Food Storage In The Refrigerator

If you plan to eat the products within the next few days, it is best to store them in the refrigerator . And so that your products and dishes do not lose their properties, benefits and spoil even during this seemingly short period of time, you need to know the basic principles of proper storage of food in the refrigerator .

Do not forget about the rules of commodity proximity of products - this requirement for the location of food products during storage applies to stores and food establishments for a reason. The commercial proximity of products is based on the properties of each of them in order to ensure safe and long -term storage . So, in your home refrigerator , the commodity neighborhood of food products will by no means be superfluous.

You will never go wrong if you divide the goods into categories - dairy products , meat, fish, vegetables and fruits, ready meals - and store each group of goods separately (not only in different containers, but also in different boxes, and on separate shelves). Products that will be consumed without prior heat treatment should in no case be near raw meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, and eggs. Also, you should not combine raw products with ready meals. Raw meat and fish should generally be stored separately from any other products and from each other - as they can become a source of infection - in the refrigeratoron separate shelves. Store different fruits and vegetables in separate containers, as they accelerate each other's decay. Dairy products are very prone to off-odors, so put cottage cheese, cheese and butter in packaging that will protect them from this.

When choosing the temperature mode for storing food in the refrigerator , you need to think about two main problems:

• How to preserve the freshness and benefits of products .

• How to prevent the reproduction of numerous microorganisms that change the organoleptic properties of products .

It is known that the bulk of the products are sold already chilled or frozen. Cooling consists in maintaining the temperature of the product at the cryoscopic level (freezing temperature of water). Depending on the content of mineral salts in the product, this temperature can range from -0.5 to -2.5ºС. Nutritionists found that at zero temperature, the reproduction of microorganisms in fresh products begins on the 6-8th day of storage , depending on their type and condition. This term determines the term of their storage in a chilled form. At the same time, it is worth considering that the productmust be fresh before cooling. If it is bought in a store in a chilled form, then its storage period in this state is even shorter.

The temperature in the refrigerator is an unstable thing and can vary from -24 to -15ºС in the freezer and from +3 to +8ºС in the refrigerator itself . At the same time, the temperature decreases from top to bottom - which determines the basic principle of the food storage scheme . It is coldest in the refrigerator (from 0 to +3ºС) where the positive chamber touches the freezer. In most modern units, the freezer is located below, so we put everything that perishes on the shelf above it: dairy products , raw meat and fish. And it is better away from the door - the closer to it, the warmer it is in the refrigerator , which means that the products spoil faster. Often refrigerator manufacturersplace closed boxes for fruits and vegetables above the freezer. However, do not rush to put everything there in a row: it is better to put heat -resistant products in this compartment - celery, apples, plums, pears, cabbage. Cucumbers, mushrooms, persimmons and fresh berries are more demanding. It is better to take them out of the freezer as far as possible: frozen, they quickly lose their taste and freshness. The ideal storage temperature for them is from +7 to +9ºС. Therefore, they have a place on the highest shelf. In the middle part of the refrigerator , usually, "moderate climate" - from +3 to +6ºС. Therefore, they are best stored hereready meals, fresh greens, eggs, butter, cheese, sausage, cold meats, open canned food, sweets. The warmest thing is at the door. The "climate" here is unstable: every time you look into the refrigerator , the temperature rises sharply, and then returns to normal for a long time. Therefore, it is best to place the most unpretentious products here - drinks, sauces in airtight packages, medicines. You can also eat eggs, but only those that you plan to eat in the next 3-4 days. Experts do not recommend keeping them here for longer: due to temperature fluctuations, the product spoils faster, and constant slamming of the door can damage the shell, which also does not contribute to the duration of storageeggs. Everything is almost the same in the freezer: the higher the shelf, the higher the degree. Therefore, in the upper compartments (from -14 to -10ºС) we place butter, seafood, fish, fruits and vegetables. At very low temperatures, they change their structure (especially berries) and lose their taste. It is best to store semi-finished products on the middle shelf of the freezer (from -14 to -16ºС) . At lower temperatures, the dough for pelmeni, dumplings, etc. will eventually begin to crumble and break, besides, it will spoil their taste. But meat and ice cream are not threatened by this: they are best stored at a temperature of -24 to -17ºС . That is, in the lowest compartment of the freezer. One of the main conditions for long -term storage of products in the refrigerator— packaging. The plus chamber always has its own microflora. Moisture and condensation on the walls of the refrigerator is a good breeding ground for bacteria, which will gladly move on to a product without packaging, be it raw meat or cutlets. Raw products (especially fish and meat) are best stored in plastic bags, plastic containers or glassware. Aluminum or enameled dishes are not suitable for this. When touching products , especially raw ones, the metallized surface of the dishes can oxidize and poison the food. That is why it is better to immediately transfer the opened canned food into a ceramic or glass container. Also, never leave spoons or other cutlery in the product, which you put in the refrigerator — it breaks the seal, and the oxidizing processes that occur at the same time contribute to rapid spoilage. Only vegetables and fruits can be put in the refrigerator without packaging: in cellophane or plastic, on the contrary, they spoil faster due to an excess of their own moisture. But it is not necessary to wash them before storage , because this way you rid the products of the protective film, which extends their shelf life .