Following these simple refrigeration rules will help keep everything fresher, tastier, and safer.
The first thing to know about what to put in your fridge is what not to put in it. Refrigeration can damage the texture or flavor of many fruits and vegetables. For example, bananas will turn black, tomatoes will lose flavor, and sweet potatoes will harden. If you like some of your produce chilled, refrigerate them only when you’re about to eat them.
Ok, maybe some fridges used just for beer (yep, we know why you need a refrigerator for garage), but not all of them.
Some fruits, like peaches and avocados, will ripen faster outside of the fridge. Once they reach their prime, you can store them for up to three days in the fridge without sacrificing any quality.
Most fridges have bins where you can control the humidity. Unless you want limp lettuce, a good rule of thumb is that if it gets misted at the market, keep it in the humidity bin. Mushrooms don’t like humidity, so keep them out of the bin and store them in a paper bag.
How to store food in your refrigerator (infographics)
This table displays the storage life of some chilled food in the coldest part of a refrigerator (your thermometer should show a temperature below 5 °C in the main section of the refrigerator)
[table id=6 /] N.B. Many of these products are labeled with a ‘use-by’ date. This can be used as a guide to shelf life of the unopened product.
