A refrigerator is a must-have appliance in any home, but making it efficient can be difficult. One of the few ways to make a fridge work more efficiently is by adequately storing food to extend its life for longer periods. Keeping food the right way can help you save yourself time and money on groceries, as well as your time and money on washing dishes or cooking in a warm kitchen. The refrigerator is an essential part of a home, not just for storing leftovers and beverages that can’t last a day without spoiling. But keeping your food correctly is also necessary to avoid wasting any.
Don’t Keep the Refrigerator Overfilled
Refrigerators work better when you don’t keep them too full or too empty. The fridge should be filled only halfway, or even less, because if you fill it further, it can be a source of a bacteria problem. When the food is placed in the fridge, it causes humidity and condensation due to increased bacterial growth.
Food has to be consumed within a week. If you cannot consume food within a week, store it under refrigeration conditions inside the refrigerator shelf to ensure quality and freshness for extended periods.
Use the Right-sized Container
When storing leftovers, use the right-sized containers to minimize spoilage from evaporation and dehydration (leaving moisture in them). The best container size is half filled with dry ice and ½ the cans of food. Similarly, if you store anything other than leftover food, use clear glass containers with a lid that won’t cause condensation. Solid bowls work better when used to store foods with specific shapes as they provide contact with moisture longer, minimizing moisture loss. To get the perfect size refrigerator for your home, you should visit The Appliance Guys of Sydney.
Regular Refrigerator Cleaning
Keeping a food refrigerator clean is vital as it helps in keeping the food fresh for extended periods. However, using a dishwasher or a dishwashing detergent leaves a soapy residue that can attract bacteria.
Therefore, always use hot, sudsy water with clothes that won’t scratch the appliance. Another good idea is to wash the shelves and drawers with salted water every week to remove any stickiness and wipe them with vinegar one more time before you store food back into them.
Use Foods with High Acid Content
Fruits like lemons, limes, and oranges are high in acids that inhibit bacterial growth, and thus they can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Vegetables like cabbage and carrots are usually high in alkaline, which can also be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. The meats should be stored in the refrigerator for five days.
Don’t Overstuff Shelves
Properly storing your food in the refrigerator can help you save a lot of money, time, and effort. In addition, keeping foods on the shelves can help extend their shelf life longer as they won’t accumulate as much air inside them as when placed on top of each other over a long period.
Enjoy fresh foods for more extended periods by following the tips mentioned above. You can also follow other directions, like putting butter and cheese on the bottom of the fridge to keep them fresh for extended periods and keeping foods of specific colors on a different side of the refrigerator.
