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A multitude of videos recommend many tips for properly storing food in the refrigerator. The key: we save money and better defend our purchasing power.
Store food between 0° and 4°C
First reflex: choose the right refrigerator temperature to optimize the preservation of your butter, yoghurt and other fresh products. According to ANSES, the national food safety agency, the fridge should not exceed 4°C “at the coldest point”. And it is worth checking regularly with a thermometer if the environment is suitable for storing your groceries. A method adopted by many TikTokeurs like this Briton who demonstrates how the expiry date system generates monster waste.
Most members of the social network advise to bet instead on conservation between 2°C and 3°C. At this level, ANSES indeed confirms that this makes it possible to slow down the growth of micro-organisms and bacteria such as listeria or salmonella. On his professional site where he offers to support restaurateurs with his advice, the great chef Philippe Etchebest recommends checking the exact temperature by immersing the thermometer in a glass of water in order to check the exact data, and not that of the ambiant air. Smart!
Store food in the right place
It is still necessary to choose the right place in the refrigerator to place the products. On this point, it is not easy to discern the true from the false as there are so many divergent advices! We therefore chose to trust the Ministry of Agriculture. The coldest part is at the very top. However, depending on the refrigerator models, it may be located just above the vegetable drawer. A simple glance at the side inside the device provides information by spotting a snowflake or a distinctive sign of cold. We put meat and fish there. Ready meals, cheese and yoghurt should be in the middle.
All that’s left is not to forget the contents of the fridge… To do this, an American TikTokeuse had the good idea to take a picture of her full fridge when everything is put away. And this allows you to know what to eat throughout the week, and not to buy surplus during the next races. We will also remember that we must remember to clean our fridge at least once a month.
Usefulness of absorbent paper
It is an essential accessory to better preserve your food in the fridge: the absorbing paper. A large number of TikTokeurs engage their community to place a sheet in the vegetable drawer to absorb moisture or mold from vegetables. They go so far as to recommend protecting the contents of a mesclun or arugula tray with a sheet before closing the lid, then turning the package over. This trick would keep the salad longer in the fridge…
However, be careful not to fall into the trap of excessive use of paper towels. To be properly stored, vegetables and fruits need to breathe. Contrary to what is presented in some videos, do not wrap the carrots in kitchen paper before inserting them in a plastic bag. According to the Equiterre network of Quebec farmers, you can cut the tops and pack them in a bag, provided you make holes in them beforehand. Excess moisture must be able to escape. The eggplant can be wrapped in a cotton towel. In general, vegetables must be placed… in the vegetable drawer!
For better preservation of fresh herbs…
Last useful tip that will delight those who are regularly disappointed by bouquets of parsley, dill or chives all withered just a few days after purchase. You can prepare ice cubes of fresh herbs to use as you wish. Just chop them, place them in an ice cube tray and pour some olive oil, before putting everything in the freezer.