Keeping your Fridge Organized

• August 3rd, 2016
• Posted in DIY

Many of us have had the experience of reaching into the back of our refrigerators, to find last week’s produce totally spoiled, or having to stack tupperware like Jenga pieces. Make your fridge a more sane and stable space (and save money on all the spoiled food you would normally toss out!) by following these rules of a clean, efficient, and organized fridge.

Keep a high amount of shelf space

• Keep food in square plastic containers that you can stack, rather than round ones. Square shapes allow you to keep more food, and keep things neaters.
• Don’t leave unopened cans of sodas or bottles of tea crowd up space in the fridge where things really need to be kept cold should reside. Keep all store shelf stable containers, cans, and bottles in the pantry, and use ice to cool them down whenever you want to serve them cold.
• Don’t place leftovers in giant containers, but store them in individual portions in small bins or resealable bags.

Predictive Cleaning

• Keep sticky or drippy items like jams, sauces, or jellies in removeable shelf bins – and whenever stains or drips occur, simply take them out and rinse them – this reduces your need to bend over and scrub the fridge clean.
• Line your tins with paper towels to catch any errant drips.

Make your food last

• Keep wet fruit and veggies out of the plastic grocery bags they came in and pat them down with a dry paper towel. Getting rid of any excess moisture will keep these items fresh and crisp.
• Many fridges come with egg holders, but it’s better to keep eggs inside their cartons which are designed to keep eggs fresh and protect them from cracking.
• Double bag any raw meat and store it on a platter in a bottom shelf in order to protect all the other food from potentially getting cross contaminated.

Utilize the freezer to save space

• Freeze milk inside it’s carton (it can last up to 3 months in the freezer) and thaw it overnight in the fridge.
• Chop herbs in a food processor and mix it with a little bit of olive oil. Place it in a resealable bag, and take out all the air, and freeze it so the mixture stays flat. Break off individual pieces of the mixture to season soups or sauces, or pour it in a ice cube mold to make individual portions of sauce.
• Wrap cheese rinds in double layers of plastic to later flavor any soups or stews that you’re making.