1. Freezer
To extend the shelf life of your food, you often chuck them into your freezer compartment. But, are you storing your frozen food properly?
It is essential to have your frozen items tightly sealed or at least covered in a plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out in the cold air. Do not let your food become “freezer-burned“!
Freezer burn is a condition that occurs when frozen food has been damaged by dehydration and oxidation, due to air reaching the food. It is generally caused by food not being securely wrapped in air-tight packaging.
Wikipedia
Freezer-safe containers such as our Freshly Large Food Containers are great for storing frozen meats and fish. It has a grooved base so it prevents frozen food from sticking onto it.
2. Upper Shelf
While storing food in the chiller, keep this rule in mind:
Hot air rises, cold air sinks.
It’s colder at the back.
Hence, the upper shelf tends to have a slightly warmer temperature compared to the other areas of the fridge.
Usually, the upper shelf is known as the “Dairy compartment”. Its temperature is perfect to store cheese and butter that is often used for cooking/eating. Butter spreads smoothly when it is not hardened up too much.
3. Middle Shelf
The most accessible shelf where things get “stuffed into”, resulting in a total mess. Because mess always piles up here, fridge organization is important here.
The temperature is the most consistent here. Store commonly used items on this shelf such as drinks, leftovers and spreads if you’d like. Leftovers should be stored properly in food containers.
Organization Tip: Segment the shelf into 2 or 3 areas and be clear of what you’re using each area for e..g left for drinks, middle for eggs, right for leftovers.
4. Bottom Shelf
Going back to the guideline of “cold air sinks”, the temperature gets lower towards the bottom. Store deli meats (e.g ham), cold cuts, and eggs here.
You might be wondering, shouldn’t eggs be stored in the egg tray near the door? However, to prolong the freshness of eggs, the bottom (or middle) shelf is best for storing them due to its colder and consistent temperature. The temperature at the door fluctuates the most.
If you are looking to defrost your frozen meat and fish, simply place it at the bottom shelf of your fridge too. Note that raw meat shouldn’t be kept at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
5. Crisper Drawers
Crisper drawers are designed to regulate the humidity, temperature and air circulation. While fruits and vegetables are often mentioned together, do not store them in the same storage container.
Fruits produce ethylene gas while vegetables are sensitive to ethylene gas. They turn yellow faster when they are exposed to it!
List adapted from Full Plate Living
6. Fridge Door
Temperature fluctuates the most at the fridge door. As such, place items with longer shelf life in there. Condiments and sauces fit the bill perfectly.
Fridge Organization Tips
- Do not cramp your fridge to the brim. This hinders air circulation and makes it hard for you to search for things.
- Clean your fridge regularly. Get rid of long expired items and leftovers and you’ll be surprised how much space you can free up!
- Categorise and store similar items together using fridge organizer bins. This prevents you from simply shoving items into your fridge.
For better visualisation of categories, label your fridge organizer bins. Our Customisable Vinyl Label allows you to customise words according to size, colour, and font.
Looking to reorganize your fridge better? Explore our wide range of fridge organizers that can help you with it.
