Depending on how old or new your refrigerator is or even the
special features of your specific model or brand there can be areas that you
should watch out for. Areas like door
bins and upper shelves tend to be a little warmer than the middle of the
refrigerator or the bottom shelves. Here
are a few steps to help you with placing your food and drinks in the best
possible areas to maintain freshness.
1. The Refrigerator Doors
The temperature in the doors can be a couple of degrees
higher than the main compartment. This could be too warm to store milk and eggs
in. Here are items that you should place in the doors that can handle the slight
change:
- Condiments
- Juice
- Soda or soft drinks
- Water
- Butter
- Cooking oils
2. The Lower Shelf
The very middle of you fridge is one of the coldest areas
to store food. This spot is best for foods that are more temperature-sensitive. Here are the foods that should be on the lower shelf:- Milk
- Eggs (in their carton)
- Raw fish, meat, and poultry
Extra tip: You can use little trays to separate the meat
from the other foods and they will also catch any drips or spills falling down
into the rest of the refrigerator.
3. The Upper Shelf
This area of the refrigerator can get slightly warmer and
you want to be cautious as to what you put in this area. Here are items that
you should put on the upper shelf:
- Yoghurt
- Snacks like (fruit cups, hummus, etc.)
- Jelly and Jam
- Peanut butter
- Leftovers (store more in the front of the fridge so you don’t forget about them)
4. Veggie and Fruit
Bins
Crisper drawers are designed for produce. In some
refrigerators you can adjust the humidity for drier foods or moister climate
foods. If you do not have the ability to
adjust the humidity, that is okay and you can organize your bins in a way that
low versus high humidity foods are stored together and are separate from each
other. Here is a list of fruits and vegetables you can group together:
High- Humidity Drawer
- Carrots
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
- Broccoli
- Green Onions
- Leafy Greens
- Brussels sprouts
Low-Humidity Drawer
- Apples
- Mangos
- Pears, plums, peaches, nectarines
- Peppers
- Mushrooms
- Summer squash
- Avocados
5. Outside the
Refrigerator
There are common misconceptions for a few foods that should
not actually be placed in the refrigerator. Here are a few items that
you should keep out on your counter-tops or food pantry:
- Garlic
- Coffee
- Bananas
- Bread (Organic bread should be refrigerated. All bread is okay to freeze)
- Tomatoes
- Lemons and limes
- Onions and Potatoes but keep them away from each other
We hope that these food organization tips help you keep your
food fresher longer. Let us know if you have other issues with keeping your
food fresh or other questions about organizing your refrigerator.
