Good fridge management


Good fridge management
We all have a fridge at home – it's an indispensible part of the kitchen and so much a part of the furniture that we tend not to pay it much attention. But often, out of habit, we don't use it properly. Here are a few tips to help you get more from your fridge.
27 K 4.4/5 (21 reviews)
Grade this page:
Last modified on: April 19th 2011
For this post: Comment Follow Send to a friend
Good fridge management

Temperature

We often place too much trust in the temperature inside our fridges, saying, “It's cold enough” , but this is something that should be checked at least once with a thermometer.

The correct temperature inside a fridge should be around 6°C (43°F), in any case, never above 8°C (50°F), otherwise food will not keep so well, or not keep at all. Adjust the thermostat to produce this temperature and modify it according to the season, as the fridge needs to be colder in summer than in winter.

The temperature inside a fridge is not even. It is colder near the top (where the cold is created) than at the bottom. So put at the top everything which needs to be kept really cold, such as dairy products, and at the bottom things like fruit and vegetables that don't need to be kept as cold.

Hygiene

A fridge should always be kept very clean as it is in contact with all our fresh food, so it needs to be cleaned thoroughly on a regular basis (every few months). This means: unplug it, empty it completely and clean the inside with a sponge and detergent.

When you come back from shopping, don't put all the food wrappers straight in the fridge, as they are not always very clean and slow down the cooling process. It is better to “undress” everything before putting it the fridge: take yoghurts out of their cardboard, unwrap fruit, etc.

Similarly, don't put dirty vegetables, such as carrots and mushrooms straight in the fridge, but wash and prepare them first.

A few things to avoid

  • Putting something in the fridge to cool it down: this will start the fridge motor, and consumes energy needlessly. It is better to allow things to cool to room temperature, and only then put them in the fridge.
  • Leaving the door open between getting 2 or more items out: the fridge starts to warm up rapidly once the door is open, and only cools slowly when it is closed again. You should reduce to a minimum the time the door is left open.
  • Putting a dish in the fridge without covering it: smells can be transferred from one food to another and your dish could take on a very odd smell, or pass its smell on to something else, or both.

Better kept out of the fridge


  • Eggs: there's no need, they keep quite well at room temperature.
  • Tomatoes: they lose all their flavour.
  • Strawberries: they lose their flavour when cold, but will regain it on returning to room temperature.
  • Naturally matured cheeses: they lose their flavour but will regain it on returning to room temperature
  • Oil: may well turn solid.
  • Vinegar: keeps well at room temperature.

In the fridge, but beware of…

  • Fruit or vegetables in a sealed or knotted plastic bag: they will soon create a humid atmosphere and will rot very quickly. It is better to open the bag, or take them out.
  • Herbs: There's no need to stand the stems in water on the windowsill, it doesn't help. It's better to wrap the stems in damp absorbant paper then put them in the fridge in a plastic bag.



Lasts posts
Parsley stems
Parsley stems
Parsley, whether curly or flat, is a delicious ingredient in many recipes, where it is used both raw and cooked. When used raw, in a salad for example, where it always provides, alone or with other herbs, a remarkable freshness, only the leaves are kept. And when used cooked?
July 28th 2025682 13
A drizzle of olive oil
A drizzle of olive oil
Often in a recipe, you have to "baste" vegetables, for example, before sending them to the oven. What the author means by this is that you need to put oil on top of the vegetables to cook them in the oven. Typically, we just quickly drizzle oil over the vegetables, hoping not to miss any, but...
July 13th 20251,1135
Always secure your cutting board
Always secure your cutting board
When using a cutting board, it's very important that it's stable and doesn't move while you're cutting, for safety's sake. Boards have a natural tendency to slide on the work surface, but here are 2 ways to block them effectively.
July 1st 20251,1405
Cherry clafoutis, with or without pits?
Cherry clafoutis, with or without pits?
When it comes to cherry clafoutis recipes, there's often a camp of those who argue that you absolutely have to leave the stones in because it tastes better, and the other camp (myself included) who prefer cherries without stones, which makes a much more pleasant clafoutis to eat. But is it true...
June 29th 20251,0385
Should potatoes be washed twice?
Should potatoes be washed twice?
Let's say you have to make a recipe that includes potatoes, let's say sliced, you'll most likely proceed as follows: Peel the potatoes, wash them, slice them, wash them again, pat them dry and add them to your recipe. But there's a "but": depending on the recipe, the second washing may be a bad...
May 19th 20252,692 15

Other pages you may also like
Fruits which can ruin your jelly
Fruits which can ruin your jelly
There are many ways of making a fruit mousse, but one of the simplest is to prepare a fruit jelly (basically a fresh fruit coulis with gelatine) and then mix this jelly before it sets completely with whipped cream. The result is perfect for filling a charlotte, for example. But do beware;...
March 6th 201375 K4.0
The beautiful story of the croissants
The beautiful story of the croissants
As you may have already noticed, cooking, baking and pastry-making are full of stories or legends, usually very romantic, about this or that product or recipe. This is often the case for named recipes, for example tarte tatin, peach melba, paris-brest and many others, but it also applies to very...
October 10th 201816 K5
Brioche for a savoury recipe
Brioche for a savoury recipe
When we make brioche, it is generally sweet, that is to say that in the dough there is sugar or honey or dried or candied fruits, or even sometimes the 3 together. It's normal, it's very good, it's a pastry. But you may also need brioche for a savoury dish, like a sausage or a sausage in brioche...
June 30th 201911 K4.9
Double cooking of vegetables
Double cooking of vegetables
When you cook vegetables, it's not easy to capture and preserve the flavours. It is easy to undercook, but you can make up for it, or overcook, and then it is unfortunately a bit cooked (in the sense of "ruined"). But above all, how to get the maximum of the taste of the vegetable in the pan, then...
July 12th 201921 K4.1
The infinite variety of salads
The infinite variety of salads
Making a salad for a meal, a few ingredients of your choice and a sauce to bind it all together is still one of the best ways to cook something really good quickly and simply. And since there is often a "fresh" aspect with the vegetables in the ingredients, not only does it taste good, but it's...
March 13th 20217,6384.6
Post a comment or question
Posted by:
I am not a leaving thing

Follow this page
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.

Back to top of page