Organize Your Refrigerator

Thanksgiving will be here in a few weeks. Will you be able to fit the leftovers in your refrigerator? If you are able to cram them on the shelves, can you actually find what you are looking for when you want to make a sandwich or reheat that great squash casserole? Will that last little bit of cranberry sauce look like a science experiment before you find it again? Take steps now to organize your refrigerator and be ready for whatever the aftermath of the holiday brings.

An organized refrigerator not only saves time and money, it helps maintain health by giving you a system to make sure the storage space is clean and the food stored there stays fresh and edible.

Start by taking everything out of your refrigerator and clean it thoroughly. That means taking out the crisper drawers and washing underneath as well as cleaning the undersides of shelves and the crevices of the butter and egg holders.

Examine the refrigerator contents before you place them back into the refrigerator. Discard expired products and food items that have spoiled. Place the most perishable items on the lowest shelves. Arrange the items so you can see what is there. Put smaller items toward the front and taller items toward the back. Place condiments and hardy items in the door shelves. This section has the highest temperature and more perishable items will spoil quicker here. Keep your eggs in the carton in the cooler part of the refrigerator. Do not put milk or dairy products in the door area, as they will spoil faster.

Use stackable see-through containers to organize your leftovers. Larger containers are great for making a sandwich supply box or salad contents box. Just fill with sealed bags of the salad or sandwich makings. These are also great for kid’s snack items.
Label the containers and make sure the whole family knows the system. You may also want to label the shelves and bins as a reminder.

Consider designating an “ingredients for meals” area that is off-limits for poaching. This suggestion comes from a personal experience when my children and their friends ate six capons I had reserved for a dinner party as an afternoon snack. They really liked the “little chickens”.

Once your refrigerator is arranged to your satisfaction, keep it organized by reviewing the contents once a week. Consider doing it the day before trash collection in your neighborhood. Discard all the spoiled or outdated products and haul them out with the trash. Wipe up any spills you see and rearrange as necessary.

You will be surprised at how good you feel as you systematically store your Thanksgiving leftovers in a clean organized space.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize Your Refrigerator

A refrigerator is a terrible thing to waste. This remarkable appliance keeps perishable items fresh for long periods of time and allows us to have a cold drink any time we wish - that is if we can find the cold drink. If you have occasionally rummaged behind the orange juice and the giant jar of mayonnaise to find that the piece of lemon pie you have been craving is shriveled and moldy, it is time to bring a little organization to the refrigerator.

The first step is to clean out the refrigerator. Start with the top shelf and remove all products. Toss out anything that is outdated or is past its prime. If you have any doubt, throw it out. Repeat this process for the bins and the shelves in the door.

Beginning at the top again, thoroughly clean all surfaces. Then replace the items, keeping like items together. Store vegetables and fruits in the crispers, meat in the meat tray. Put the most perishable items on the bottom shelves because these remain at a cooler temperature than upper shelves. Store larger items in the back and shorter items in the front so you can see at a glance what you have on hand. Bottles and jars usually fit neatly in the door shelves. Keep eggs in their original container because they stay fresh longer.

Consider buying clear containers with lids to contain items like cheeses and individually packaged snacks. These stack nicely to maximize space and can be placed up front for easy access. That makes it less likely for family members to create a mess by rummaging to find what they are looking for.

Once you have the refrigerator organized, have a plan for keeping it that way. One suggestion is to do a quick clean every week on the day before garbage pickup. That will quickly get all discarded items out of the house and avoid smelly garbage hanging around. Another suggestion is to do an assessment and cleaning prior to grocery shopping so you will know exactly what you need. Better yet, clean the refrigerator the day prior to garbage collection and then go shopping.

Organizing your refrigerator will pay dividends in lowered food costs and saved time.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net