Tips For Organizing Your Fridge Larder

A fridge larder is an excellent way to store produce that's past its best. It also lets you run a smaller fridge and help you save money on your energy bill!

It's the perfect location to store items such breads, cheeses, and eggs. There are also fresh herbs that benefit from the low humidity.

Keep It Well-organized

A fridge's larder helps cut down on food waste and helps you find items while cooking. However, as with any room in your home, the refrigerator can become messy and uncontrollable. Here are some tips to ensure that your refrigerator runs smoothly and well-organized.

Take inventory

Holly Blakey, an organizer at Breathing room The Breathing room believes that taking inventory is the most important step in organizing your fridge. "Take everything out and look for the expiration dates. Clean all surfaces." Get rid of expired foods, toss or freeze leftovers and dispose of any foods that aren't going to be eaten before they go bad.

When you restock your fridge, be sure the items that are frequently used are in the front and the center, Blakey advises. Then, tuck away the less frequently used items in the back and bottom of your fridge.

Organize Your Freezer

If you have a chest freezer, you can organize it using clear storage bins that will help you find foods more easily. Label each bin clearly and categorize items that are similar together. For example, store a bin to store condiments, another for sodas and a third for cheese sticks. You can also use a lazy Susan to store condiments and other items that are frequently used. This will keep them from being lost in the back.

In a fridge ice maker with a side-by-side layout you can store food items that require the coldest temperatures in the back and warmer foods toward the front. The lower shelf is great for milk, cream and butter (it doesn't melt) yogurt and other items that don't need consistent temperatures. The crisper drawers are best for storing produce spillover.

Drawer dividers are a cheap and simple method of making your refrigerator more efficient. They'll keep your fruits and vegetables from rolling around, preventing them from rotting before you are able to use them. They'll also keep your drawers neat and tidy. To prolong the time of tender herbs keep them in water. (Mason jars that have an inch of water work great.) Alternatively, you can buy an herb saver that you can put in your refrigerator.

Keep It In View

Keeping your fridge organized will make it easier to find healthy foods that keep you satisfied and happy throughout the day. Make sure that all of your lids and containers for food are clear to see what's inside. This will also inform you of the number of days you have left on the expiration dates and will prevent you from storing food past its prime.

Get your fridge's larder started with a deep clean by scrubbing the shelves, drawers and racks using warm water and dish soap. Give your fridge a thorough wipe down to get rid of any soiled crumbs and spills that may have accumulated over the course of time.

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

The pantry drawers in certain refrigerators can be helpful for storage of party trays, large bags of frozen vegetables and other bulky food items. You can also use this area to house condiments like ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise, as well as nuts, Fridge Larder nut butters, and other canned goods. Do not store any milk in this area however, as it may be spoiled quickly due to the fluctuating temperatures within the fridge's door.

The refrigerator's back should be a place for jarred food items, salad dressings and other condiments that will last longer. Try using a riser to raise the jars so they are easier to read. This will prevent you from closing and opening the lids a few times.

Label each bin using a marker, or stickers that can be read easily. This will make it easier for your family to identify the contents of each bin and also for you to locate the items you need. The addition of bins with labels is a great way to clear your fridge and reduce the amount of waste that you create.

Keep Cool

A fridge with a good larder can keep foods at the right temperature to protect against spoiling and to slow down bacterial growth. Larders can be built into existing cabinetry or stand on their own. They are usually placed on the northern side of the house to reduce sun exposure. They may also have additional insulation or ventilation to prevent heat from getting into the food storage area. They typically also have more solid walls and less windows to keep the inside at a lower temperature than other areas of the house.

The larder should include drawers for every type of food, like meat and vegetables. Each drawer should be programmed to maintain the proper temperature. This ensures that the chicken and burgers will be cooked well, but that the salad greens won't be too wilted. A larder drawer can also be set to a low-humidity setting for fruits and vegetables that release a lot of moisture, like cucumbers or tomatoes.

To preserve cheese, keep it in different drawers of the refrigerator. Wrapped in greaseproof paper, clingfilm or greaseproof film to keep it fresher for longer. Drinks, non-perishable condiments such as ketchup, eggs, and water can also be kept in the fridge's door. The fridge door is not the ideal place to store milk, because it is warmer and less stable than other drawers.

For a streamlined look, corralling small containers of food and snacks will help to make the contents more noticeable, which is also beneficial when family members are searching for food on the go. Labelling shelves and bins to identify what should be eaten first may be helpful, particularly in the case of family members who aren't used to reading labels!

A larder can also be an ideal place to store leftovers and a selection of food-safe plastic and glass storage containers that are ideal for smaller portions of ingredients. These containers are great for saving time and money while shopping. If you have a tidy and organized fridge, with a designated space for these items it will make it easier to stay on top of your budget for groceries.

Keep It Fresh

The best fridge organization tips reduce food waste by ensuring your healthy food items last longer. A few clever strategies will keep fresh foods at the right temperature and make it easier to find what you have in your fridge and where it is.

Most refrigerators come with crisper drawers that are designed to alter airflow and Subcold mini Fridge increase humidity to extend the life of vegetables and fruits. It is crucial to use these drawers correctly. Mixing greens and fruit can cause the former, such as the greens, to turn brown or become spoiled due to the ethylene created. Separating different types of fruits and storing them in the proper drawers is essential.

Door shelves are usually the warmest part of the fridge and should be reserved for foods that don't need extra cold or storage conditions that are special, such as jars of jam, chutneys salad dressings, and long-life juices (anything bought in bulk with the same use-by date). The top shelf is perfect for drinks that can be stored upright without spilling, like milk and water.

Refrigerator drawers can be difficult to organize with all the items rolling around and getting scattered, but there are some simple tricks that can aid. Set up a refrigerator with drawer separators. This will keep your food items separate and stop them from squishing together. It is also helpful to organize by height. It is easier to store items of similar heights together. Don't store items that aren’t the same height in the same drawer.

A thermometer should be located in your fridge. It's a simple, inexpensive and easy to use tool that will make sure that your fridge is at an ideal temperature to ensure your food is fresh and safe.

Don't forget to keep a supply of plastic grocery bags in your refrigerator for storing items that don't have their own container. The moisture in the bag keeps vegetables from turning brown. For herbs that normally die within a few days, one of the best ways to keeping them fresher longer is to wash and place them in a glass of water, which is as efficient in retaining moisture than plastic bags.