How to properly store food in the refrigerator and on what shelves, organization schemes

Not everyone knows how to properly store various foods in the refrigerator. Usually, store-bought supplies randomly fill the shelves of this unit. It turns out that foods can have negative effects on each other. It is advisable to keep fresh meat away from cottage cheese, and not to put fruits near smoked fish. All products that enter the refrigerator must be wrapped, otherwise they will become saturated with foreign odors and quickly deteriorate.

Use the right cookware

Store perishable foods in the refrigerator. The main function of this device is cooling.Each type of food has its own shelf on which a certain temperature is maintained. Any refrigerator has a refrigerator and a freezer, they have different temperature regimes.

The freezer maintains a temperature of -18 ... -24 degrees Celsius. In the refrigerator compartment - from 0 (in the cool zone) to +5 above zero (on the shelves). Usually the shelf near the freezer has the lowest temperature. If you simply place the product on any shelf in the refrigerator, it will quickly dry out or deteriorate. Before storing food in the refrigerator or freezer compartment, wrap it. In cold weather, food deteriorates slowly, but it dries out very quickly.

Where you can store food:

• in food film - it is used to cover a plate of salad or sandwiches with butter;
• in parchment paper - provides air circulation and is suitable for wrapping cheese, sausages;
• made of foil - perfectly seals, protects from extraneous odors;
• in plastic containers - they store ready meals and products from the store;
• in glassware - ideal packaging for storing liquid and solid supplies;
• in a vacuum container - does not pass oxygen, does not allow the development of bacteria;
• in enamel pans - ideal containers for keeping food chilled.

It is better to wrap all products placed in the refrigerator in packages or put them in a tightly closed container with a lid. Instead of ordinary plastic bags, it is better to use perforated bags. After opening, groceries purchased from a store in a tin or paper container are best transferred or poured into a glass container.

Operation and maintenance rules

It is advisable to put the refrigerator in the kitchen away from the stove. It should rest on a flat surface and not wobble. It is better to connect this device to the network through a voltage stabilizer. Do not put liquid dishes or drinks without a lid, as well as hot soups or compotes in the refrigerator. All shelves should be filled evenly.

Uneven laying of food reserves affects air circulation, the unit begins to work more intensively, which leads to excessive consumption of electricity. Once a week you need to review the contents and discard any spoiled food. Shelves should always be clean and dry. Remove dirt with a slightly damp cloth.

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Do not leave the refrigerator door open for too long. You need to constantly check the gum if it does not pass the cold. It is undesirable to set too low a temperature in the refrigerator compartment, this will increase energy consumption. Optimally permissible - + 3 ... + 5 degrees Celsius.

If the unit does not have an antifreeze system, once every 2-3 months the refrigerator should be defrosted and general cleaning carried out. There is nothing complicated in this procedure: all the products came out of the equipment disconnected from the power supply. Place a deep bowl under where the water will drain. You have to wait a bit for the ice to melt, you can't scrape it off with a knife. When the appliance is completely defrosted, take out all the shelves and drawers, wash them, wipe the side walls and doors. A clean, dry fridge is plugged in and running for 10 minutes. Then evenly arrange the products on the shelves.

List of Foods Not Worth Keeping

It is generally accepted that cold helps keep food fresh for a long time. However, sometimes under the influence of low temperatures irreversible processes begin, which lead to a deterioration of food supplies. There are a number of foods best avoided in the refrigerator.

Olive oil

In the cold, the olive oil thickens and a white deposit appears at the bottom. Olive vinaigrette is best stored in a dark glass bottle on the shelf of your kitchen cabinet.

Bread

Baked goods should not be kept cold. In such a place they dry faster. Better to hide the bread in the bread basket.

Zucchini

Zucchini takes up too much space. It can be put in the compartment with vegetables, but first you need to wrap it in a perforated plastic bag.

Melon

These fruits may become sweeter if kept warm for a period of time. However, it is better to wrap the cut melon in plastic and put it in the cold.

Pumpkin

Pumpkins are usually large and take up too much space in the refrigerator. The cold will not spoil it, but it is better to store uncut fruit at room temperature.

Apple

Slightly green apples keep better in a warm room, they ripen faster in the room. In the refrigerator, these fruits dry out.

Pear

Pears bought in the supermarket are best placed in a vase on the table, and not in the cold. The fact is that these fruits are picked while still green. They ripen on the way to the counter, as well as at home.

Tomatoes

At low temperatures, tomatoes will not deteriorate, but they will lose their taste and aroma. Better to keep them in a cool cupboard.

Cucumbers

For 2-3 days cucumbers can stay warm, but then they begin to deteriorate. In the refrigerator, they must be in perforated packages, in a box with other vegetables.

Eggplant

In the cold, eggplants become soft or dry out. It is best to keep these vegetables in a cool pantry.

Chocolate

The melted chocolate can be placed in the cold to freeze it. In all other cases, this sweetness can be stored at room temperature.

Garlic

In the cold, the garlic begins to sprout and dry out. Better to keep it in a dark closet.

My dear

Natural honey in a tightly sealed container can be stored at room temperature for an eternity. In the cold, it will sweeten and harden.

Potato

Potatoes become soft and mushy in the cold. This vegetable is best stored in a cool, dark cellar or cupboard.

Bananas

Low temperatures slow down the ripening process of these fruits. Green bananas are best kept warm for a few days and then eaten.

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Onion

This vegetable needs air, not cold temperatures. In the refrigerator compartment, onions quickly dry out or become soft and moldy.

Mango

This exotic fruit is brought to us unripe. It is best to store the mango at room temperature for 2-3 days for the fruit to ripen.

Attorney

This fruit can be stored at room temperature for about a week until it ripens. It is best to keep berries cold.

