The Organized Life: Your Fridge & Freezer

In this hot time of year, more and more items need to fit into the fridge. If you find that items are getting lost, wasted, spoiled or not eaten, and your fridge area is overwhelming, this post is for you.

How to Organize the Fridge

Step 1:  Empty the fridge and freezer completely and clean them. Use a natural cleaner without chemicals, because you don’t want to seal your food in with chemical residues.

Step 2:  Start with the top shelf. Open all containers, look, sniff and check dates. Go through all items and throw out anything that has been open longer than the recommended duration on the label. Throw out anything questionable or beyond the expiration date.

Step 3:  Take a visual inventory of all remaining items and categorize the items to decide how they will go back in. Keep perishable left-over items front and center, visible so they get attended to and consumed as soon as possible. Do the same with fruits and veggies. If you see them, you are more likely to prepare them.

Step 4:  Use glass bowls or plastic square, clear containers to store loose items so they don’t tumble out. Use your crisper with controlled humidity for veggies, so they stay fresh longer.  Place lettuce in a sealed plastic bag with as little air as possible.

Step 5:  Freeze meats that you will not use within a couple of days. Use airtight containers or bags to prevent freezer burn. Be sure to label the bags with the date you put them into the freezer, so that you can purge them after an appropriate period of time if they do not get eaten.

Step 6:  Don’t forget to take a look at the outside of the fridge. Do you have visually cluttered papers, magnets and photos posted there? Take a moment to pull down any unwanted or outdated items. Consolidate any phone numbers you require and keep only those magnets that serve a purpose.

Items to store in the freezer:  Fresh herbs like basil, whole wheat flower, soups, vegetables, casseroles, meats

Items to store at room temperature:  Potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, bananas, avocados, and zucchini