Proper storage of food in the refrigerator: terms, zones

Although the first refrigerator appeared in 1857, for many it remained a luxury item for a long time. Today, no kitchen can do without it. Despite this, most people still do not know the rules for storing food in the refrigerator. Ready meals, fruits, canned food are simply put in the free space. If you comply with the requirements of SanPiN, the blanks will not get stale, moldy and dry. How to achieve this, read our article.

How to properly store food

If you think that in the cold all products are well preserved in any form – this is not so. Uncovered vegetables and fruits can produce enzymes, dirty, unwashed carrots also lead to metabolic processes in the chamber. The result is not immediately noticeable, but the milk begins to sour faster, an unpleasant odor appears in the department.

Although the refrigerator compartment protects from heat and sunlight, oxygen still enters the compartment. Do you want to extend the shelf life? Then pack and cover ready meals and fresh preparations.

Tableware and packaging

The more moisture is in the product, the longer it retains its appearance and freshness. Loading vegetables without packaging into the chamber, after a few days you will get them shrunken and dried. This is because the refrigerator draws moisture. In models equipped with the No Frost system, products are quickly weathered.

Important! When you bring goods from the store, do not put them in the camera in cellophane packaging. Condensation quickly forms in such an environment, bacteria and mold develop.

In what containers to place stocks so that they do not deteriorate ahead of time:

• Food film. Great for covering bowls with leftovers of prepared meals, snacks.
• Parchment paper isn’t just for baking. Thanks to good air circulation, it is used for packing cheese, sausages, smoked meats.
• Foil. Perfectly seals, not allowing the product to weather and lose moisture. Can be used for ready-made snacks, fish, meatballs, cuts.
• Antibacterial mat. Allows you to keep fruits and vegetables fresh longer. It is recommended to wash them, dry them and put them in the lower drawers, laying a rug. Thanks to the perforated membrane, air circulates freely, saturating the fruits.
• Plastic containers. Allows you to store ready-made snacks and fresh products. If cracks and scratches appear, it is better to get rid of the container.

• Glassware is the safest and most durable option. You can store everything: from ready meals to meat products, fish, milk.
• Vacuum vessels. Can extend shelf life. Due to good sealing, they do not allow oxygen to pass through, and prevent the growth of bacteria.
• Wooden containers keep fruits and vegetables well.

In which departments what products are stored

So, food must be properly packaged. But it is important to know on which shelves to place supplies. Each compartment has its own temperature regime. Therefore, it is wrong to pawn purchases “where your eyes look.” Where can you store blanks, and where is fresh food?

The optimum temperature in the common compartment is +5 degrees. The “coldest” shelf is considered to be under the freezer. The temperature on the shelves can vary from +1°С to +8°С.

Freezer Compartment

An ideal place for perishable dairy and meat products. The temperature norm here is + 1-3 ° С.

• Cheese. You can pack it in foil, parchment, but the glass container remains indispensable. Do you want to keep the taste of cheese longer? Then put a couple of pieces of refined sugar in the tray. It will absorb excess moisture, preventing the product from spoiling for two weeks.
• Cottage cheese. Often it is sold in a vacuum package (if you do not charge by weight). At home, the cottage cheese must be taken out and transferred to a vacuum or glass tray.
• Butter. Divide a large piece into portions. Set aside one part in a butter dish for daily use. Place the rest in the freezer section.
• Milk. From plastic containers and bottles, it is better to pour milk into glass containers with a lid.

Important! It is recommended to wipe the eggs and put them in a purchased container (plastic or cardboard). It is not clear why manufacturers continue to make trays on the door: when the eggs are opened, warm air is poured over them, which leads to a decrease in shelf life and the development of salmonella.

Dairy produce

“Milk” is recommended to be kept in the refrigerator for no more than 72 hours. Much also depends on the terms on the packaging. Pasteurized milk can last longer than regular milk. See the table for details:

Meat products

Meat and meat-containing products should also be on the top shelf. For a large piece, the storage time should not exceed 48 hours. It is better to immediately send minced meat to the freezer, it is most susceptible to the development of pathogenic microorganisms.

How much to store individual products, see the table:

Seafood

First, the fish must be cleaned of the insides and washed. For freezing, the scales can not be removed. When placing on the top shelf, the fish must be placed in a glass dish with a lid.

