Since different types of foods react differently to cold storage, we need to organize them systematically in the refrigerator and not randomly to avoid the quality of foods stored in the refrigerator.
Points to note in food refrigerating:
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Hot food cannot be put directly into the refrigerator.
Hot food should not be put in the refrigerator before cooling, as this is likely to shorten the service life of the refrigerator.
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Raw and cooked food should not be put together
The storage time and temperature to keep raw and cooked foods in good condition are different. Parasites and bacteria may exist in raw food and may contaminate any cooked foods if stored together.
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Meat should be processed before being placed in the refrigerator
After buying foods like pork, fish, beef, etc., it is best to process the foods properly before putting them into the refrigerator. The best way to keep fresh fish and meat is to deal them in zip-locked bags and keep them in the freezer. For vegetables and fruits, they should be kept dry and placed in the bottom of the refrigerator, at a temperature above zero.
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Freezer should not be packed with food
It is important to allow space in refrigerating so that the convection inside the refrigerator can be conducted normally and cold air can be circulated freely without overloading the engine. The packing of too much food together inside the refrigerator may lead to cross-infection between foods.
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Certain foods not suitable for refrigerating
Some foods should not be stored inside a refrigerator but be kept in a dry and cool place indoors. Cold environment could affect the quality of foods like tomatoes, potatoes, onions, garlic, avocados and bananas.
Recommended location for storage of foods
Foods which are packaged, opened and may last for a few days, such as ketchup, salad sauce, sesame sauce, seafood sauce, butter, jam, juice, etc. as well as eggs and salted duck eggs can be stored in the door compartments.
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Upper compartment near the door:
Cooked and ready-to-eat foods such as cheese, desserts, etc. can be placed at the upper layer. When storing these foods, avoid excessively cold temperature and prevent cross-contamination of raw and cooked foods, so they should not be placed in the lower layer.
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Back of the upper compartment:
Leftovers, leftover soymilk and packaged soy products can be kept at the back of the upper compartment. Since these foods are prone to bacteria, so temperature slightly below 0 °C is most suitable.
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Lower compartment near the door:
All kinds of vegetables and temperate fruits such as apples and pears should be packed in fresh-keeping bags to avoid freezing due to low temperature.
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Back of lower compartment:
Food which is raw and needs to be kept at low temperature, such as water tofu, salted kelp silk, and food that is tightly packed and not afraid of cross-contamination, as well as foods that are waiting to be thawed slowly are suitable for storage in the coldest area, which is the back of the lower compartment.
Semi-thawed fish, chilled meat, fresh shrimp and other seafood should be kept in proper storage boxes. As bacteria in aquatic products are often resistant to low temperatures, slightly higher temperature can easily accelerate their reproduction. Storage boxes help prevent cross-contamination and keep the food in constant temperature despite temperature fluctuation due to frequent opening of the refrigerator door.
In addition, if there is a storage box with temperature-regulating function, it is best to keep meat in the box and keep it at a temperature between -1℃ to1℃. Some homemade foods that require long-term refrigeration can be marked with a packaging date as a reminder.
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