After shopping at the supermarket, storing food in your refrigerator may seem like an effortless task; however, it can often be more complicated than expected. From racks to drawers and the door of the ice chest itself, where things go matters for proper sanitation and capacity. Read on to discover five food sources which should never go into the door–along with which ones do belong there all things considered.
Make sure your refrigerator is set to the appropriate temperature before placing any items inside it. According to the USDA, refrigerators should maintain a temperature of 40 or below. Your cooler might already include an inbuilt thermometer for easy temperature regulation; otherwise you can purchase a machine thermometer separately.
As opposed to its inner components, where temperature will generally remain steady, the door of an ice chest can be more vulnerable to temperature swings. Every time its door opens and its contents exposed to warm air, food sources placed there may be at risk of spoilage; for this reason it’s essential that they can withstand sudden changes..
1. Milk
Although storing large gallons of milk might seem like an obvious choice for keeping cold temperatures at bay and microorganisms at bay, placing milk directly in its path in the door is actually one of the worst spots to store it. Warm temperatures encourage bacteria growth which means leaving milk exposed can increase its chances of spoilage significantly. Instead, according to Dairy Chamber of California guidelines storing it at the back of your refrigerator where temperatures are coldest (or learning how to freeze milk instead ).
2. Eggs
Even though some refrigerators offer egg-shaped racks in their doors, this location does not meet optimal egg-stash temperatures. According to the American Egg Board (AEB), eggs should be placed on an inner rack where temperatures are more consistent. Furthermore, AEB advises keeping eggs in an individual container; doing so prevents dampness loss and contamination with different scents or flavors from food products that come into contact with it.
3. Meat And Poultry
When working with raw meat or poultry, it is imperative to store it correctly so no one becomes sick; starting with the proper storage. Since meat contains juices that could contaminate other food sources if they come in contact, placing these food varieties directly on the door of a refrigerator does not offer protection from drippy juices dribbling down; additionally, its conflicting temperatures don’t provide adequate safety either. Therefore, for best results it should be placed on the base rack in an ice chest, covered by plastic or in a fixed holder to stop juices dribbling out.
4. Fruits And Vegetables
If you’re searching for an easy way to grab a handful of grapes or carrot sticks for an evening snack, the refrigerator door may offer easy access. But for products from the soil like fruits and vegetables grown from soil, crisper drawers provide ideal storage conditions according to USDA. Most crisper drawers allow their sticky levels to be controlled so you can divide compartments accordingly (natural products need lower dampness while vegetables require higher). Not sure which produce should go where? Learn how you can best store products grown from soil!
5. Cheese
Just like its fruits and vegetables counterparts, cheese deserves its own place of prominence in your refrigerator – not the door! In particular, thin cabinets (depending on your cooler’s layout it may be in the center or at the base) were specifically created to store cheese. According to the USDA “extra cool air is channelled through these cabinets to maintain temperatures suitable for cheese storage without freezing”. These cabinets also make an ideal place for keeping meat cold for storage purposes.
