Refrigerators are definitely one of the best appliances we have in our kitchens; what would we do without them?
The problem is, sometimes they can get a little messy, so how do we solve this mess issue?
A few simple tricks can change the entire look of your fridge and make your life significantly easier.
1. The coldest spots in your fridge are in the back near the freezer compartment. Check your individual fridge with a refrigerator thermometer to see which shelf is the coldest. Keep milk, dairy, eggs (in their cartons) and raw meat in that area.
2. Avoid cross-contamination with meat by placing it in a container, either a bin or rimmed tray (a shallow plate can easily slosh blood and juices around when moved).
3. Keep regularly used condiments and sauces on the doors where they’re easily accessible. Stash items that are used only every so often together toward the back of the fridge.
4. Group like items together to avoid hunting around or buying duplicates: ketchup, mustard, mayo, salad dressings and salsas; jams, sweet spreads and syrups; pickled items like capers, olives and pickles; and ethnic ingredients like miso, oyster sauce, chilli garlic sauce, curry pastes and chutneys.
5. Bins are also useful to corral odds and ends, like tubes of tomato and anchovy paste, or items that don’t necessarily stack nicely, like juice pouches and string cheese.
6. Arrange taller containers in the back and shorter ones in the front so it’s easier to see the labels.
7. Place items that need to be used up, like tomato sauce, toward the front of the fridge.
8. If you’re short on vertical space, bottles of wine often fit in deli drawers.
9. Invest in both glass and plastic containers that stack easily and are see-through. They’ll look more streamlined and you can instantly find what you need. Square or rectangular containers are more space efficient.
10. Place leftovers that need to be reheated in glass containers or other microwave-safe vessels. Remember to label them with the name and expiration date. Leftovers should be eaten within three or four days, so if you don’t remember making or buying it during the Easter weekend, chuck it.