Keep An Organized Fridge With Food Storage Containers

Some, if not most of us are fond of keeping leftover food. Aside from the fact that it would be such a waste throwing it away, leftover food can be served as breakfast. Throw it in the microwave, wait, and voila! Breakfast is ready. Though keeping food overnight is relatively safe, keeping it for a much longer time without the proper containers can spell D-A-N-G-E-R for you and your family.

Some food can be kept in outside the fridge. And you must be aware of which food needs to be refrigerated.  Poultry, cooked seafood, and meat left over shouldn’t be left in room temperature for more than two hours. Doing so can spawn bacteria in the food, which is the cause of possible illness.

Store food safely. Food that can be left outside the fridge should be stored in food storage containers. These are clear plastic containers with lids that have several shapes and sizes for you to choose from. These are great for cereals, bread or cookies. Food storage containers can also be used for meat. Keep a certain size of meat per container, so you don’t have to thaw meat again when you don’t use the whole cut. You can also use these containers for any food that needs to be stored in the fridge, but you don’t use the lid. Foods such as leftovers are better left uncovered to prevent moisture from forming. You would also want to use shallow containers for faster cooling of the food.
Wrapped foods should be wrapped tightly. Try to take as much air as possible out of sealable bags, and choose the smallest container for your food if you are using plastic containers.

Refrain from crowding your fridge. Food, in a sense, needs room to breathe. A fridge with too many food and containers inside will block the air circulation, limiting the cooling process.

Know when to throw food out. Food may look and smell okay but it doesn’t mean that it’s still safe to eat. Chicken, pasta or tuna can be kept for up to a few days while fish, cooked or uncooked should be thrown out after two days. If you’re not sure about a certain food, especially if it’s starting to taste or smell funny, just throw it out right away.

A fantastic way to keep everything organized so that you know how long your food has been in there is to buy plastic food storage containers that you can write on.  If you cannot write on them, use a simple piece of clear or white tape and place it on the top of the lid.  Write what it is and the date you cooked it so that you can easily identify how long it has been in there.

We know that saving food, especially left over ones is not only a great way to save time but money as well.  Using good containers too store your food not only helps you keep an organized refrigerator, but it also helps ensures your safety.  We need to put the safety of our family first. The money you get to save on food would never be enough to pay off hospital bills. So always remember safety first, saving after.