What’s Buried in Your Fridge?
The holidays are coming, and that means fridge space will be at a premium. Do you know what’s buried in your fridge that’s taking up space and keeping you from having the space you need when you start cooking, baking treats for the classroom, and having extra guests around?
Now Is a Great time to Organize your Fridge
Fridges today are not just a minor appliance in the kitchen. Newer fridges are a major part of the cooking experience. Smart fridges can tell you when you’re out of milk – and some will even order it for you. But even if you just have a regular fridge, getting your fridge (and freezer) in shape now will ensure your holiday baking and cooking goes a little easier.
Start with an Inventory
The best thing to do is to take everything out of your fridge and freezer so you can see what’s buried in your fridge. You can put everything in a cooler if you’re worried about it staying cold enough or do a shelf at a time. As you remove items from the fridge, check the expiration dates on everything. Keep the trash can handy, and immediately toss anything that’s out of date. Put everything else aside. Once you’ve emptied the fridge and freezer, take a minute to wipe down all the shelves and clean up any spills that have become permanent fixtures in the bottom.
Make a Shopping List
As you inventory everything from your fridge and freezer, take a moment to jot down the items you’re tossing out that you need to replace (you don’t need to replace it if you don’t really use it). Also start making a list of what you’re reminded you will need with your holiday shopping – it will save you time and stress later.
Organizing your Fridge Space
When you’re ready to put everything back into your fridge and freezer, think about what you access the most and how to make it more convenient to get to the things you use every day. Use the space wisely; every fridge is configured differently, so each choice will be different depending on the space you have and what you need to put in it. Take advantage of crisper drawers for vegetables and deli drawers for sliced meats and cheeses. Use the butter dish storage. Keep in mind that depending on your fridge’s layout (freezer on top or on the bottom, side by side) you’ll have different areas of you fridge that run a little warmer and other areas that may run a little colder or even freeze certain items if they’re stored there.
Organize Similar Items Together
You can step up your fridge organization by sorting similar items together. Store all the condiments together (ketchup, mustard, salad dressings, mayo). Put all the veggies and fruits in their own spaces too. If you have to do things like store lunch boxes in the fridge overnight and you have the room to do so, make a dedicated shelf space for that where the kids will always know to go to before they leave for school.
Labels Make Life Easier
One of the things we hear about quite often is someone finding things buried in their fridge and freezer that are wrapped in aluminum foil and unrecognizable from the outside. Labeling the things you store in the freezer – not just with what they are but what date you put them in – can help you keep track of what you have and make sure you rotate through food and reduce your food waste. Storing leftover in clear storage containers can also help you see what you have when you’re in a pinch to make a meal.
Rotation Isn’t Just for Restaurants
One of the ways restaurants cut down on food waste is by rotating product. The new items get placed behind the old items so that the oldest and first to expire items are used first. You can do that at home as well, which will keep you from having a bunch of scary, expired food buried in your fridge. Don’t be afraid to write on the things in your fridge.
10 Tips for a More Organized Fridge
Don’t be afraid to take things out of the package and store them in less bulky containers.
Keep a sharpie handy and write “Use this first” or “don’t touch” or “use by XX day” on the things in your fridge. Not only will it be more organized, but you’ll cut down on what you’re having to throw away, too.
Invest in clear food storage containers.
Don’t be afraid to store things in Ziplocs – spaghetti noodles, sauce, leftover meat, etc.
Add drawers and snap-in storage if there is not enough in your fridge.
Shelves are adjustable for a reason; take advantage of being able to reconfigure the space to meet your family’s needs.
Make full use of your door shelving for items you want to have quick and easy access to.
Some foods store better if they’re prepped ahead of time, so grab your containers and make it happen.
Wipe down the fridge door handle regularly with an antibacterial wipe to keep germs to a minimum.
Keep a whiteboard on your fridge where everyone can jot down items that they’ve used the last of so that it gets added to the next grocery list.
The holidays are just around the corner and getting your fridge in order now will help you manage holiday stress better later.