Second and third shelves

Here you can put:

• Sausage and smoked meats. The whole product can be wrapped in parchment. It is better to place the cut in a glass container and cover with cling film. Do not leave it open, otherwise it will weather and become unusable.
• Sweets and pastries: cakes, pies, cream and jam products. They can be wrapped in parchment or placed in a closed container with a lid.
• Suitable conditions for finished products. Liquid dishes can be placed in pans with a lid or poured into jars. Fish, meat, snacks are best placed in separate covered trays.
• Salads without dressing.
• It is better to transfer open canned food into glassware. Once opened, the tin begins to rust, which affects the quality of the food.

Experts do not recommend eating foods that are stored ready-made for more than 48 hours. They are no longer of any use.

Products with a short shelf life

Zero compartment or bottom drawers

What shelves are vegetables and fruits on? For them, modern refrigerators have Flex Cool, Fresh Box, Fresh Zone zones. They allow you to retain moisture in the fruit as much as possible, which contributes to their long-term storage.

• The dry zone is suitable for meat and fish. The temperature here is zero, and the humidity is 50%. Fresh meat can be stored in such conditions for 7 days.
• Wet zone. The temperature is also zero degrees, but the humidity is like in the tropics – 90%. Berries are best placed in a separate container. Fruits, vegetables, greens are washed from dirt, dried, distributed in packages and sent to a box.

Vegetables, fruits, berries

If your fridge doesn’t have these areas, here are a few ideas to keep your greens fresh:

• Put the greens in a dry jar and cover with a lid. So the leaves do not lose moisture.
• Wrap the bundle in a damp cloth or napkin, and then place it in a bag.
• You can simply put the bundle in a jar of water, and place it on one of the shelves.

Door

This is the warmest place, because the door is constantly opened, and the contents are blown through with warm air. It is recommended to place sauces, dressings, spices, medicines on the shelves. Do not use the door for dairy products and eggs.

Freezer

It’s no surprise that food stays longer in the freezer than usual. It is difficult for microorganisms to act at a temperature of -18 degrees. However, there are also rules here:

1. You can freeze only once, otherwise the contents will lose their nutritional value.
2. Meat and fish products must be cleaned and divided into portions. Then packaged in bags and sent to the camera.
3. Rinse berries and other plant components, dry and divide into portions.
4. As packaging, you can use plastic bags, sealed trays.

What foods should not be placed in the refrigerator

Usually we do not think about what products are stored in the refrigerator, and we put everything that we brought from the store into the camera. However, there are products that do not need it:

• Exotic, tropical fruits rot quickly in the cold.
• Pears and apples produce ethylene when exposed to cold. It adversely affects other dishes.
• Bananas turn black quickly.
• Zucchini, pumpkin at low temperatures quickly rot, become moldy.
• Cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes contain a large amount of moisture. If there is no special area in the refrigerator, it is better not to put them inside.
• Olive oil loses its nutritional properties, begins to taste bitter.

• Potatoes rot quickly. It is better to place it in a cellar or basement.
• Onions lose moisture and become lethargic.
• Cold destroys beneficial substances in honey.
• Garlic loves heat.
• Chocolate during long-term storage is covered with a white coating and mold.
• Bread absorbs all odors and substances. It is better to place it in a breadbasket.
• Jam and other preserves are perfectly stored on the kitchen shelf.

Unwanted Neighborhood

To avoid spoiling stocks, you need to know that some products have a negative effect on their “neighbors”. As mentioned above, all dishes should be covered, it is desirable that they do not touch each other.

• Ready meals and raw meat, fish. Raw products can transfer pathogens to your dinner.
• Cheese (and other “milk”) and smoked meats.
• Sausage and fruits/vegetables.
• Fruits and vegetables should also be kept in separate boxes.
• Salads and fruits.
• Oil and spices.
• Eggs with any preparations.

Once a week, be sure to wipe the walls and shelves. If an unpleasant odor appears, you can add lemon juice, as well as soda, to the water.

It is important to keep the refrigerator clean and tidy. It does not hurt to sometimes look at the instructions to remember the operating instructions from the manufacturer.