolate. Then microwave checking regularly and stirring.
Mix seasoning blends in them. Try pumpkin spice or curry spices.
Use as a small butter pot. Decant butter out as you need it to keep at room temperature.
Make chocolate blancmange pudding and serve individual portions
Stand your salt and pepper grinders in them to stop losing all the bits on the worktop or shelf.
Poach eggs in the microwave
Store half lemons or small oranges, cut size down, and put into the fridge until needed
Grow veg scraps in them – lettuce, carrot or spring onion ends, or cress
Baked eggs – add your ingrediences (e.g sliced tomatos, spinah
Use them as a fancy mould for food like rice, mashed potatoes
Use them to measure out a portion of porridge. 1 GU pot of oats to 2 pots of water.
homemade lemon posset.
Go posh and put baked beans in them on the side of your fry up.
Pour excess cooking fat into them, let it cool and solidify, before throwing it out.
Use for Crafts
Storage jars for crafts. Beads, sequins, ribbons, safety pins, sewing clips. Anything you need to keep close at hand.
Stationery storage. Drawing pins, cartridges, paper clips, mini bulldog clips
Homemade candles – saves going out to buy vintage cups to use when you make your own candles
Make a pin cushion holder – add a padded sphere and pop inside the pot to hold it.
Put beads in while jewellery making.Use as a paint brush water pot. Children can have their own pots.
Use in home and garden
Storage for hair clips or hair bands
Tea light holder – keep them plain or add stickers to create a pattern for the candle to shine through
Plant seedlings or small herb plants. Get your plants started in these before potting them out.
Jewellery holders – keep small items in them like rings or bracelets.
Use as a display stand for spherical items – football, lensball
Catch spiders in them to put outside.
Use as a soap dish
They can be used as mini cloches for small plant pots, or as mini greenhouse covers.
A loose change pot in the house.
Start saving with them. Put your spare change in there, then pop in a bank account once you hit a full pot.
If you don’t want to keep them
Sell them – on ebay or Facebook marketplace, there’s always someone who’ll pay a small amount for them (probably for their wedding).
Give them away
Recycle them.
What do you use your Gu glass pots for once you’ve eaten the desserts?