Tips For Organizing Your Fridge Larder
A fridge larder can be a great option to store food that is past its best. It also lets you manage a smaller refrigerator and save money on your energy bills!
It's the perfect location to store items such as breads, hard cheeses, and eggs. Fresh herbs also benefit from low moisture.
Keep It Well-organized
A fridge larder can help 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 become messy and chaotic. Here are some suggestions to keep your refrigerator running smoothly and organized.
Take Inventory
Holly Blakey, an organizer at Breathing room The Breathing room believes that taking inventory is the most important thing to do in organizing your fridge. "Take everything out, look up expiration dates and clean the surfaces." Get rid of expired foods or throw them away and dispose of any food items that aren't intended to be eaten before they go bad.
When you stock up your fridge, be sure the items that are most often used are placed front and center, Blakey advises. Then, you can put away the items that aren't used in the back and the bottom of your fridge.
Organize Your Freezer
If you have a chest freezer arrange it using clear storage bins that aid in the easy search for food items. Label each bin clearly and group items that are similar. Store condiments in one bin and sodas in another and cheese sticks in the third. You can also use a lazy Susan to store condiments and other items that are frequently used. This will stop them from getting lost in the back of your.
In a refrigerator with a side-byside place food items that require the coldest temperatures in the back and warmer items towards the front. The lower shelf is ideal for milk, yogurt cream, butter and cream (it won't melt). And the crisper drawers are best for storing spillage of produce.
Drawer dividers make your refrigerator more functional and are easy to install. They will prevent your vegetables and fruits from rolling around. This will stop them from rotting. Additionally, they'll help ensure that your drawers stay clean and tidy. Another simple trick for the fridge is storing tender herbs in water to prolong their lifespan. Mason jars filled with an inch of liquid work well. Alternatively, you can buy an herb saver to put in your fridge.
Keep fridge sale In View
Keeping your fridge organized will help you reach for healthy foods that keep you full and content throughout the day. Make sure that all your food containers and lids are clear to see what's inside. This will also let you know how many days you have left on the expiration dates and will prevent you from keeping food that is past its expiration date.
Get your fridge's larder started with a deep clean by scrubbing the shelves, drawers and racks with warm water and dish soap. Give your fridge a good clean-up to rid it of any gross spills and crumbs that may have accumulated over the course of time.
Once everything is clean and dry, it's time to restock your refrigerator. Start with the deli and cheese drawer -- this is the place to store your deli meats, cheeses leftovers, dairy items and other food items. Then, move on to the produce drawer. This is where you should store greens that are leafy because they will are prone to wilting. Keep it at least three-fourths full for 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. This drawer can be used to store condiments such as mustard and ketchup as well as nut-butters and other canned items. Milk shouldn't be stored here as the temperature can fluctuate and cause it to spoil quickly.
Also, the rear of your fridge should be reserved for jarred foods such as salad dressings, salad dressings, and other condiments that will last longer. Use a riser on containers to make them easier to read. This will help you avoid closing and opening the lids a few times.
As you fill each bin, make a goal to label it with markers or stickers that are easy to read. This will make it easier for your family to understand what each container contains and to find the items you require. The addition of bins with labels is also a great way to clear your kitchen and reduce the amount of plastic waste you produce.
Keep it Cool
A well-designed fridge larder will keep food at the right temperature, preventing spoilage and slowing bacterial growth. Larders are installed into cabinets that are already in place or stand on their own. They are typically located on the north side of your house to limit sun exposure and could also have additional insulation or an air-conditioning system to keep heat from entering the food storage area. They also typically have more solid walls and less windows to keep the inside at the lower temperature than other areas of the house.
A larder should have one drawer for meat and one for vegetables each with a distinct setting that can be programmed to the appropriate temperature. This ensures that the burgers and chicken will be cooked to perfection, and that the salad greens don't get excessively damaged. You can set the drawer of your larder to low humidity for fruits or vegetables which release a lot of moisture like cucumbers or tomatoes.
To preserve cheese, keep it in different drawers of the fridge. Wrapped in paper, greaseproof or Clingfilm or greaseproof film to keep it fresher for longer. Other items that can be stored in the refrigerator's door include beverages, condiments that are not perishable (like ketchup) as well as eggs, water and. Milk should not be kept in the refrigerator doors however - these shelves are warmer and more unstable than other drawers.
For a streamlined look, corralling small containers of food and snacks can help to make the contents more noticeable and beneficial when family members are searching for food in the car. Labelling shelves or bins to indicate which foods should be consumed first is also beneficial, especially in the event that your family members do not know how to read labels!
A larder is also an ideal place to store leftovers and various food-safe glass and plastic storage containers, which are ideal for smaller portions of food items. Preparing these for quick meals is a great way to save money and time when shopping. If you have a neat, organized fridge with a designated space for these items, it will make it easier to stay on top of your budget for groceries.
Keep It Fresh
The best fridge organization tricks reduce food waste and help your healthy groceries last longer. A few smart strategies keep your fresh food at the proper temperature and allow you to find what you have and where it is.
Most refrigerators have crisper drawers designed to alter airflow and increase humidity to prolong the life of fruits and vegetables. But it's important to use them in a proper manner. If you mix greens and fruit, for instance, the ethylene created by the latter can cause the former to turn brown and then spoil quickly. It is also essential to separate the different types of produce and place them in the correct drawers.
Door shelves are usually the warmest area of the fridge. They should be reserved for food items that don't need extra cold or special storage conditions like jam, chutneys, jars of jam salad dressings, and long-life juices (anything purchased in bulk and with the same expiration date). The top shelf can be used to store beverages such as milk and water, which can be stored in a upright position.
It isn't easy keeping refrigerator drawers arranged, with items that are moving and jumbling. But there are some simple ways to assist. First, invest in a set of refrigerator drawer dividers to keep your food items separated and stop them from colliding with each other. The ability to organize by size is beneficial. Store produce of similar heights together. Don't put things that aren't the same height in the same drawer.
A thermometer is another important item to have for your fridge's larder. It's a cheap, easy-to use tool that will make sure your fridge is operating at the ideal temperature to keep your food fresh and safe.
Don't forget to keep a stash of plastic grocery bags in your refrigerator for storing food items that don't come in its own container. The moisture in the bag prevents vegetables from rotting. For herbs that usually will wilt over time you can keep them fresher longer by washing them and putting them in a glass of water. This is as efficient as a plastic bag at keeping moisture.