There’s no doubt that food is an essential part of our lives. It’s our main source of energy and nutrients, keeping our body and minds healthy. Plus, many people find cooking food (or baking) relaxing, making it a stress reliever!
However, eating becomes a nightmare when it results in food poisoning. It makes our tummy ache, making us feel nauseous and throw up. In some cases, we can even end up in the emergency room! This is why keeping your food fresh and safe is important. However, not all food lasts the same amount of time. Some spoil earlier than others, while some can last for weeks. So it’s important to know how you can store food properly to lengthen its shelf life.
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And what’s the best way to do that than a fridge? The cold temperature keeps your fruits, veggies, or meat fresh and safe to eat, even if you bought it last week!
To get the most out of your fridge, you can follow our five golden rules. Continue below to know more.
1) Check the fridge’s temperature
Just like the thermostat, we like to adjust the temperature in our fridge.
The ideal fridge temperature is around 4°C to 5°C (40°F or below). This ensures the safety and freshness of your food. You should also avoid opening your fridge door for extended periods of time as it can affect the temperature (law of thermodynamics, anyone?). Also, avoid putting hot food inside the fridge as it can affect the overall temperature inside.
However, if you’ve noticed that your fridge isn’t cool enough even if it’s at the right temperature, you might want to have it checked with a technician. Perhaps your fridge needs to replace parts, and technicians know where to get high end refrigerator parts!
2) Don’t overpack!
One of the common mistake we make in storing food in the fridge is overpacking.
Sure, you want to keep the freshness of the food you bought, but remember— not all food should be stored in the fridge. Some produce like onions and garlic can be stored outside the fridge for up to weeks. Plus, overpacking your fridge prevents the cool air from circulating, preventing the proper chilling of the food.
3) Keep different foods separat
Another common mistake in fridge food storage is not placing them in the right place. The cool air in the fridge circulates inside the fridge, and not all shelves have the same temperature.
The fridge’s bottom and back are the coolest parts of the fridge. Why? It’s because cool air sinks to the bottom, while the back part is the furthest from the fridge door.
So it’s important to place food in the right parts. For example, cheese, yogurt, leftovers, and cooked meats should be placed at the top and middle shelves. On the other hand, raw meat, fish, and pultry should be stored inside sealed containers and placed at the bottom shelf to ensure freshness.
4) Store wet food properly
Do you know that moisture is one of the reasons why food spoil? This is why when using the fridge, you should avoid placing liquids or liquidy foods inside. This contrubutes to the forming of moisture inside, spoiling it and others inside.
For example, if you’re storing lettuce and fruit in your fridge, pat them dry or wrap them in paper towels. You should also store wet food in sealed, moisture-proof, and fridge-safe containers to avoid contamination
Remember the 2-hour rule for leftovers
Thanksgiving’s coming, and everybody’s looking forward to the feast you’ll prepare. But you know what that also means? Leftovers!
When storing leftovers, you must remember the 2-hour rule. This simply means that you have to put cooked food in the fridge within two hours of cooking. This way, the food cools down completely, avoiding any spoilage.
If you’ve got tons of leftovers, divide them into smaller portions and place them into small containers to store in the fridge. This ensures freshness for up to three days!
Adjust your crisper’s humidity vent
In addition to the proper storage of wet food, you can use prevent moisture from forming inside the fridge through its crisper.
A crisper is designed to keep produce fresh by preserving humidity. Fridge crispers have adjustable vents, perfect for storing different produce.
For example, leafy veggies are best stored in humid environments. You can achieve the ideal environment for these veggies by closing the vents. However, if the produce requires drier environments, keep the vents open.
Proper food storage is important to keep it fresh and safe for our consumption. It also helps in maintaining the nutrients in them, which is essential for our everyday lives. Since its development, fridges helped us store food properly, keeping it cool and lengthening its shelf life. However, still bear in mind our golden rules to make the most out of your fridge!
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