You are googling the right questions, and guess what! This blog will give you the right answers about your food storage. Let’s be honest, we haven’t given a thought about ‘where’ to keep our food in the fridge. Most of the time, the answer is simply “wherever there is space”. But, turns out, it’s not that simple. Bummer, we know.
Every fridge has specific areas that’s meant for different foods. Storing them in the right place can actually help them stay fresh for longer. Didn’t you know that? We bet you did. Have you ever noticed the small labels or pictures on every compartment? Those tell you where to ideally keep your things for longer freshness and smarter food storage. No need to do the guesswork, this blog will help you understand your fridge, and answer the question “Where to store food for optimal freshness?”.
We suggest bookmarking this blog, so you can come back anytime you want! Let’s get started. Shall we?
Food Storage 101: Get To Know Your Fridge
Let’s get to know your food’s best buddy a little better. You know that there are different compartments. In our layman’s language, there’s a drawer, top shelves, bigger compartments, and a vegetable box. In technical fridge terms, there are different sections. These shelves and drawers are not just made for design, but they have specific functions with unique temperatures. So that your food stays fresh for longer! (If kept in the right place!)
- The Upper Shelves: The upper shelves are a little more humid than the lower shelves. You can store your snacking buddies here. It is absolutely perfect for ready-to-eat foods and drinks. It’s the place to store your snacks after a long day!
- The Middle Shelves: Are you a dairy lover? Then the middle shelf is your heaven. You can keep your cheeses, butter, eggs, cream, yoghurts, and desserts. Anything that can spoil or go bad would be safe in this middle paradise.
- The Lower Shelves: The lower shelves are the chill zone of your fridge. Items like raw meat, poultry and fish can be stored in this zone.
- The Crisper Drawers: You can call these drawers magical because they have high or low humidity settings. Store your fruits and vegetables and decide how crisp you want your fruits and vegetables to be!
- The Door Shelves: This is a warm zone in your fridge. You can keep condiments like salt, pepper, mayonnaise, and other beverages and sauces that you have.
Your fridge has all the zones that you would need. From being chill to warm and even crisp, they have it all! Now that you know a little bit about these amazing zones, let’s dive deeper to make better decisions.
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Upper Shelves: Your Snack Store
The upper shelf on the fridge is your personal snack store. How? Your snackables are in a perfect spot with quick access. It is the best for foods that don’t require very cold temperatures. To make things clearer, you can store:
- Snacks & Leftovers: Your favourite burrito roll that was too much to eat last night, or your go-to snack bar can perfectly fit here! All easy grabs!
- Ready-to-Eat Foods: Your ready-to-eat foods like meal-prepped containers or quick salad meals can be kept here for some days. The upper shelves are a little warm, that’s why they won’t spoil quickly.
- Juices & Beverages: Your bottles of juice, iced tea, or water can be kept here. You can easily grab your drink on the go!
To make it more simple for you, keep those items on the upper shelves that you grab the most. This is the spot for all your go-to snacks, ready-to-eat meals, leftovers that you love too much, or any other food item!
Middle Shelves: Your Dairy Heaven
You can call your middle shelf a magic shop of food storage. If you love dairy products, then this section is going to be your favourite. The middle section consistently has a cool temperature that is ideal for foods that need a stable cold setting. You can keep:
- Milk: We know, revolutionary right? Most of us keep our milk in the fridge door, but in reality the middle shelf is better. This zone would actually keep your milk fresh for longer.
- Yoghurt: A good morning happens when you get to eat your favourite Greek yoghurt that is still fresh. With a consistent temperature, you will find your yoghurt as fresh as the day you bought it!
- Cheese & Cream: Being a cheese lover can be difficult if you don’t know where to put them. The middle section is the perfect spot for it. Your brie, ricotta, cheddar and even gouda would love the middle section’s temperature. Something you would be able to taste in your food.
This section is the same as your one leg outside of the blanket and the other inside to maintain balance. So, it is not too cold, not too warm, just right.
Lower Shelves: Your Fridge’s Antarctica
The lower shelf is like your own mini Antarctica. It is the chill zone that is made for very specific food storage needs. This section will keep your food items super fresh. Things that can expire quickly should be the first ones in line to enter here. You should store:
- Raw Meat, Poultry, & Fish: This is the only place where you should store your raw proteins. The extra cold conditions make the raw meat, poultry and fish fresh. Another reason why these need to be in the lower section is that if there are any accidental drips, they stay there. Because who wants fish juice on their vegetables? Right?
- Prepared Foods for Cooking: If you like to prepare for cooking a little bit early, then storing it on lower shelves is the best option. This section will keep your pre-cut veggies and marinated proteins fresh and ready to be cooked!
Let your raw meat, poultry, fish and pre-prep enjoy in the lower section of the fridge. The cold never bothered them anyway. To easily remember how to organise food storage, simply remember the closer you are to the bottom, the chiller it gets!
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Crisper Drawers: The Green Zone
Crisper drawers are like a VIP section for your fruits and vegetables. This is the ultimate freshness zone that is made to keep your greens stay green and your fruits stay crispy and juicy. VIP sections always have something extra, this section has too! The humidity setting.
- High Humidity: It is best for your leafy greens and other moisture greens like spinach, lettuce, kale, herbs, carrots, broccoli and cucumbers.
- Low Humidity: It is good for drier vegetables and fruits like apples, pears, avocados, and peppers. They will stay fresher in this section for longer.
Another food storage secret is that you should separate apples, bananas and melons from others as they release ethylene gas which can make your vegetables spoil faster. Crisper drawers are the green zone that your fruits and vegetables will love.
Door Shelves: The Sauce and Spread Hangout
Get to know the most happening place of food storage, the door shelves. This is the cool hangout spot for all cool condiments, sauces, and drinks. Why? Because they can’t get any cooler and they don’t need to be as chill as other foods. (They have their own zone!) A cool list of things you can store here:
- Condiments & Sauces: Your ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, salad dressings and other dips can reside here.
- Beverages: Juice bottles, soda cans, and even wine can be a part of this cool hangout spot.
- Pickles & Jars: Pickle jars, olives or anything that is pickled can be stored on the door shelves.
- Butter: Some fridges have a special place for butter in their door compartments. It is the perfect spot to keep your butter soft and easily spreadable.
Two things to avoid putting on door shelves, but we all do, are eggs and milk. They can get spoiled faster here. Keep them on the inner shelves. These door shelves are for food items that you can easily grab!
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Conclusion
Your fridge is a world in itself. You just need to organise it smartly so that there is less food spoilage and more food storage. Compartments are the life of this food storage world. They play an important role in keeping your food fresh and delicious.
If you find it difficult to remember what goes where simply remember: On the top live your snacks, in the middle is dairy paradise, on the bottom we have the cold city of meat, poultry and fish, crisp drawers are a luxury spa for your fruits and vegetables, and finally door shelves are the cool hangout spot for your sauces and spreads!
A good food storage needs a good fridge. If you come across any problems, Tech Angels is here to provide you with the best fridge repair in Vancouver, BC.
Time to rethink your storage choices!
