Tips For Organizing Your Fridge Larder

A cheap fridge freezer's larder can be the ideal location to store food items that are no longer in use. It also lets you run a smaller fridge and help you save money on your energy bills!

It's a convenient place to store things like eggs, bread and hard cheeses. There are also fresh herbs that benefit from the low humidity.

Keep It Well-organized

A fridge's larder can help reduce food waste and makes it easier to locate items when cooking. The refrigerator, as with any other space in your home can become messy and unorganized. Here are a few tips to keep your refrigerator organized and functioning smoothly.

Take inventory

The most important part of organizing your kitchen is taking inventory, according to Holly Blakey, a professional organizer at Breathing Room. "Take everything out and check the expiration dates. Clean all surfaces." Get rid of expired food items, toss or freeze leftovers and throw away all food items that aren't likely to be consumed before they go bad.

Blakey suggests putting the most frequently used items at the front of your fridge. Then, you can put away the items that aren't used in the back and the bottom of your fridge.

Organize Your Freezer

If you have a freezer in your chest, organize it with clear storage bins that aid in the easy search for food items. Label each bin clearly and place similar items together. Put condiments in one container and sodas in a different, and cheese sticks in a third. You can also make use of a lazy Susan for condiments and other commonly used items to keep them from getting lost in the back of your.

Store foods that need the coldest temperatures in the back of a side by side refrigerator and other items that require warmer temperatures towards the front of. The lower shelf is ideal for yogurt, milk cream, butter, and cream (it does not melt). The crisper drawers work best fridges uk for spilled food items.

Drawer dividers make your fridge more efficient and are simple to install. They'll stop your vegetables and fruits from getting lost in. This will prevent them from spoiling. They'll also help keep your drawers neat and tidy. To prolong the life of tender herbs, store them in water. (Mason jars with one inch of water work great.) You can also purchase an herb preserver to keep in your refrigerator.

Keep It Clearly

Keeping your fridge organized will make it easier to find healthy foods that keep you full and content throughout the day. Make sure that all of your food containers are transparent so you can easily see the contents. This will let you know the remaining days on your expiration date, and prevent you storing food that is beyond its expiration date.

Begin your fridge's larder off with a deep clean by cleaning the drawers, shelves and racks using warm water and dish soap. Give your refrigerator a good clean to remove any crumbs and gross spills that might have accumulated.

Once everything is dry and clean now is the time to replenish your refrigerator. Start with the deli and cheese drawer -- that's where you should keep your deli meats, cheeses, leftovers and dairy items. Then move to the produce drawer which should be reserved for greens with a lot of leaf since they tend to wilt quickly. Keep it at least three-quarters full to ensure freshness.

The pantry drawers in certain refrigerators can be useful for storage of party trays, large bags of frozen vegetables and other bulky food items. This area can be used to store condiments such as mustard and ketchup along with nut-butters and other canned items. Be careful not to store milk here though, as it can go bad quickly due to the fluctuating temperatures within the fridge's door.

Finally, the refrigerator's back should be reserved for jarred foods, salad dressings and other condiments that can last longer. Use a riser for jars to make them easier to read. This will save you from opening and closing the lids several times.

As you fill each bin, make it a goal to label it with markers or stickers that are easy to read. This will help your family members easily identify what each container is and help you to find what you're looking for. Labeling your bins can also be a great method to organize your fridge and reduce the amount of plastic waste you generate.

Keep Cool

A good fridge larder keeps food at the right temperature which prevents spoilage and slows the growth of bacterial. Larders can be integrated into existing cabinets or stand on their own. They are usually placed on the north side of your home to reduce exposure to sun, and may have extra insulation or an air-conditioning system to keep heat from entering the food storage area. They have thicker walls, fewer windows and generally are placed on the north side of your house to limit heat transfer.

The larder should contain a drawer for each type of food item, including meat and vegetables. Each drawer should be programmed to maintain the proper temperature. This ensures that chicken and burgers are cooked to perfection, and that the salad greens won't become overly damaged. You can set the drawer of your larder to a low-humidity setting for vegetables or fruits that release a lot moisture such as cucumbers or tomatoes.

To preserve cheese, you can store it in other drawers in the fridge. Wrapped in paper, greaseproof or clingfilm or greaseproof film to keep it fresher for longer. Drinks, non-perishable condiments such as eggs, ketchup and water can also be stored in the fridge door. The fridge door is not the ideal location to store milk since it tends to be warmer and less stable than other drawers.

For a sleek look, corralling small containers of food and snacks will help make them more visible and helpful when family members are looking for food items while on the move. Labeling bins or shelves to show which food items should be consumed first is also helpful, especially when your family members don't know how to read labels!

A larder is also a great place to store leftovers and an assortment of food-safe plastic and glass storage containers, which are ideal for smaller portions of food items. Having these ready for quick meals is a great way to save money and time when shopping. If you have a clean, organized fridge and freezer with an area designated for these items it will be easier to keep track of your grocery budget.

Keep It Fresh

The best fridge organization tips reduce food waste by helping your healthy food items last longer. A few smart strategies will keep your fresh foods at the correct temperature and make it easier to see what's in your fridge.

Crisper drawers are included in many refrigerators. They alter the airflow and fridges freezers increase humidity, which can extend the life of fruits and vegetables. However, it is important to use them correctly. Mixing fruit and greens could cause the former, like the greens, to wilt or become spoiled due to the ethylene produced. It is also essential to separate different types of fruits and vegetables and store them in the correct drawers.

Door shelves are often the most warm part of the fridge and should be reserved for items that don't require extra cold or special storage conditions like jam jars, chutneys salad dressings, long-life juices (anything that is bought in bulk with the same date of use). The top shelf can be used to store drinks such as milk and water, which can be stored in a upright position.

Refrigerator drawers can be tricky to keep sorted with things rolling around and getting mixed up However, there are easy tricks to aid. Set up a refrigerator with drawer separators. This will keep your produce separated and prevent them from getting squished together. The ability to organize by size is useful. Store produce of similar heights together. Don't store items that aren’t the same height in the same drawer.

A thermometer is an additional must-have for your fridge larder. It's a simple, inexpensive and easy to use tool that will make sure your fridge is at the optimal temperature to keep your food fresh and safe.

Keep a stash in your fridge of plastic bags for storing produce without containers. The moisture that is held in the bag prevents vegetables from becoming rotten too quickly. And for herbs that would normally wilt within days, one of the best ways to keep them fresher for longer is to wash them thoroughly and place them in a glass of water which is as effective at retaining moisture as a plastic bag.