Get Organized Month 2009 - Organizing Your Fridge to Keep Foods Fresh

It is COLD here this morning. It has gone from 2 degrees when I got up to -1 as I write this at 7 am! Schools are closed, but it wasn't posted until 6:05 by which time we were all up and dressed. Our foster daughter has gone back upstairs to read/sleep, not pleased that she was fully dressed and ready when she could have stayed in bed in her pjs! I agree. :)

Speaking of cold, the next time you buy groceries, reorganize your fridge so things stay fresh. By the way, I usually clean my fridge just before grocery shopping or as I'm putting my groceries away. I throw away the old stuff, clean off shelves and put in the new stuff.

Here's what eHow suggests to keep foods at their peak:

"Step1 - One way to have fresh food is to keep all raw meats and poultry on the lowest level of the refrigerator. This is normally a drawer for meats. It will keep juices from dripping onto your other foods and pose a safety risk.

Step 2 - I know the compartments for eggs and butter are neat, cute and seem to be organized, but if you use this compartment, then your eggs and butter will quickly loose quality because this area is too warm. You can always use this area for medicines or other non food items.

Step 3 - Other areas of the fridge that seems to warm up quickly are the shelves on the door. This happens every time you open the door. You can always use this space for not so temperature sensitive items, such as, salad dressing, ketchup or jelly. It will still give your refrigerator organization while keeping food fresh.

Step 4 - The top shelf of the fridge should be used for the most perishable items, such as milk, eggs, sour cream and yogurt. This area is the closest to the fan."

They also suggest checking the rubber gasket on your fridge door by "closing the door on a dollar bill. If you can slide the dollar out easily, replace the gasket for better insulation."

Remember when we talked about the optimum temp for the refrigerator being 41 degrees or less? I have my fridge thermometer located where I can see it. I've noticed that when I open my fridge, the temp goes down several degrees. A good reason to think ahead before opening the fridge door! I try to get everything I need for my recipe at one time.

I also tried those green bags that are supposed to keep produce fresh. I didn't have any success with them - did I do something wrong? Anybody else have the same experience?

Have you heard some tips for keeping foods fresh in your fridge? (If you receive this blog by email and want to comment, this link will take you back to my blog.)

More on similar subjects:
Demystifying Food Expiration Dates
Fun Food Tips
Saving Money by Being Organized
Clever way of storing salad dressings in the fridge