How do you organise your fridge?
If you find that a lot of the food in your fridge tends to spoil before you use it or that flavours have an unfortunate tendency to migrate from one item to another, it could be time to rethink the way you organise your fridge. The way you organise your fridge can impact on both the quality and the lifespan of your groceries in a number of important ways.
The art of ‘fridge shui’ can be as important to the average household refrigerator as it is for large-scale commercial refrigeration solutions. Some key fridge organisation tips include:
Choose the right fridge
It is hard to stack your fridge effectively when you have a shortage of space. Having too much space makes proper organisation easy but uses more energy than necessary by maintaining an unnecessarily large appliance. It is good to strike a balance.
It will be clear from even the briefest look at a retailer website such as that of Fridge Freezer Direct ltd will show that there are fridges in many different sizes available. Choosing a good size for your needs with a choice of shelves and compartments can make proper organisation much easier.
Use the top properly
The upper section of the fridge greater differences from the rest of the fridge than most people realise, and using them properly is key for good organisation. The higher shelves have more even, consistent temperatures so they are best used for items that aren’t going to be cooked (as cooking would help kill any germs that started to multiply).
The actual top of the fridge (on the outside), meanwhile, might look like an attractive makeshift shelf but it should not be used for food. Warmth being pumped from the fridge will make that food spoil quicker. If you can’t afford to waste that space, use if for non-food items such as utensils or cookery books.
…And the lower section too
The lower shelves may be less consistent in their temperature, but they are on the whole cooler. This makes them perfect for items that are in particular danger of spoiling if not properly refrigerated.
Good examples of food to keep on the lower shelves include milk and other dairy products, raw meat and seafood. These should all be kept properly wrapped and sealed. This not only preserves freshness, but also prevents bacteria from one item such as raw meat transferring to another product.
Mind the doors
The fridge is coldest at the back and warmest at the front. This makes the door the warmest part of the fridge, and means that you should be careful not to put any easily-spoiled items in door compartments.
Fortunately, there is no need to waste the space in the fridge door. There are plenty of things that will do just find when stored in the warmer door compartments. Fruit juices, mayonnaise and any items that contain some natural preservatives are ideal. So are items for which refrigeration is optional, like eggs, drinks, oils and nuts.
