Tips For Organizing Your Fridge Larder
A fridge larder can be a great way to store produce that's over its prime. It also helps you manage a smaller refrigerator and help you save money on your energy bill!
It's a handy space for storing provisions like eggs, bread and hard cheeses. Fresh herbs also benefit from the lack of moisture.
Keep It Organized
A fridge-friendly larder can reduce food waste and makes it easier to locate the items when cooking. But, just like any other room in your home, the refrigerator can get messy and out of control. Here are some tips to keep your refrigerator running smoothly and organized.
Take Inventory
The most important part of organizing your kitchen is to take inventory, according to Holly Blakey, a professional organizer at Breathing Room. "Take everything out and look for the expiration dates. Clean all surfaces." Get rid of expired foods or throw them away and get rid of any food items that aren't intended to be consumed before they go bad.
When you replenish your fridge, be sure the items you use most frequently used are front and center, Blakey advises. Then, place the items that are less frequently used in the bottom and back of your refrigerator.
Organize Your Freezer
If you have a chest freezer you can arrange it using clear storage containers which will allow you to locate food items more easily. Label each bin clearly and categorize items that are similar together. Put condiments in one container, sodas in another, and cheese sticks in a third. You can also make use of a lazy Susan for condiments and other frequently 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, and warmer items towards the front. The lower shelf works well for milk, yogurt cream, butter, and cream (it will not melt). And the crisper drawers are best for storing produce spillover.
Drawer dividers are a cheap and simple way to make your refrigerator more efficient. They'll prevent your vegetables and fruits from getting lost, preventing them from rotting before you use them. Plus, they'll help your drawers stay cleaner and organized. To extend the longevity of tender herbs, store them in water. Mason jars containing one inch of liquid work great. Alternatively, you can buy an herb saver that you can put in your fridge.
Keep It Clearly
Keep your fridge tidy to help you choose healthy foods and stay content throughout the day. Make sure that all of your lids and containers for food are clean so that you can see what's inside. This will tell you the number of days left on your expiration date and ensure that you don't store food that is past its prime.
Start your fridge larder off with a thorough cleaning by scrubbering the shelves, drawers and racks with warm water and dish soap. Give your fridge a thorough wipe down to get rid of any gross crumbs and spills that might have accumulated over the course of time.
Restock your fridge after everything is clean and dry. Start by storing your deli meats and cheeses in the drawer. Then, move on to the produce drawer. This is where you should store greens that are leafy because they will wilt easily. Keep it about three-fourths full to ensure maximum freshness.
The pantry drawers in certain refrigerators can be helpful for storage of large bags of frozen vegetables and other food items that are bulky. You can also use this space to store condiments such as mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup and nut butters and other canned goods. Be careful not to store milk here though, as it can go bad quickly due to the fluctuating temperatures inside the refrigerator door.
The back of your refrigerator should be reserved for condiments, salad dressings and other jarred items that will last for longer. Consider using a riser in order to raise jars so that they are easier to read. This will help you avoid opening and closing the lids multiple times.
Label each bin using markers or use stickers that are able to be easily read. This will let your family members to easily recognize what each container holds, and it'll make it easier for you to locate what you're searching for. Labeled bins are a great method of reducing the clutter in your fridge and reducing the amount plastic waste you create.
Keep it Cool
A well-designed fridge larder will keep food at the right temperature, preventing spoilage and slowing bacterial growth. Larders can be built into existing cabinets or can stand alone. They are usually placed on the north-facing side of the house to limit the sun's exposure. They may also have additional insulation or ventilation to keep heat from getting into the food storage area. They have walls that are thicker, fewer windows and are generally situated on the north-facing side of your home to limit the transfer of heat.
A larder should have one drawer for meat and one for vegetables and fruits, each with a particular setting that can be programmed to the appropriate temperature. This ensures that chicken and burgers are cooked properly, and the salad greens won't be too discolored. Larder drawers can also be set to a low humidity setting for fruits and vegetables that release a lot of moisture, like cucumbers or tomatoes.
To preserve cheese, store it in other drawers of the fridge. Wrapped in paper, greaseproof or Clingfilm or greaseproof film, you can keep it fresher for longer. Drinks, non-perishable condiments like eggs, ketchup and water can also be kept in the fridge door. The refrigerator door isn't the best place to store milk since it tends to be warmer and less stable than other drawers.
For a sleek look, corralling small bottles of food and snacks can to make the contents more noticeable and helpful when family members are searching for something to eat while on the move. Labeling bins and shelving to show what should be eaten first may be helpful, especially if family members aren't accustomed to reading labels!
A larder can also be a great place to store leftovers as well as various food-safe plastic and glass containers for storage, which are ideal for holding smaller portions of ingredients. Having these ready for quick meals is a good way to save time and money when shopping. If you have a clean well-organized fridge that has the space designated for these items It makes it easier to keep track of your grocery budget.
Keep it fresh
The best ways to organize your fridge reduce food waste and help your healthy food items last longer. Some smart strategies will keep your fresh foods at the right temperature and make it easier to check what's in your fridge.
Most refrigerators come with crisper drawers that are designed to alter airflow and increase humidity to prolong the life of vegetables and fruits. It's important to use these drawers correctly. If you mix greens with fruit, for instance, the ethylene released by the latter could cause the former to wilt and spoil prematurely. Separating different types of fruits and storing them in the appropriate drawers is crucial.
Door shelves are usually the warmest area of the fridge. They should be reserved for foods that don't require a colder temperature or special storage conditions like jam, chutneys, jars of jam salad dressings, long-life juices (anything bought in bulk with the same use-by date). The top shelf can be used to store drinks like water and milk that can be stored upright.
It isn't easy to keep refrigerator drawers organized, with items that are moving and jumbling. However, there are simple tips to help. First, invest in a fridge under counter set of refrigerator drawer dividers to keep the food items separate and prevent them from colliding with each other. Organizing by size is also useful. It is easier to store items of similar heights together. Don't store things that aren't the same height in the same drawer.
A thermometer is another essential item to have in your fridge. It's a low-cost, simple-to-use tool that will ensure the refrigerator is at the ideal temperature so your food stays fresh and safe.
Don't forget to have a bag of plastic grocery bags in your refrigerator for storing items that don't have their own container. The moisture in the bag keeps vegetables from turning brown. For herbs that normally wilt in days, you can keep them fresher for longer by washing them and placing them in a water glass. This is as effective as a plastic sack in keeping moisture.