The Possible Reason Food In Your Fridge Doesn't Last As Long As Expected
Perhaps one of the largest undertakings when transitioning into adulthood is having to grocery shop for yourself. Whether you were always splitting groceries among college roommates or regularly sharing meals with your siblings, it's always a bit of a shock when you have to start stocking up for yourself. For many, it's a shock to see how fast food goes bad when there's only you or a couple of mouths to feed.
Many of us strive to eat healthier by stocking up on vegetables or making sure the fridge has its fair share of fresh fruit. But, often we either overbuy or store it wrong and too much of it ends up rotting, browning, or wilting before it's inevitably tossed.
There are a number of reasons for learning how to increase the longevity of the produce in your fridge. From wanting to reduce your food waste to budgetary motivation, you have quite a few easy fixes to this problem at your disposal with the most important possibly being understanding how to stock your fridge properly. One of the most common reasons the food in your fridge may have a shorter-than-expected lifespan is due to its drawers being overfilled.
Are you overstuffing your fridge?
When organizing your fridge at home, there are a few factors to keep in mind and plenty you can do to keep your produce as an option for longer. From rinsing off your fresh produce before storing it to knowing which compartments to use for certain ingredients, it's a number of small things that can add up. However, possibly the best tip is to avoid overstuffing your drawers and other compartments.
According to Homes and Gardens, you need to give your food space to breathe. If you fill up all the parts of your fridge, it's possible you can block air vents, which can decrease energy efficiency. Valerie Posner, a cooling manager at Bosch, explained, "A well-organized refrigerator is one that does its job properly and keeps food fresher for longer, ultimately reducing food waste. One key tip is not to overfill it –- if you pack food in so much that the air can't circulate, the contents won't keep as cool, which could reduce their lifespan."
D&T Appliance states that you should aim to keep your fridge around 3/4 full at all times for the best results. Make sure you stay on top of organizing your fridge to avoid overfilling and watch your food stick around longer. However, if you're constantly noticing that you're blowing past that ¾ full goal, it may be time to invest in a bigger, more energy-efficient fridge.