The ingredients I bought online arrived, and I happily took them home. As soon as I opened the refrigerator, I found that not only did the strawberries grow hairy, but the spinach I bought two weeks ago was also wilted because I forgot to eat it. There was also an indescribable smell in the refrigerator. Have you figured out the principles of keeping food in the refrigerator?

  Some people think that the refrigerator is so cold that the bacteria are frozen to death, so it should be very clean, right? Actually not! The refrigerator is not a sterilization cabinet, nor a sterile area. If it is not cleaned and disinfected regularly, not only the service life will be shortened, the cooling effect will be greatly reduced, but also it is easy to breed a large number of bacteria, emit odor, and even cause food poisoning, which will affect our daily health. Today, we summarize the common sense knowledge about the principles of keeping food in the refrigerator and refrigerator cleaning.

Food preservation

Misunderstandings of the principle of keeping food in the refrigerator

1. Just put the food in the refrigerator and eat it slowly

  ❌ Food has an optimal storage period. Fresh vegetables are best for 3 days and should not exceed a week at the longest. Meat should not be frozen for more than 3 months.

  ✅ Correct practice: Bought vegetables and fruits are stored in different bags/boxes. Meat should be divided according to the amount and then put into the freezer layer. Repeated thawing will not only destroy the taste of food, but also have potential food safety hazards of repeated contamination.

  The following picture can help you understand the best seating arrangement of ingredients in the refrigerator in an all-round way.

  Refrigerator door: The refrigerator door opens and closes frequently and is the place with the highest temperature in the entire refrigerator. Suitable for water, juice and sauce products that are not easily affected by temperature. Milk and eggs are not recommended~

  Upper refrigerator compartment: The temperature of the upper layer is relatively stable, and leftovers, beverages and some semi-finished ingredients are suitable to be placed here. Food is easier to see in this layer and can be resolved as quickly as possible.

  Lower refrigerator compartment: The temperature in the refrigerator gradually decreases from top to bottom. The lower space is more suitable for meat, eggs, milk and other ingredients that need to be stored at low temperature.

  Refrigerator drawer: The drawer can help vegetables and fruits better store water. However, in order not to contaminate each other and achieve the best storage effect, it is recommended to store in separate bags/boxes.

  Freezing area: Place all kinds of ingredients that need to be frozen. It should also be classified according to raw and cooked, and stored separately. Easy to pick up and prevent cross contamination.

  Above the refrigerator: The top of the refrigerator is one of the areas where the refrigerator dissipates heat. It is all right to place pots, kitchen paper and recipes, but it is not recommended to arrange things like red wine, bread and other foods that are easily deteriorated by temperature.

2. The refrigerator is the best preservation, all the ingredients should be put in

  ❌ Putting tropical fruits and vegetables such as mango banana avocado into the refrigerator will affect the ripening;

  Foods such as tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, peppers and garlic are easy to lose their flavor after being refrigerated;

  Potatoes, purple potatoes, sweet potatoes and other root-like ingredients are prone to rot and sprouts when exposed to moisture.

  Although chocolate, honey, etc. are placed in the refrigerator, although they will not deteriorate, they will affect the taste.

  ✅Correct method: Pull them all to a cool and ventilated place to store, and eat them as soon as possible.

3. Wash vegetables and fruits before putting them in the refrigerator for cleaner

  ❌ For ingredients you don't plan to eat right away, just let them sit quietly by themselves. Store it after washing, but it is more likely to breed bacteria.

  ✅ Correct way: clean up before eating. Not only saves trouble, but also maximizes the retention of nutrients in vegetables and fruits.

4. Leftovers should be cooled before putting them in the refrigerator

  ❌ Don't be silly, bacteria in food multiply the fastest at 5°-60°, and the environment below 5° can inhibit the growth of bacteria.

  ✅ Right way: Leftover rice should be stored in a storage box with a lid as soon as possible, and if there is no box, at least cover it with a layer of plastic wrap. While reducing the growth of bacteria, it can also prevent odor. You don't have to worry about putting hot dishes in and hurting the refrigerator. This temperature effect is equivalent to opening the refrigerator door a few times.

5. Refrigerator cleaning, better with professional cleaners

  ❌ It is sufficient to use edible baking soda + detergent.

  ✅ Correct practice: Mix two spoons of baking soda + hot water, wipe the inside of the refrigerator, safe, hygienic and anti-bacterial. Drawers, shelves, and glass plates should be taken out of the refrigerator to clean, and the detergent should be cleaned normally, and then put back after air-drying.

6. To clean the refrigerator, just wipe the inside

  ❌ The rubber sealing strip of the refrigerator door is also a big collector of dirt! If there is dirt and spots in the grooves in the sealing strip, it will not only cause the refrigerator door to not close tightly, but also affect the operating efficiency of the refrigerator and breed bacteria.

  ✅ Correct way: Take off the sealing strip, dip a cotton swab in baking soda water, clean it carefully and put it back.

7. Refrigerator defrosting, must stand for a long time

  ✅ Correct way: the refrigerator is powered off. Boil a pot of hot water and prepare a bowl to fill. Put the hot water in the refrigerator, close the door and wait for about 20 minutes, and remove the ice cubes in minutes. Never use a hard object to chisel or shovel, so as not to damage the condenser tube.

8. Refrigerator deodorization, is lemon, tea or toilet paper better?

  ❌ Both help, but regular cleaning of the refrigerator works best.

  ✅Right practice: Refrigeration experts recommend that the inside of the refrigerator should be cleaned at least once a month. Clean up expired and rotten food in time, and the refrigerator will naturally fragrant and lovable.