What You Should Really Be Storing In Your Fridge Door

We will be the first people to admit that our fridge can (and should) be more organized than it is. Finding a place for everything, remembering to throw leftovers away regularly, and keeping tabs on what we have in it can be a challenge, but using the proper fridge layout is important — not just so you can find things, but also from a food safety perspective. 

Take your fridge door, for example. Are you the kind of person that uses it for overflow for whatever you can't fit on the shelves? Well, you may want to rethink this "pack it in and make room approach." You should only be storing items that can handle dramatic temperature fluctuations on your fridge door, as it is the warmest spot in your fridge. The constant opening and closing can cause these foods to spoil faster, which is why you should only keep items in it that aren't affected by these swings — or at least not as dramatically as perishable foods like raw meat and dairy would be. Condiments — like ketchup and mustard — are good choices, as are pickles, jams, and soy sauce. 

There is a much longer list of foods that you should not be storing on your fridge door than ones that are safe. Milk and dairy, for example, should be stored in the center of your fridge — despite the fact that milk jugs sit perfectly on the fridge door. Eggs, raw meats, and leftovers should also be relegated to the colder parts of your fridge. If you question whether an item is safe to store on the food, consider how long you can comfortably leave it out on the counter. Jams and jellies can last a few hours — meaning they're safe to keep on the door — but you wouldn't want to leave refrigerated coffee creamer sitting on your kitchen island for hours on end. 

There are some fridge organization tips to keep in mind as well. If you are opening a bottle and keeping it on your fridge door, it helps to add an expiration date clearly on the packaging (like with masking tape) so you know when to toss it. For an organized fridge 100% of the time, you'll also want to find a system that works for you — whether that's keeping the same item in the same place or grouping by likeness. That way, you'll know where everything is — and you won't have to leave the door wide open as you search for that one container of feta that you know is somewhere in there.