5 Spoilers in your Fridge

The May 2011 Every day with Rachel Ray mag had a great article on common "Food Storage Flubs" that people make at home. I have listed them for you here.

1. Eggs

The Flub: Eggshells shouldn't be stored in the little egg holders in the doors of most fridge models. They are porous and lose moisture and freshness more quickly when stored outside of their cartons.
The Fix: Store eggs in their original carton on a shelf rather than in the door.

2. Milk

The Flub: Storing milk in the side compartments of the fridge door subjects the milk to constant temperature changes. Everytime we open the door, the milk warms up, and when we close the door, it cools back down. Bacteria use that time in between to grow, and the result is milk that sours quicker.
The Fix: Store milk near the cold-air vents towards the back of the fridge where the temperature is more steady.



3. Cheese

The Flub: Unprocessed cheese wrapped in plastic wrap doesn't allow air to circulate around it. Thus, the cheese surface will become greasy, which makes a great place for mold to live.
The Fix: Wrap it in waxed paper or put in an unsealed Ziploc bag.



4. Leftovers


The Flub: Leftovers have to cool so that they don't develop bacteria. If you are storing them straight from the pot to the fridge, they will not be able to cool fast enough.
The Fix: Transfer leftovers into smaller containers that are at least 3 inches deep. Label them with the food item, and the date it was cooked so you don't have to open each one up to figure out what's inside.



5. Fruits & Veggies

The Flub: Storing these 2 delicious inhabitants of the produce aisle together will lead to more trips to the grocery store. Fruit emit gasses that will cause vegetables to ripen faster.
The Fix: Keep fruits and veggies in separate crisper drawers.