Tips For Organizing Your Fridge Larder
A fridge larder can be the ideal storage space for expired food items. It also helps you manage a smaller refrigerator and help you save money on your energy bill!
It's a great location to store items such as breads, hard cheeses, and eggs. Fresh herbs are another option, which benefit from low humidity.
Keep It Well-organized
A fridge's larder can help reduce food waste and helps you find items while cooking. The refrigerator, as with any other room in your home can get messy and unorganized. Here are a few tips to keep your refrigerator organized and functioning smoothly.
Take inventory
Holly Blakey, an organizer at Breathing room The Breathing room believes that taking inventory is the most important thing to do to organize your refrigerator. "Take everything out and look for the expiration dates. Clean all surfaces." Get rid of expired food items, toss or freeze leftovers and throw away any foods that aren't going to be eaten before they turn bad.
When you stock up your fridge, be sure the items that are frequently used are front and in the middle, Blakey advises. Then, tuck away the items that aren't used in the back and 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 classify items that are similar. Put condiments in one container, sodas in another, and cheese sticks in the third. You can also use a lazy Susan to store condiments and other items that are often used. This will prevent them from being lost in the back.
In a side-by-side fridge place food items that require the coldest temperatures in the back, and warmer foods toward the front. The lower shelf is ideal for cream, milk, butter (it won't melt) yogurt and other items that don't need consistent temperatures. The cooler drawers are the best for storing produce spillover.
Drawer dividers are a cost-effective and simple method of making your refrigerator more functional. They'll keep your vegetables and fruits from rolling around. They will also stop them from rotting. They'll also help keep your drawers tidy and organized. Another tip for your refrigerator is to keep tender herbs in water to prolong their lifespan. Mason jars filled with an inch of liquid are ideal for. Alternatively, you can buy an herb saver that you can put in your fridge.
Keep it Visible
Keep your fridge organized to help you select healthy food choices and feel satisfied throughout the day. Make sure that all of your lids and containers for food are clear to see what's inside. This will let you know how many days are left until the expiration dates, and prevent you from conserving food that has expired.
Start by giving your refrigerator's larder a thorough clean. Scrub the drawers, shelves, and racks with warm water and dishwashing detergent. Give your refrigerator a good clean to remove any food debris and spills that could have been accumulating.
Make sure that your fridge is dry and clean. Start by storing your cheeses and deli meats in the drawer. Then, move on to the produce drawer. This is where you should put away greens that are leafy because they will wilt easily. Keep it at least three quarters full to ensure freshness.
The pantry drawer in some 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, as well as nut butters and other canned items. Milk should not be stored here since the temperature can fluctuate and cause it to spoil quickly.
The back of your refrigerator should be reserved for condiments, salad dressings and other jarred food items that will last for longer. Use a riser on jars to make them easier to read. buy fridge uk will prevent you from having to open and close the lid multiple times, which will prolong the life of your condiments.
As you stock each bin, make it a effort to label it using markers or stickers that are easy to read. This will let your family members quickly identify what each container holds and help you to locate what you're searching for. Labeled bins are an excellent way of decluttering your fridge and reducing the amount of plastic waste you create.
Keep it Cool
A good fridge larder keeps food at the right temperature which prevents spoilage and slows the growth of bacteria. Larders are built into existing cabinets or stand on their own. They are typically placed on the north-facing side of the house to reduce exposure to sun and can also be equipped with insulation or an air-conditioning system to keep heat from getting into the food storage area. They typically also have more solid walls and less windows to keep the interior at less temperature than other parts of your home.
A larder should include one drawer for meat and one for vegetables, each with a specific setting that can be programmed to the proper temperature. This ensures that the chicken and burgers are cooked well, but that the salad greens won't be overly damaged. Larder drawers can also be set to a low humidity setting for fruits and vegetables that release a lot of moisture, like tomatoes or cucumbers.
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 kept in the refrigerator's doors include drinks, non-perishable condiments (like ketchup), water and eggs. Milk shouldn't be stored in the refrigerator doors however, as these shelves are warmer and more unstable than other drawers.
To give your home a more organized appearance, you can arrange small containers to make them more visible. This is useful for family members who are moving around and need something to eat. Labeling bins and shelving to identify what should be eaten first can also be helpful, especially if family members aren't accustomed to reading labels!
A larder can also be an ideal place to store leftovers as well as various food-safe plastic and glass containers for storage, which are perfect for storing smaller portions of food items. Making these available for quick meals is a great way to save time and money when shopping. And if you have a neat and tidy fridge, with space specifically designated for storage of the items, it will be easier to stay on top of your food budget!
Keep It Fresh
The most efficient ways to organize your fridge reduce food waste and make your healthy groceries last longer. Some smart strategies help keep fresh foods at the right temperature and allow you to find what you have and where it is.
Most refrigerators have crisper drawers that are designed to change airflow and increase humidity to extend the life of fruits and vegetables. However, it is important to use them properly. Mixing fruits and greens can cause the latter, like the greens, to turn brown or become spoiled because of the ethylene that is produced. Separating produce types and storing them in the appropriate drawers is crucial.
Door shelves are often the most warm part of the fridge. They should be reserved for food items that don't require a colder temperature or special storage conditions such as jars of jam, chutneys salad dressings, long-life juices (anything purchased in bulk and with the same use-by date). The top shelf is great for drinks that can be stored upright and without leaking, including milk and water.
It can be difficult to keep refrigerator drawers organized, with items rolling and jumbling together. But there are some simple tricks to help. First, purchase refrigerator drawer dividers that keep the food items separate and prevent them from squishing against each other. Organizing by height also helps. Keep produce that is similar in height on the same shelf, and don't place items that aren't of the same height adjacent to one another Raw meat shouldn't be kept in the same drawer with cooked Ham!
A thermometer is another essential item to have in your fridge. It's a simple, inexpensive and easy to use tool that will ensure that your fridge is at an optimal temperature to keep your food safe and fresh.
Don't forget to have a bag of plastic grocery bags in your refrigerator for storing food items that don't come in its own container. The bag's moisture stops vegetables from becoming rotten. For herbs that normally wilt within days, an easy method to keep them fresher longer is to wash them thoroughly and place them in a glass of water, which is equally effective in retaining moisture as plastic bags.