Refrigerator organization can be a big task. Without proper planning and organization, you can find yourself searching endlessly through your refrigerator trying to find what you’re looking for. This is particularly challenging when you have an overstuffed refrigerator like I often do. In this article, you are going to learn about Refrigerator Organization Hacks: 6 Easy Ways to Store Your Food.
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1. Let’s start with good cleaning
First on the list for refrigerator organization hacks is cleaning. The inside of your refrigerator is likely the last place you want to spend time. It’s where forgotten leftovers deteriorate and mysterious splotches of mold go unnoticed. Even if you’re organized, who has time to be thorough? But keeping a clean fridge isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s also good for your health! Molds and bacteria can grow in warm, moist environments like the inside of a fridge, which can make you sick. To avoid this problem, try cleaning at least once a week by getting rid of any old food that has expired.
The best way to get started is by giving your fridge an initial deep clean, then cleaning it regularly after that. When deciding how often you should clean, remember that if something hasn’t gone bad yet (but will soon), just remove it from the fridge instead of wasting your energy on scrubbing!
- Take everything out of the refrigerator and freezer
- Use warm soapy water with baking soda sprinkled in to scrub down the walls and shelves as well as any sponges or cloths used during cooking (this will serve as pre-cleanse)
- Wipe down all surfaces with a wet rag (again, try using baking soda sprinkled on the rag)
- Use a dry rag to wipe off excess water (or use one side of your sponge or cloth)
- Replace all food back into the refrigerator while still damp
2. Label and date your food
If you must remember one rule when organizing your fridge, remember this: label and date all of your food.
I can’t emphasize the importance of this when it comes to refrigerator organization hacks. If you don’t know what something is or how long it’s been in there, do you really want to eat it? It doesn’t matter if you use masking tape and write with a Sharpie marker, or if you use a more expensive label maker. And no matter how much space you’ve freed up by organizing your fridge, you don’t want to waste any of it by throwing out food that’s gone bad because it wasn’t labeled.
3. Use a Lazy Susan
If you’re like most people, then your refrigerator is probably crowded with food and drinks that need to be kept fresh or chilled. A great way to keep things from getting jumbled in the back of your fridge is by using a Lazy Susan for storing certain types of foods.
This is one of my favorite refrigerator organization hacks because the rotating tray is so easy to place anywhere in the fridge, and it will allow you to have everything within arms’ reach. It has compartments where you can organize your vegetables, fruits, cheese, and other items. And if you don’t have a lot of space in your refrigerator, this solution will free up some space by allowing you to store perishable items that are normally stacked on top of each other.
When choosing a Lazy Susan for your storage purposes, make sure it’s made out of sturdy material. The last thing you want is one that has flimsy sides that can collapse on top of already-stacked food items!
4. Use baskets to separate food
Baskets are an absolute must! This is one of my favorite refrigerator organization hacks! Why? Because baskets allow you to take some control over the chaos that is in your refrigerator, making it easy to find what you’re looking for and helping you maximize the space inside by keeping things separated. Plus they add a nice aesthetic touch! To make sure you’re using your fridge in the most efficient manner possible, here are a few ideas for how to use different kinds of baskets in ways that will make your life easier.
- Use one for fruits, vegetables, and other produce
- Use one for condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo) and sauces that should be kept separate from fruits
- Use one for meats like chicken breasts or pork chops
- Use one for dairy (cheese, butter, yogurt).
5. Freeze foods you won’t use right away
Freezing food is one of my favorite refrigerator organization hacks because it’s a great way to save money, eat healthy meals all week, and even reduce waste. The freezer is a wonderland of opportunity, but it can be daunting to know how to store so many different types of ingredients and leftovers. How long can you freeze vegetables? Are there foods that should never be frozen? Can I freeze meatballs in sauce for a quick dinner one night?
From freezable fruits to delicious dinner entrées, here are a few ideas for storing your food properly so that it tastes as good after freezing as it did before.
- Dairy products: 6 to 12 months. Milk and butter freeze well; try freezing grated cheese in ice-cube trays for later use. (Pop out a few when you need them!)
- Eggs: 12 months out of the shell. According to the USDA, for the best quality it is best to store frozen eggs blended eggs, whites or yolks.
- Meats: 4 to 12 months (ground meats last longer than steaks or roasts). Pack tightly, then wrap thoroughly in plastic wrap before putting it into a zip-loc bag. Label and date, then freeze immediately—thawing it first slows the deterioration of frozen meat as well as cooking time once thawed and refrozen.
- Fruits: 8 to 12 months. Remove any rotten parts or bruised portions before freezing; blanch peaches and pears if they’re not going to be used within two weeks after being thawed; consider dipping strawberries into an antioxidant-rich mix containing vitamin C powder before freezing; store berries in the freezer individually so they don’t freeze together into one giant clump.
- Vegetables: 8 to 12 months (the exception is green beans which are better off dumped with other frozen veggies since they lose their crunch faster than most veggies). Blanch baby peas and corn before packing if you want that fresh flavor and texture when defrosted; beets should be cooked first and then stored for up to 3 months; pumpkins can keep for up to 1 year.
6. Stackable fridge drawers
You know how some people arrange their kitchen cabinets so that it’s easy to see exactly what’s inside? If your cabinets are like my mom’s and look like a tornado went through them, then I’m about to tell you about the perfect solution for storing your fruit and veggies.
What I’m talking about is stacking fridge drawers. You can use this with any type of fridge. This is because there is a sliding mechanism (it has rubber on one side) that lets you add and remove the drawers from each other like an ice cube tray.
Fruit and vegetables store well in these drawers because they’re clear, so there’s no mystery as to where everything is, and it also helps keep them fresh for longer! You can wash these drawers in the dishwasher, so you don’t have to worry about germs getting into your food before you eat it! For items that are too big for these drawers, just use regular plastic containers instead!
7. Use the inside of your refrigerator door
I’m going to let you in on a little secret about refrigerator storage, and you might not like it: The inside of the refrigerator door is hands-down the warmest part of your fridge. Yes, I know. You open that door all the time, letting out all the cold air and exposing your food to those rising temperatures.
The truth is the refrigerator door is the worst place to store meat or dairy products. You may be thinking what does this have to do with refrigerator organization hacks?! It’s actually a great place for condiments like ketchup and mustard because they won’t go bad sitting at room temperature anyway. Other foods with similar shelf lives will also do just fine on your fridge door (so long as you don’t leave them out too long), including most oils and bottles of vinegar, pickles, olives, relish…you get the idea here.
8. Put your fresh herbs in glass jars of water so they stay fresh longer
Fresh herbs are a fantastic way to add flavor to your cooking without adding salt or fat, but they can go bad quickly. Here’s an easy solution: put your cut-up fresh herbs in a mason jar glass filled with water, and then put the glass on the shelf. The water will keep them from browning, but you have to change it every few days—otherwise, it can get mildew in it.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed reading Refrigerator Organization Hacks: 6 Easy Ways to Store Your Food. Organizing your refrigerator doesn’t have to be a daunting task. In fact, with the right tools and products, it’s possible to keep your refrigerator well organized without breaking a sweat. If you’re looking for some easy, no-hassle ways to tackle this challenge, check out the hacks above.