Did you know that with just a few small steps, you can utilize all the space in your fridge and, in turn, reduce food waste? Pretty neat, huh! Here is our guide to organizing your fridge to help squatch waste!
8 organizational tips to help reduce waste borne from an unorganized refrigerator!
- Temperature control is crucial in keeping food fresh!
- If the fridge is too warm the food won’t last and if it’s too cold your food may freeze. The suggested range is between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius or 36 to 41 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Understand the warm and cold sections of your fridge and organize strategically!
- Temperature works from the bottom up, so the bottom part of the fridge is the coldest and the top is the warmest. Know which foods need a little colder temperature and which can be a bit warmer.
- Pro Tip! Most condiments, especially vinegar and salt based condiments do not need to be stored at the bottom. Vinegar and salt act as natural preservatives, so keep those items near the top.
- Cross contaminate no more by properly stacking foods!
- Remember to separate raw meats from produce and other fresh goods. Place raw meats on the bottom of the fridge to ensure no dripping occurs!
- Don’t be in a rush! Give those leftovers time time to cool down.
- If you put your leftovers in the fridge when they are still hot, you are just raising the temperature of the fridge which won’t help keep the foods already in there cold. Keep them out while you eat your meal, and hopefully when you are done you can pack the leftovers up and put them in the fridge.
- Keep a produce bowl in your kitchen. It can work in two ways; cute kitchen piece to tie in the aesthetic and keep produce that does not need to be refrigerated out of the fridge.
- Remember, not everything needs to go in the fridge. Items like onions, garlic,avocados, citrus, and potatoes are perfectly fine being kept in a bowl until they are ready to be eaten.
- If you can, don’t stack food on top of the fridge.
- Warm air is released at the top of the fridge, and it will make any food stacked on top go bad quicker. It will also spoil your wine!!! Save the wine! And the food too! If you have limited space, place smaller appliances like a blender or food processor on top for added storage.
- An overstocked fridge is a unhappy fridge!
- When you overstock your fridge, the air has trouble circulating through it and will make you food spoil faster. Limit the space, it will reduce food waste and keep items fresher for longer.
- Last, but not least, label your fridge!
- If you have limited room, you can find small baskets that can go in your fridge to easily help you sort items. Place produce together, cheeses and dairy, beverages, meats, and sauces all in labeled areas
Example pictures!
Check out Organizing Made Fun’s website!
Check out Harbor Appliance Repair’s website!
Have fun organizing, squatchers!