Grant the fridge properly - instructions and overview

• Temperatures in the fridge
• Give a fridge: a guide
• Unsuitable foods
• Terms of use

Refrigerators are often purchased, installed, and then left without a plan, resulting in spoiled milk products, moldy vegetables, or rotten fruit. Since the refrigerator is a device with different climate zones, it is important to give this correctly, otherwise higher electricity costs and food, which are inedible faster, the result. Consuming by system is effective and not even time consuming.

Where are sausages and cheese stored in the "fridge"?> Temperatures in the fridge

Before you can start to clean up, it is important to know how the temperatures are distributed inside the refrigerator. This allows you to optimize the use of the refrigerator even more:

• top third: on average temperatures of 7 - 10 ° C are reached here
• middle third: on average temperatures of 6 - 7 ° C are reached here
• lowest third (separated from the drawer by glass): on average temperatures of 4 - 5 ° C are reached here
• Drawers in the lower area: on average temperatures of 10 - 13 ° C are reached here

You see, every part of the refrigerator has a different climate zone, which makes it even clearer why an optimized distribution of shopping is important. The refrigerator door, however, has no direct temperature, but is based on the respective part of the interior, which closes the door. For this reason, the door is suitable for food other than the interior of the refrigerator, which makes it equally important in storing. Responsible for this classification is the air, which is warmer in the upper areas of the refrigerator. The drawers are warmer than the rest of the refrigerator as it remains constant in temperature through the glass panel.

Tip: Modern refrigerators offer a great advantage because, unlike the older models, they have a fan system that cools dynamically. This means that the temperature does not change within the refrigerator and for this reason you are allowed to give food here as you wish.

Give a fridge: a guide

Be sure to check whether your device is one of the devices described above, or rather one that is equipped with a fan system. This will save you extra work. The different climate zones define exactly which foods should be stored in which part of the refrigerator so that they can be optimally kept fresh. Of course, you do not have to completely empty the fridge beforehand, that can be done while doing so. Clean the device according to the following instructions:

1. door: the door of the refrigerator is suitable for several foods, as it is also divided into different areas. In addition, here are the individual forms of the compartments in the door used, which determine the intended use. The following foods can be stored here:

• top door compartment: butter, margarine
• middle door compartment: already opened preserves, mustard, dressings, eggs, sauces, oils. Pastes (for example miso)
• lower door compartment: already opened drinks, mineral water, freshly squeezed juices, smoothies

Please note that you should never store milk in the refrigerator door, but this is too mild in the temperature. Of course, this does not apply to vegan or vegetarian alternatives like soymilk, as they are water based. Even if the egg trays are often in the upper compartment of the refrigerator door, they should be stored in the middle section as the temperatures are better.

2. Upper third: the upper third of the refrigerator is ideal for storing all sorts of prepared or preserved food that is quite durable and in itself a ready-made food. This includes:

• cake
• also sauces
• jam
• hard cheese
• pickled foods such as olives, paprika, cucumbers or sauerkraut in a jar
• Leftovers that you want to keep, such as half a lasagna (of course well packed)

If you want a delicately tender butter, you should also put butter in this tray for a few hours, but never for the entire time.

3. Middle third: the middle third is the perfect storage location for dairy products of all kinds except hard cheese. Again, you should store the milk, whether it is goat, cow or sheep's milk. Other products do not belong in this subject.

4. Lower third: the lower third is separated by a glass plate from the lower drawers and here it is the coolest in the entire refrigerator. When storing, you should therefore take care to store especially fresh, animal foods that spoil quickly and could develop salmonella if stored improperly. Here are the following foods stored:

• meat
• fish
• sausage
• Offal

In this subject, you must pay particular attention to hygiene in order not to give pathogens the chance of transmission. Pack the food very well to prevent spills that could drip on other foods, such as the vegetables and fruits in the drawers below.

5. Lower drawers: with these drawers there is an effective storage place for vegetables and fruits. For this reason, this subject is also referred to as a vegetable compartment, since due to the higher temperatures only plant foods should be stored here. These include above all:

• salad
• apples
• pears
• spinach
• cauliflower
• broccoli
• carrots
• cherries
• Berry
• strawberries
• Brussels sprouts
• asparagus
• radish
• celery
• melons
• pineapple

It is important to separate fruits, vegetables and lettuce from each other inside the vegetable compartment as they will otherwise take on each other's aroma. You do not necessarily want strawberries that taste like broccoli or asparagus that has a fresh raspberry note. Of course, this does not apply to fruits and vegetables that are packaged and can not transmit any flavor due to the packaging. Also pay attention to hygiene and above all to moisture. If the food gets wet too quickly, it will start to mold and it will spread quickly if you do nothing about it.

Unsuitable foods

Not all foods benefit from the cooling capacity of the refrigerator and should therefore never be stored in it. Either the device has no beneficial effect on the goods, they lose their aroma or even bad faster. These foods include:

• Honey: naturally stable for years, begins to crystallize in the refrigerator, does not require refrigeration
• Bananas: brown spots are formed faster when cooling
• Bread: will dry faster, once cooled
• Citrus and tropical fruits: generally tolerate no cold and are therefore faster bad
• Avocados: should never be refrigerated, otherwise they will not mature properly
• Onions and garlic: get worse faster and mildew is encouraged, especially when stored together
• Potatoes: when chilled, potatoes become sweeter and floury
• Tomatoes: lose much of their flavor during long refrigerator storage
• Olive oil: becomes hard, inedible and can only be used badly
• Coffee: Loses its aroma, taste and nose very quickly
• Basil: the Mediterranean herb withers and dies even faster
• Vegetables with high water : aubergines, peppers, zucchini, peas, cucumbers

Terms of use

To use the refrigerator function more effectively, you should follow these tips:

1. As soon as you give the refrigerator as described above, you should also pay attention to which foods you use the most. These are then placed forward in the immediate vicinity of the door, allowing quick access without loss of freshness.

2. The more often you clean the fridge a year, the fresher and wholesome your food stays. Especially fruits and vegetables can absorb unpleasant odors, which can be prevented by cleaning the device.

3. Food should always be covered so that it does not lose moisture or aroma and retain its freshness. Use either individual containers or cling films.

4. It is important to always allow warm food and drinks to cool before putting them in the refrigerator. These could "sweat" and give off too much moisture inside the device, which has a negative impact on other foods.

5. Freshly purchased goods should always be placed behind the already stored ones. By doing so, do not accidentally confuse the old with the new foods and systematically consume them. So you do not have to spend extra money because, for example, one of your yogurt cups has suddenly become bad.