5 Ways to Help Organize Your Refrigerator for the Freshest Food

Are you sick of your milk spoiling a few days before the expiration date? The problem could be where you put your milk in the refrigerator. Take the extra time to stock your fridge carefully to cut down on food waste.

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. 

Self-Cleaning Ovens VS Steam Cleaning Ovens

These two types of cleaning options are the most popular methods for cleaning ovens today.

According to most reports, less than half of the consumers who own a self-cleaning oven actually utilize the self-cleaning feature.

Self-Cleaning Ovens:

This type of oven utilized extreme heat to clean the oven; temperatures can reach up to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit. This extreme heat allows the residue in the oven to be carbonized and literally turn to ash. The ovens smooth enamel coating makes it very easy to wipe away the left over ash created from the self cleaning cycle. While in the self-cleaning mode the range will become very hot to the touch and you need to make sure to keep kids away. The amount of energy required for this type of cleaning is extremely high and time consuming because the cleaning cycle will last around 4 hours where the oven is unusable until the oven temperature drops to a safe temperature. This cleaning method also gives off a very strong smell that many consumers dislike.

Pros:

• This is a very effective cleaning process that leaves the oven very clean.

Cons:

• Utilizes high energy to clean
• Extreme heat required for the job
• Long processing times
• Undesirable odors / smell from the process

Example:

• GE 27" Built-in Double Convection Wall Oven

 Steam Cleaning Ovens:

Like self-cleaning ovens a steam cleaning oven also utilizes heat to clean but only requires around 250 degrees Fahrenheit to do the job. This type of oven adds water to create steam that helps release the residue from the oven surface. This oven also uses a smooth enamel coating that makes removal of the leftover residue easy to wipe away. The cleaning cycle for this type of oven is usually around 1 hour making it easy to clean with more frequency. 

Pros:

• Very short time required for the cleaning (usually less than 30 minutes)
• No odor / smell
  
• More energy efficient due to utilizing lower temperature to clean
• This is a very effective cleaning process that leaves the oven very clean

Cons:

• Effectively cleans the bottom of the oven but struggles with the walls and back of the oven.
• My preference is the steam option but depending on your desires both have their pros and cons because who really wants to get on their hands and knees and scrub the inside of an oven with toxic chemicals?  

Example:

• Whirlpool 5.0 Cu. Ft. Single Wall Oven

Here is a detailed checklist about the proper way to use the Steam Clean feature:

• Do not use oven cleaners with Steam Clean.

• Use the Steam Clean feature as soon as possible after spills occur. The longer you wait the more difficult it may be to remove.

• Always allow the oven to cool before using the Steam Clean feature

• Do not open the oven door during the cleaning cycle because the water in the bottom is hot.

• Once the Steam cycle is complete, remove all remaining water and debris in the bottom of the oven.

• Wipe any remaining moisture from the oven door interior, oven cavity interior sides.

• For harder stains use a soft brush or nylon scrubber to wipe the oven interior.

Benefits to Convection Ovens over Conventional Ovens

Most people are familiar with the conventional oven.  They use radiant heat, usually dispersed through elements in the upper and lower oven. The problem with radiant heat is your cooking will be uneven due to the heat remaining fairly motionless. Because the elements are at the top and bottom of the oven best results are when the food is placed in the middle of the oven to help eliminate burning due to uneven heat within the oven. This limits your ability to utilize the entire oven for baking.

Convention baking uses forced air that is circulated throughout the entire oven through the use of a fan placed at the back of the oven. This eliminated hot and cold spots within the oven and the end result gives the food more visual appeal, texture, and flavor. This has proven to clearly be the choice of the future for baking.

Due to convection baking using forced air throughout the oven, this also cuts down on the overall cooking time and helps roasted foods stay moist and flavorful. It’s been said that forced air convection baking can reduce your time and energy up to 25% due to cutting the backing time down. You’ll also be able to utilize the entire oven space on any rack because of the even & consistent temperature caused by forced air heating.   Check out the Built-in Single Convection Wall Oven from GE.

    

Which Oven to Buy?

For those readers that are interested in converting over to a convection backing product, please start by checking out our website. Call our toll free number to speak to one of our specialists who will find you the right product for your personal needs. 

Recipe- Old Fashioned Gingerbread

Nothing quite like the smell of freshly-baked gingerbread to get you and your guests in the holiday spirit! This recipe is easy and delicious, sure to bring cheer to even this biggest Scrooge!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup butter
• 1 egg, large
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup hot water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan.
2.  In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Beat in egg and mix in molasses.
3.  In a bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Blend into creamed mixture. Stir in hot water. Pour into the greased, floured pan.
4.  Bake for one hour or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving.

Prep time: 25 minutes   Cook time: 1 hour  Serves 9  375 calories per serving

Recipe- Pumpkin Bread

      Fall is upon us once again, which can mean only one thing- time for pumpkin EVERYTHING!! Here’s a recipe for pumpkin bread that is perfect for enjoying with a cup of hot apple cider on a crisp fall evening.

Prep time: 15 min. Bake time: 65-70 mins. plus 10 mins. for cooling

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

2 large eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

½ cup canola oil

½ cup water

½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

½ cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350°. Combine first eight ingredients. Whisk together eggs, pumpkin, oil and water; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in walnuts and raisins, if desired.
2.    Pour into greased 9x5” loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Approx. 65-70 mins.) Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Makes one loaf (16 slices).

Why Invest in a Convection Microwave?

When shopping for a new microwave there can be more options available than you may know. A commonly asked question is “why would we need/want convection in our microwave”?  When shopping for a new microwave, please consider the following:

1. How do we want to use our microwave? Do we need a unit that we can use as a primary cooking vessel, or simply a reheat machine?
2. Where are we going to put our microwave? Do we want a counter-top unit or a unit that we can mount over-the-range?
3. Who is going to use the microwave? Will the kids be using it, or do mom & dad do all the cooking?

    If you are cooking for your family on a regular basis, having a convection microwave can be an invaluable addition to your kitchen.  A convection microwave can be used to bake, roast, and broil.  It can truly be used as a secondary oven.  If you would like to have a microwave that you can use for more than just a bag of popcorn, or a baked potato, then you should seriously consider a convection microwave. Nothing heated in a microwave will ever be browned or crispy.  Pizza, egg rolls, pizza pockets, chicken tenders, and French fries are always better in the oven or the deep fryer, and you would never cook pork chops or a pie in your microwave…..right???  Well, now you can!  With the benefits of a convection microwave, you will truly have a second oven at your disposal.  Prepare your main dish in your standard oven, have your casserole or dessert in your microwave….yes, I said your microwave. 

Contact us today so we can help you pick out the right microwave for you and your family. They are available in counter-top, and over-the-range models, ranging from $399 and up.