Does it really matter where things inside your refrigerator go? Whether you clicked on this because you’re tired of tossing out expired condiments or because you’ve decided to take on the daunting task of cleaning your fridge, here are some of the best principles on how to organize everything inside it!
It’s essential to keep in mind that items that need no cooking (leftovers or any prepared food) can be placed up top, then work downwards to organize everything else. Based on the temperature the items needs to be cooked, foods needing to be cooked in the highest temperature go at the bottom and so on. This also helps you avoid cross contamination. If you keep your raw chicken on top then it might drip and contaminate the grapes right below it.
The Game Plan
1. Upper Shelves: Place leftovers, drinks, and ready-to-eat foods (like yogurt, cheese, milk, OJ and deli meats).
2. Lower Shelves: For all the raw ingredients set aside for your cooked meals (vegetables and meats).
3. Door: Always keep in mind that the refrigerator door is the warmest part of the fridge, so only condiments should go there. Avoid placing your eggs or milk there, as they should be placed in a colder part of the refrigerator to prevent rotting.
4. Drawers: These can be tricky. Since they’re designed to hold produce at specific humidities, it makes sense to store fruits and veggies there. But they’re usually at the bottom of the fridge, so we risk contaminating our fresh vegetables if we put meat on the shelf above. So if you have 2 drawers, make sure to use one just for your vegetables and fruit and the other exclusively for raw meat. If they are stacked one on top of the other, vegetables on top, meat at the bottom or if they are side-to-side, either drawer will work just fine. Remember to often clean the one that is used for meats to prevent nasty odors.
Now its your turn, share with us what other fridge organization tips do you have?