The first refrigeration machine
It has already been several centuries since the Scot William Cullen presented an initial concept concerning artificial cooling in 1748. The first refrigeration machine, however, goes back to the liquefaction process invented in 1876 by the German engineer Carl von Linde. After many years of further development, ground-cooled refrigerators then appeared on the market in the 1940s. Since then, food can be stored efficiently in a refrigerator and protected from rapid spoilage, provided you load the food into the refrigerator correctly.
Arranging food correctly in the refrigerator
To keep your food fresh and aromatic for as long as possible, you must observe a few things already when placing items into the refrigerator. This does not mean loading groceries into the refrigerator indiscriminately immediately after shopping. Your refrigerator is equipped with different temperature zones and areas with varying air circulation. In the following explanations you will learn which compartment you should assign which food to.
Arranging the refrigerator correctly – what else should you pay attention to?
As a rule, you should remove all food from their packaging immediately after shopping, especially when they are in plastic packaging, and transfer them into appropriate containers such as Tupperware or glass bowls. An exception are foods packaged in a protective atmosphere. You should never place food in the refrigerator without a system. That usually causes chaos and would shorten the shelf life of the food.
Arranging the refrigerator correctly – the climate zones of a refrigerator
A refrigerator has several climate zones. Therefore the temperature also differs from compartment to compartment. These climate zones are usually separated by a glass shelf or tray. The top climate zone has a temperature of 5 degrees Celsius to 8 degrees Celsius. The middle climate zone is 4 to 5 degrees Celsius. The bottom climate zone is 2 to 3 degrees Celsius. The vegetable drawers are 9 to 12 degrees Celsius. You should also pay attention to filling the refrigerator door, which exhibits the same climate gradient as the rest of the refrigerator—warmer at the top and colder at the bottom—correctly. You should use the climate zones mentioned here to cool your food optimally and to protect it from spoilage.
The top climate zone 5 to 8 degrees Celsius – for pre-cooked and cooked foods
The top climate zone in the refrigerator, which is up to eight, at most nine degrees Celsius, is the warmest. Here you can safely place already pre-cooked, cooked and smoked foods as well as opened canned goods, fresh cheese and ready-made products. Sealed beverage bottles can also be stored lying down in the upper zone. In summary: all foods that are not highly perishable and do not require intensive cooling belong in the top climate zone.
The middle climate zone four to five degrees Celsius – perfect for dairy products
The climate zone located in the middle of the refrigerator, at up to five degrees Celsius, is the optimal storage place for your dairy products. On this level you can store cream, yogurt and quark as well as opened milk and the cheese platter. Tip: Store the milk bottle/carton in the middle of the refrigerator (rather than in the refrigerator door); it will stay fresher longer!
The lowest climate zone two to three degrees Celsius – for easily perishable foods
The lower climate zone, at two to three degrees Celsius, is the coldest level in the refrigerator. Accordingly, you store here the foods that require the most cooling. These include fresh meat, cold cuts, meat salad and fresh fish. You must bear in mind, however, that highly perishable foods need to be fried promptly or used up quickly. Afterwards you can place them on the glass shelf in the upper zone. It is also important to know that minced meat, despite storage in the lowest climate zone, must be consumed no later than after two days. Therefore freezing is suitable for minced meat. Opened foods should be consumed after two days. Also dishes that contain raw eggs should be placed in the lower cooling zone for short-term storage.
The vegetable drawers nine to twelve degrees Celsius – for fruit and vegetables
Almost every refrigerator, depending on the model, is equipped in the lower area with two vegetable compartments or drawers. You can use these to store fruit and vegetables at a temperature of eight to twelve degrees Celsius. A glass shelf or cover lying over the vegetable drawers ensures that moisture and cold are retained. Your vegetables and fruit do not dry out, keep longer and remain fresh. You should preferably not store tomatoes and potatoes in the refrigerator because they quickly lose their flavor.
The refrigerator door eight to nine degrees Celsius – for beverages and more
The storage compartments located in the refrigerator door have a temperature of eight to nine degrees Celsius. Therefore you can store foods here that are not very sensitive and do not need very cold storage. In the upper area of the refrigerator door you can place, besides fresh eggs, butter, margarine and dressings. But the upper area of the door is also the right storage place for ketchup, mustard and sauces. The compartments provided in the lower door area are optimal for beverages.
Foods you should not store in the refrigerator
You should not store all fresh foods in the refrigerator.
Exotic fruit
For example, exotic and heat-loving bananas, mangoes, oranges, grapefruits, lemons and tomatoes have just as little place in the refrigerator as cucumbers, pears or apples. All of these do not tolerate the cold. This would lead to a loss of aroma and rapid mold growth.
Olive oil and bread
You should also avoid storing olive oil and bread in the refrigerator. Why? Your olive oil would become cloudy or solidify. Bread accumulates moisture and is more likely to develop mold.
Basil & Co
You should not put basil and other herbs in the refrigerator either. They would wilt quickly. The same applies to onions and garlic. However, these would quickly develop mold due to the humidity in the refrigerator.
Potatoes
If you stored potatoes in the refrigerator, they would become mealy and develop a slightly sweet taste.
Nut spreads and honey
If you want to enjoy nut spreads and honey on your breakfast roll, you should not put them in the refrigerator. They would harden there and would no longer be spreadable.
Recommendations for optimal storage of food in the refrigerator
Do not leave the door open for long
When loading the refrigerator, you should not leave the door open for long. This consumes energy and causes unnecessary electricity costs.
Let food cool down completely
Before you put food into the refrigerator, you should ensure that it is completely cooled.
Placement according to shelf life
Longer-lasting foods of the same type should always be placed at the back and the perishable products at the front. This ensures that the perishable items are taken first.
Keep the refrigerator organized
To keep an overview of the contents of your refrigerator, it is advantageous not to fill it too full. In this way you will not have to discard as many products and you will also save energy.
Store fresh items in containers
Especially foods such as fresh meat, cold cuts and fresh fish must be stored in sealed containers. You should also remember that opened canned goods can leach tin into the contained food, which negatively affects the taste. Therefore it is important to transfer the contents of opened cans into another container. Green lettuce stays fresh for a long time if you place it unwashed in a food storage box or wrapped in a damp cloth in the refrigerator. The same applies to asparagus, by the way, the “king vegetable”.
Conclusion
With proper refrigerator organization, not only do your food items stay fresh longer, but you also contribute to wasting food. You also save time because you don’t have to go shopping as often.
Image credit: iStock 1318283154 Refrigerator