Organizing the Fridge: 9 Ways to Keep Food Safe & Spend Less
Organizing the Fridge: 9 Ways to Keep Food Safe & Spend Less
When my life seems most hectic I look around and quickly realize it’s simply because things are a mess. Little things like organizing the fridge can make life so much easier, and with these simple tips, I can give my fridge the makeover it deserves while also saving money.
In this post I’ve included 9 great ways to keep food safe and spend less on groceries.
1. Worry about food safety: The most important reason to keep your fridge organized is the simple fact that food safety is of utmost importance. If you store each item in its proper zone, there is much less risk of ingesting microbes or food-born bacteria. And, I’m also a nut about cross-contamination (have you seen these cutting boards?)
2. Think about efficiency: When your refrigerator is packed the right way, you’re saving money by making sure that your fridge is the most energy-efficient it can be and it cools at maximum efficiency. Another huge thing with having an organized refrigerator… The less time you spend with your fridge doors open as you poke around for whatever you need and the more time you have to cook.
3. Get ready to spend less money: When your fridge is well organized, every item is visible and you don’t risk wasting money on things you already have, or having things expire before you can use them.
Your fridge has different temperature zones and different sized areas are better suited for storing certain types of items.
4. Don’t refrigerate items that aren’t necessary. It’s important to think of what not to refrigerate, in other words, have more space in your fridge and keep these items fresh longer (saving even more money!).
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes, squash
- Onions
- Fresh garlic
- Avocados
- Flour
- Meal
- Sugar
5. Organize your fridge the right way. Knowing what to put where is of utmost importance when you’re looking to stay organized in the kitchen and in your life. This may vary depending on the size and brand of your fridge but in general, refrigerators each come pre-installed with certain zones and compartments.
Different zones include:
The door which is the least cold, since the doors open and close often.
The crispers, which are more humid and more dry depending on which item the compartment is set for.
The upper shelves boast the most consistent temperature and the lower shelves are the coolest.
** Keep in mind that you never want to have your refrigerator packed – that makes the efficiency level decline quite a bit.
6. Put everything where it belongs. Now, for what goes where – the fun part!
In the door of your refrigerator you should store:
Condiments
Juices, sodas and water.
Crispers:
Veggies in one crisper and fruits in the other. Be sure to set the temp sliders to refelct what is in which drawer.
Since fruits tend to release more ethylene and ripen more quickly than vegetables, it’s important that you try your best not too mix the two (I find this hard to do!)
Upper shelves:
Deli meat
Berries
Tortillas
Leftovers – basically your ready to eat foods.
Middle shelves:
Milk
Orange juice
Yogurt
Applesauce
Lower shelves:
Seafood
Eggs
Raw meat
Dairy (butter, eggs, etc.)
7. Don’t get too unorganized. Before you go the the store take inventory of your fridge. Afterall, you can only have so many eggs and cheese slices, right?
8. Don’t use unrecommended spaces. The top of your fridge gets hot and can cause spoilage and mold quickly – do not store anything edible on top of the fridge (especially bread!)
9. It comes down to this: Store things that don’t need any preparation or cooking on the higher shelves and store things that are dairy items, raw and need cooking at high temperatures on the bottom of the shelves. Save your middle shelves for things that are ready-to-eat or need just a bit of cooking and you’re golden and in the safe zones!
I’d love to get your opinion and experiences, too! What do you think? Sound off in the comments below!
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