Feijoa

The shelf life of this fruit is too short. Better to eat it immediately after purchase.

Passion fruit

At room temperature, passion fruit can sit without spoiling for 2-3 days.This exotic fruit is best eaten immediately after purchase.

Preservation

Canned vegetables and salads are best stored in a cool cellar or cupboard. An opened box with preservation can be put in the refrigerator for a week.

Spicy sauces and mustard

All ketchups and sauces in the store are prepared with the addition of preservatives. These foods will not spoil at room temperature.

Watermelon

A whole watermelon can stand in the room for quite some time. Cut fruits, before being removed in the cold, it is advisable to wrap them in cling film.

Coffee

If this product is moved daily from cold to hot and vice versa, then condensation will appear on the walls of the packaging, which will be absorbed by the coffee. Better to keep it in the bedroom.

Attorney

A green avocado ripens faster if left in a bowl of other fruit at room temperature for a while. It is best to put red fruits in the cold.

Basil

Basil dries faster in the refrigerator compartment than at room temperature. Better to put the greens in a glass of water and water occasionally.

corn flakes

In the refrigerator compartment, the flakes become soft and less crispy. Better to keep them warm.

Salami

This solid smoked sausage made from dried natural meat can be kept in the room for about 1 month. If the composition and method of preparation of the meat product is unknown, then it is better to store it in a cold place.

What foods should not be neighbors

Some food items negatively affect their neighbors. They alter their aroma, taste and accelerate spoilage.It is very simple to protect edible supplies from the unwanted neighborhood: each product must have its own shelf or drawer, moreover, they must be wrapped or sealed tightly before being placed in the refrigerator.

Fruits and vegetables

All herbal products should be wrapped in paper or a perforated bag before storing in the refrigerator. Vegetables and fruits are stored separately, otherwise they will be saturated with other people's smells. In addition, fully ripe fruits will emit ethylene gas, which will cause nearby "neighbors" to ripen or rot.

Sausages and tropical fruits

The sausages have a very strong and pungent smell. Tropical fruits next to them, like a sponge, absorb the aroma of sausage. It is best to keep such products on separate shelves.

Fresh products and cooked meals

Unwashed vegetables or fruits, raw meat, fish bought at the market are full of bacteria. If such products are placed near the soup, dangerous microorganisms can migrate into the dish and cause digestive disorders in humans. It is best to keep ready meals on a separate shelf.

Smoked meats and cheeses

Hard cheeses and smoked meats are not stored on the same shelf. Smoked meat products have a pronounced specific aroma. Cheese has a porous structure and absorbs odors.

Fruit and fish salads

Fresh or smoked fish should be kept away from fruit and salads. Fresh hake or cod may contain micro-organisms that are dangerous to health, which only die after heat treatment.

Fish, especially smoked fish, is a sorbate with a strong aroma, and products with a porous structure quickly absorb extraneous odors.

Investment advice

In the refrigerator, the temperature on the different shelves is not the same. The lowest is near the freezer. Each shelf of this unit is designed to store a specific type of food.

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refrigerator compartment

The refrigerator compartment, depending on the design of household appliances, is located below or above the freezer. The further you are from the freezer, the higher the temperature. This characteristic must be taken into account when sending certain products to the refrigerator. The refrigerator is usually kept at a temperature of 0 ... + 5 degrees Celsius.

Second and Third Regiments

On these shelves, the temperature is slightly higher than near the freezer. Here you can store cheese, butter, milk, ready meals, sausages, cakes. To properly organize the space in the refrigerator compartment, you can use baskets, plastic containers. Products of the same type are placed in each container. Vegetables and fruits are stored in the drawers at the bottom of the refrigerator.

Shelf next to the freezer

It is advisable to store perishable foods near the freezer. Fresh meat, fish, minced meat, seafood are stored in such a place. True, they can stand in the refrigerator compartment for a short time - just before cooking. For longer preservation of meat or fish, use a freezer.

zero camera

The zero chamber is a separate compartment isolated from the refrigeration chamber. Here, the temperature is kept at 0 degrees Celsius. In such conditions, food does not freeze, but remains fresh for a long time. Perishable meat and fish can be stored in chamber zero.

Door

This is the warmest place in the refrigerator compartment. In addition, the temperature here constantly fluctuates. Eggs, drinks, hard cheeses, ketchups are stored in separate compartments on the doors.

Freezer

Meat, fish, seafood and minced meat are stored in the freezer, if they plan to cook from these products in a few days or weeks. Housewives keep frozen greens, berries, fruits and vegetables for the winter in the freezer.

Common Storage Mistakes

Improper food storage leads to disastrous consequences. Food supplies deteriorate after 1-2 days. Preserving the freshness of soups, vegetables, fruits, smoked meats, meats will be facilitated by their separate placement on different shelves or in separate containers. Anything that doesn't fit in the fridge should be wrapped. You can not keep an open smoked sausage near the cheese, otherwise the cottage cheese will be saturated with the aroma of smoked meat. Fresh, unpackaged fish can alter the smell of the fruit. A rotten apple can spoil all the fruit.

If the refrigerator does not have a know-frost system, it must be defrosted and cleaned every 2-3 months. Indeed, product safety depends on the purity of the device itself.

Additional tips and tricks

It is not necessary to overload the refrigerator compartment with home canned or commercial canned food. These foods can be stored at room temperature. Fresh vegetables or fruits do not need to be washed, but they should be wrapped in paper or a perforated bag and only in this form sent to a special compartment at the bottom of the refrigerator.

Meat baked in foil must first cool, then it can be hidden in the refrigerator.In places with low temperatures, it is better to store meat and fish products, vegetables and fruits can be stored away from the freezer. Each housewife should have her own plan for placing food in the refrigerator compartment, which should be adhered to at all times.