Do you have the habit of filling the refrigerator a bit at random when you come back from the supermarket, putting everything where there is space? Organizing the refrigerator shelves will help you remember which foods you have on hand and which ones are running out. The food will also last longer if you place it in the right place, so you can throw away the bad one more often. You will save money and time if you find the right place for meat, dairy products and condiments, by adopting good ideas to keep everything organized and fresh.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Organizing the Shelves
Step 1. Put the fruit in the drawer with low humidity
Fruit keeps better if it is not too exposed to moisture. Most refrigerators have a special drawer that has lower humidity than other shelves and drawers. Sometimes it is called a "low humidity drawer", sometimes a "vegetable drawer." Here you should store fruit, apples, bananas and grapes.
- However, if you plan to consume fruit quickly, you could keep it on the first shelf. Fresh berries, for example, spoil faster than apples, so you shouldn't store them in your vegetable drawer. Store the cartons on the top or middle shelf, where you can see and pick it up before it starts to spoil.
- The products stored in the drawer can be placed in bulk or in open plastic bags. Do not store fruit in sealed plastic bags, as this will cause it to rot more quickly.
Step 2. Keep the vegetables in the high humidity drawer
Most vegetables need a little extra moisture - which is why you will see sprinklers humidifying produce in greengrocers. Most refrigerators have a drawer called "high humidity," usually next to the low humidity one. Store all vegetables there loose or in open plastic bags to keep them fresh.
- If you store salads or chopped vegetables, however, they will rot faster than whole vegetables. For this reason you should keep it on the top or middle shelf so it will be visible and you will use it quickly.
- To make vegetables last longer, do not wash them before storing. Moistening vegetables increases the chance that bacteria will grow and rot. Moisture is fine, but vegetables shouldn't be in contact with water. If you need to wash them, dry them completely before storing them.
Step 3. Store the meat in the coldest part of the refrigerator
Chicken breasts, steaks, sausages or turkey should be stored in the coldest part of the refrigerator. In most cases it is on the back of the lower shelf, although some refrigerators have a dedicated meat drawer. If you store the meat on the top shelf, it is likely to spoil faster.
- Make sure the meat is stored separately from the rest of the food in the refrigerator. It should be wrapped in plastic and stored in the lowest place, so if there are liquids leaking out, other foods will not be contaminated.
- Clean the area where you store meat more often than the rest of the refrigerator.
Step 4. Keep the milk and eggs on the coldest shelf as well
Many store milk and eggs in the refrigerator door for easier access. However, the door is the hottest part of the refrigerator, so storing them there will make them lose their freshness faster. Store the milk and eggs on the lower or colder shelf of the refrigerator.
- Unless you consume the eggs very quickly, it is better to keep them in their packaging rather than transferring them to the egg containers inside the door.
- Cream, buttermilk, yogurt and similar products should also be stored on the coldest shelf.
Step 5. Store meats and cheeses in the top meat drawer
If you have freshly cut cured meats, cream cheeses, and other types of cheese, place them in the top meat drawer, which usually opens from the top or middle shelf. This is also the place to store bacon, hot dogs, and other preserved foods. It is slightly colder than the rest of the refrigerator, although it is not as cold as the back of the bottom shelf. Clean this drawer regularly like those intended for meat.
Step 6. Put the condiments and drinks in the door
Seasonings usually contain a lot of salt, vinegar, and other preservatives that keep foods from spoiling quickly, so it's okay to store them in the hottest part of the refrigerator: the door. Drinks also tend to keep longer than foods. Dedicate the bottom shelf to larger, heavier items, such as orange juice, beer, and sodas. Put sweet toppings like jam, jelly, and syrup on another shelf, while savory toppings like mustard and soy sauce on the last shelf.
- Even if butter is a dairy product, it's okay to store it in the dedicated compartment in the door. Butter doesn't need to be kept cold like milk.
- If you're a condiment lover, it's easy to keep the condiment area pretty messy, with out-of-date foods. Check this area regularly and throw away anything that is expired or nearly finished.
Step 7. Store leftovers and pre-cooked foods on the top and middle shelves
Cooked food can be kept on the top or middle shelf. Use the top and middle shelves to store foods that don't need to be kept particularly cold: baby food, pizza, sauces, tortillas, etc.
The upper and middle shelves can also be the right place to keep a jug of water, medicines and other items to keep cool that do not get damaged easily
Part 2 of 3: Keeping the Refrigerator Clean
Step 1. Try to use the refrigerator baskets
Using baskets to organize food is a great way to keep everything separate and accessible. You can buy baskets to put on the shelves and dedicate each basket to a certain type of food. Label the baskets to know what goes into each one. For example, if you buy a lot of cheese, you might have a basket dedicated only to cheeses.
There are also baskets made to measure to fit the door shelves. Using baskets helps avoid clutter between toppings. When something comes out, you can simply take out the basket and clean
Step 2. Use a turntable
The trick is useful, it is strange that the refrigerators are not made with the rotating shelves already inserted. Get a plastic turntable to put on the top or middle shelf of the refrigerator. Put foods that are in danger of being forgotten, such as leftovers, on the turntable. This eliminates the typical problem of discovering leftovers left for months on the back of the refrigerator.
It's also a good way to make sure you're using salads, chopped vegetables, fruits, and other foods that tend to spoil quickly. Consider having a turntable for the foods you would like to consume immediately
Step 3. Consider lining the shelves for easy cleaning
Using shelf mats protects food from contamination and makes cleaning easier. If you have to store meat on top of a drawer, for example, a mat under the meat will prevent other products from getting dirty. Every two weeks, change the mats for new ones.
Step 4. Clean your refrigerator often
Don't leave expired foods or moldy leftovers lying around. You will be forced to pile fresh food in the available spaces, thus forgetting what you have available. Check your refrigerator every week and get rid of anything you won't use.
Step 5. Do not store long-life foods in the refrigerator
Use the refrigerator to keep perishable foods cool, and store things like bottled water, cans, condiments, and other non-perishable items in the pantry. This will make more room for food that needs to stay cool. Transfer non-perishable foods to the refrigerator when needed.
Part 3 of 3: Organizing the Freezer
Step 1. Label everything before storing it
If you are one of those diligent people who cook pots or mounds of soup to freeze portions for later consumption, be sure to label the food with the name and date. That way the food won't end up like a nameless bag that you don't remember anything about because you put it in several months ago. Keeping the freezer tidy with labeled foods will help you use everything you store well.
Step 2. Put the food you keep longer in the back
Make sure you know how long to keep things in the freezer, then put longer-lasting foods on the back. Foods that need to be consumed more quickly must be kept in front of them so that they can be seen and used.
- For example, frozen vegetables, fruit and meat can be stored for months, so they go behind other foods. This will prevent them from heating up every time you open the freezer.
- Ice cream, popsicles, ice cubes, and other items you use often should stay in the front of the freezer.
Step 3. Use the right storage methods to avoid freezer dehydration
Frozen foods don't spoil, but freezer dehydration can ruin their flavor and texture, making them inedible. In addition to organizing the freezer to keep food that will keep longer in the back, you should also adopt proper storage methods to protect the food from exposure to air and moisture. Use airtight freezer bags or containers to store everything. Keep foods that need to stay in the freezer for more than a few weeks in a double bag.
Storing food in thin sandwich bags does not protect them from freezer dehydration. Use freezer bags often
Advice
- Put similar food together: meats, dairy products, fruits, vegetables.
- Remember that most refrigerator shelves can be moved and removed. You can move or even delete the shelves if you need a different configuration.
- Organize food the smart way; put the food you eat most often in front and the food you eat least in the back.
