Tips for storing and arranging food properly in the refrigerator

The refrigerator is a means of preserving food but does not have the effect of killing bacteria, so housewives need to consider when preserving and arranging food properly.

Arranging food in the refrigerator properly and scientifically will help you ensure food hygiene and safety and make it easier to prepare. Below are three simple steps to help housewives become wise when using the refrigerator every day.

1. Clean out the refrigerator

Cleaning out your fridge can help you visualize what's missing or what's left over. Photo: onegoodthing.

Before you start rearranging the food in your refrigerator, the first thing you need to do is clean it out thoroughly. It's best to do this from top to bottom:

- Throw away all expired food.

- Select and keep new condiments that are only used once, such as tomato sauce, chili sauce, mayonnaise..., and discard expired bottles to avoid confusion.

- If the refrigerator is too small, you can remove some foods such as tomatoes, onions, potatoes, bread, cereals, bananas... because these foods can be easily stored at room temperature.

2. Arrange food

The refrigerator also has its own principle and you need to understand that principle to use this item effectively. Currently, refrigerators usually have two compartments, the freezer has a negative temperature and the refrigerator has a positive temperature. In winter, if set at number 1 (least cold), the temperature in the refrigerator compartment will be around 2 to 5 degrees Celsius, the temperature in the vegetable compartment will be around 7 to 10 degrees Celsius, which is suitable for short-term food preservation. But in summer, to maintain this temperature, you must adjust it to number 4 or 5. You can refer to the arrangement below.

-Bottom compartmentUsually designed at a specific humidity suitable for storing fresh fruits and vegetables. Fruits should not be placed too close together in the refrigerator to avoid one ripening causing the others to ripen.

-Except for the freezer, the coldest part of the refrigerator is not theglass surface next to vegetable compartment.Therefore, this is the best compartment to store fresh foods. You should buy many plastic boxes to store and classify these foods to avoid contamination.

-Top drawerSuitable for leftovers, drinks, ready-to-eat foods.

-Middle compartmentis a suitable place for items that need to be kept cool such as coffee, yogurt, cakes...

- Eggs, spices can be placed inrefrigerator door.

-In the freezer, when using, you need to note:

Food taken out of the freezer must be processed immediately because defrosting and then putting it back in the freezer will cause food poisoning.

New food should be placed in the freezer, and previously purchased food should be placed outside for use first. Frozen food should be labeled with the date to avoid using old food by mistake. Labeling the date of purchase, date of opening, or expiration date of frozen products and canned foods should also be applied to the refrigerator compartment.

3. Scientific habits to know when using the refrigerator

Arranging food properly is protecting the health of your whole family. Photo: theglamoroushousewife.

In the refrigerator, bacteria do not die, but only grow slowly or stop growing, and their toxins are not destroyed. They only temporarily "sleep", waiting until they are removed from the refrigerator and exposed to normal room temperature or human body temperature, they will return to normal activity. To prevent disease and maintain good food hygiene when using the refrigerator, the following recommendations should be followed:

- Water used to make ice cream and ice must be boiled water.

- Cooked food that you want to keep should be put in the refrigerator within 4 hours of cooking. When you need to take it out of the refrigerator, eat it immediately and do not leave it at room temperature for more than 4 hours.

- Raw foods such as meat, fish, etc. that you want to keep must be put in the refrigerator immediately after slaughtering, no later than 4 hours. When taken out of the refrigerator, they must be processed immediately.

- For raw or cooked foods that are not sure when they were prepared, they may be contaminated with bacteria or bacterial toxins. They need to be processed immediately or reheated carefully before being put in the refrigerator.

- Follow the principle: Prioritize placing cooked, processed foods on the top shelf.

- Even in the refrigerator, food still needs to be stored in separate, tightly sealed containers.

- Clean the refrigerator once a week, preferably before you plan to go to the supermarket.

Remember that the refrigerator is a means of preserving food and does not have the effect of killing bacteria. Therefore, the food put in the refrigerator must be fresh, clean, and not contaminated with bacteria or bacterial toxins to ensure safety.

According to ngoisao.net