Food Storage Tips to Keep Your Refrigerator in Top Condition – What to Know
Some people have a habit of storing all of their food in the refrigerator. While this is definitely the intended purpose of having a refrigerator in the first place, you must be careful with what you put in it to ensure food safety and the longevity of the machine.
In this article, we’ll provide you with a few practical tips to help you in this matter. We’ll talk about proper food storage, organization, and other important things you need to know.
Food Storage
Storing food in your refrigerator is not a simple matter of jamming everything that you can into the machine. Doing that will likely cause you to overload the machine, which would increase the internal temperature and put all your food at great risk of spoiling.
To do it the right way starts with knowing what types of food need to be refrigerated in the first place. While common sense is a good basis for this, it’s usually best to read the product label to be certain.
From this point, the period of time you can safely store a certain type of food will also be important. As a general rule of thumb, however, once you notice that something has started to show signs of spoilage (wilted leaves, mold growth, foul odors, etc.), you must throw it out immediately. Not only is this food unsafe to consume, but you’d be putting all the other contents of your refrigerator at risk of contamination.
This is where the use of proper wrapping materials and food covers comes in. Most foods will benefit from being covered to avoid cross-contamination. However, you must be careful not to cover it too much or the cold might not each the food to effectively keep it fresh.
Refrigerator Organization
Refrigerators have different compartments and multiple levels for a reason. The bottom crisper is designed to keep produce fresh, the door is made to hold dairy and beverages, and the shelves are for everything else.
You should also pay attention to the order in which you arrange the contents of your refrigerator. Raw meats that are being thawed should be placed on the bottom shelf. This way, any liquids come out do not fall on your other food items.
Additionally, you should have some type of sorting system to give you an idea of how long a food item has been inside your refrigerator. We suggest the first-in-first-out method to help you do this. Put the most recent items towards the back, and then use the ones at the front. This way, you avoid unnecessarily opening multiple food packages and reduce the chances of spoilage.
Other Important Reminders
You should also keep the following in mind:
- Discard items that have met their expiration date.
- Place a box of opened baking soda on one of the door shelves. This will soak up excess moisture and odors, but remember to replace this every month.
- Go through the contents of your refrigerator at least once a month. If you find something and you can’t identify what it is, throw it out.
Conclusion
Keep these tips in mind to ensure that your refrigerator is being put to good use. Not only will your food stay fresher and taste better, but your refrigerator will run much more smoothly.
If you’d like to learn more about the proper use and maintenance of your refrigerator, visit our site for more helpful guides and resources.