20 Myths About Fridge Larder: Dispelled
Tips For Organizing Your Fridge Larder
A fridge larder is a great method to store produce that's over its prime. You can also use a smaller refrigerator and save money on energy costs!
It's a great location to store items such hard cheeses, breads and eggs. Then there's fresh herbs that benefit from the low humidity.
Keep It Organized
A fridge larder can help reduce food waste, and make it easier to locate items when cooking. But, just like any other room in your home, the fridge can become messy and uncontrollable. Here are some ways to keep your refrigerator running smoothly and neatly.
Take Inventory
The most important aspect of organizing your kitchen is taking inventory, says Holly Blakey, a professional organizer at Breathing Room. "Take everything out and look for the expiration dates. Clean all surfaces." Throw away expired food and leftovers, or throw them away or freeze them and throw away everything that isn't eatable before it gets rotten.
Blakey suggests putting the most frequently used items on the front of your under counter fridge. Then, tuck away the items that aren't used in the back and bottom of your fridge.
Organize Your Freezer
If you have a chest-freezer you can arrange it using clear storage containers that will help you find food items more easily. Label each bin clearly and group items that are similar together. Keep condiments in one bin and sodas in a different, and cheese sticks in the third. You can also make use of a lazy Susan for condiments and other commonly used items to keep them from being lost in the back of your.
In a refrigerator with a side-byside, store foods that require the coldest temperatures in the back, refridgerator and warmer food items in the front. The lower shelf works well for milk, yogurt cream, butter, and cream (it does not melt). The crisper drawers are best for spilled produce.
Drawer dividers are a cheap and easy way to make your refrigerator more efficient. They'll stop your fruits and vegetables from rolling around, preventing them from rotting before you use them. Plus, they'll help your drawers remain clean and well-organized. To extend the life of tender herbs, place them in water. Mason jars containing an inch of liquid are ideal for. You can also purchase an herb preserver to keep in your refrigerator.
Keep It Clearly
Keep your fridge well organized to make it easier to choose healthy food choices and feel satisfied throughout the day. Make sure that all food containers are transparent so you can easily see the contents. This will show you how many days you have left on the expiration dates, and also prevent you from conserving food that has expired.
Begin by giving your refrigerator's larder a thorough cleaning. Scrub the shelves, drawers, and racks with warm water and dishwashing detergent. Give your fridge a thorough clean to remove any food debris and spills that might have built up.
Make sure that your fridge is dry and clean. Start with the deli and cheese drawer -- this is where you should store your cheeses, meats leftovers, dairy items and other food items. Then, move to the produce drawer, which should be reserved for leafy greens since they tend to wilt quickly. Keep it at least three-quarters full to ensure maximum freshness.
The pantry drawers in certain refrigerators can be useful for storage of party trays, large bags of frozen vegetables, and other food items that are bulky. You can also use this area to house condiments like ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise as well as nut butters and other canned goods. Be careful not to store milk here however, as it could be spoiled quickly due to the fluctuating temperatures inside the fridge's door.
The back of your refrigerator should be used for condiments, salad dressings and other jarred items that last for a long time. Use a riser for containers to make them easier to read. This will help you avoid closing and opening the lids multiple times.
When you fill each bin, make it a goal to label it with the help of a marker or stickers that are easy to read. This will make it easy for your family to understand what each container contains, and for you to locate the items you require. The addition of bins with labels is a great way to declutter your kitchen and reduce the amount of plastic waste you produce.
Keep Cool
A well-stocked fridge larder will keep food items at the correct temperature to prevent spoilage and also slow down bacterial growth. Larders can be integrated into existing cabinets or stand on their own. They are typically placed on the north-facing side of the home to minimize sunlight exposure. They could also be equipped with additional insulation or refridgerator ventilation to stop heat from entering the food storage area. They have thicker walls and have fewer windows. They generally are placed on the north side of your home to minimize the transfer of heat.
The larder should contain an area for each kind of food item, including meat and vegetables. Each drawer can be programmed with the correct temperature. This ensures that the burgers and chicken will be cooked to perfection, and that the salad greens don't get overly wilted. A larder drawer can also be set to a low-humidity setting for vegetables and fruits that release a lot of moisture, like cucumbers or tomatoes.
Other drawers in the refrigerator can be used to store items such as cheese -- fresh cream, hard and freshwrapped in paper or greaseproof or clingfilm to keep it for longer. Other items that can be stored in the refrigerator door include drinks and condiments that are not perishable (like ketchup), water and eggs. Milk shouldn't be stored in the fridge doors, however - these shelves tend to be warmer and more unstable than other drawers.
For a sleek appearance, separating small containers of food and snacks can help make the contents more visible as well as helpful when family members are searching for food items in the car. Labelling shelves or bins to show which food items should be eaten first is a good idea, particularly when your family members don't know how to read labels!
Larders are also a great place to keep leftovers. You can keep them in a variety of glass and plastic containers that are safe for food. These are perfect for storing smaller portions of ingredients. Preparing these for quick meals is a good way to save money and time when shopping. And if you have a neat well-organized fridge that has space specifically designated for storage of these, it will be much easier to keep on top of your grocery budget!
Keep It Fresh
The best fridge organization tricks reduce food waste and help your healthy food items last longer. A few smart strategies ensure that fresh food items are kept at the appropriate temperature and help to see what you have and where it is.
Most refrigerators have crisper drawers designed to alter airflow and increase humidity to extend the life of vegetables and fruits. However, it is important to use them in a proper manner. If you mix greens with fruit, for instance, the ethylene produced by the latter can cause the former to wilt and then spoil quickly. It is also crucial to separate different types of fruits and vegetables and keep them in the proper drawers.
The door shelves are the most cosy part of the fridge. They should be used for items that don't require extra cold or specific conditions of storage like jars of salad dressings jams, chutneys, and jams as well as long-life drinks (anything bought in bulk and having the same expiration date). The top shelf can be used to store drinks such as milk and water, which can be stored in a upright position.
Refrigerator drawers can be tricky to keep sorted with things moving around and getting jumbled together However, there are easy tricks to help. First, purchase a set of refrigerator drawer dividers to keep the food items separate and prevent them from colliding against each other. The ability to organize by size is useful. Keep items of similar heights on the same shelf and don't keep things that aren't the same size next to each other -- raw meat shouldn't be kept in the same drawer with cooked ham!
A thermometer is another important item to have for your fridge's larder. It's a low-cost, simple-to-use device that will ensure that the fridge is at the optimal temperature to ensure that your food is at its safest and freshest.
Keep a supply in your fridge of plastic bags to store produce that is not in a container. The bag's moisture prevents vegetables from rotting. For herbs that normally go through a slow decline in the course of a day, you can keep them fresher for longer by washing them and placing them in a glass of water. This is just as effective as a plastic sack in conserving moisture.
