"Yay! Found one." Monica yelled with relief as she finally spotted a milk carton amid the packed shelves in the fridge for her morning coffee. Her joy soon abated away as she realised that it was way past its expiry date! Did she complain? Well, yes she did, but then she came across this awesome fridge organisation guide and aced the art of food storage.
The stories our refrigerators tell can be quite an eye-opener, especially during the pandemic. Now that the onset of the lockdown has brought out the “Chefs” in us, it is all the more crucial that we give our refrigerators their much-deserved love by keeping them clean and organised. So, at Hafele Appliances - we have come up with the perfect guide to organize our fridge, which prevents food wastage and helps you find the items you need immediately, instead of going on a treasure hunt in your fridge!
1. Declutter Regularly
The golden rule to efficient food storage is decluttering expired products and perished food items frequently. The lockdown period may lead to the accumulation of such food items, so ensure that you regularly clear them out to prevent fresh food from going bad too. Additionally, never fill your fridge full to the brim. This will not only decrease the shelf life of the food inside but you’ll also constantly be searching for the items you need!
2. Clean Smart!
If you’re low on groceries due to the lockdown, take advantage of this situation by deep cleaning your entire fridge with mild detergent and water and wipe it clean with a soft dry cloth! This saves you from the double effort of removing a large number of food items from the fridge. After cleaning, place the shelves carefully back to its original place ensuring no moisture is trapped in.
Pro tip : Use Kitchen towel for the final wipe. This will blot out the excess moisture and is very gentle on glass shelves, which may get scratched if an abrasive or rough cloth is used on them.
3. Use Optimal Container Size for Food Storage
Optimum container size based on the quantity of food would not only help you utilize the space in your refrigerator efficiently, but also enhance the shelf life of the food. Exposure to air can accelerate the rate at which your food gets spoilt! To combat this, transfer the food items in smaller containers as this helps to minimise air contact, keeps your fridge organised and easy to navigate!
Pro Tip – For better food hygiene and quick cooling of the food inside the refrigerator – it is advisable to use Ceramic, Glass or food grade Stainless Steel utensils and storage containers
4. Know What Needs To be Placed and Where.
Organising a refrigerator becomes easy if you know how to use the cooling of your fridge to its optimum level! This is why Hafele refrigerators come with dedicated spaces for different types of food.
- A- The fresco zone area comes with two drawers to stock up your fresh fruits and vegetables. This zone maintains a constant temperature (around zero degrees) to enhance the shelf life as well as retain nutrition in the fruits, vegetables and even breads.
- B- The open shelving with adjustable glass shelves is provided to store regular leftovers or cooked food.
- C- The wide door shelving system provides you with ample space to stack up your sauces, spreads, eggs, butter and chocolates.
- D- The regular drawer apart from the fresco zone in the fridge compartment is designed to store tropical fruits like mangoes, grapes and berries or even dairy products like yogurt and cheese and even leafy vegetables.
Pro Tip: Shrink wrap your leafy veggies and cheese to keep it crisp for a longer time.
- E- The dedicated freezer compartments are designed with drawers to trap the maximum cooling of the compartment and make them an ideal space for preserving frozen food like fish, meat, frozen breads and parathas.
5. Wrap Herbs in a Paper Towel
Herbs and leafy greens require extra care, as they are a storehouse of important nutrients that build our immune system. So, carefully store them wrapped in soft napkins or paper towels. Using this technique relieves their excess moisture, keeping the herbs super fresh for when they need to be used in your food recipes later!
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