There’s technology we take for granted.
The refrigeratorβfirst introduced the way we know it today in the 1920sβis a much-loved but oftenΒ underestimated appliance. Far as most of us are concerned, all it does is keep our food coldβwe don’t care forΒ the science behind it; we put delicious things in with the hope that they’llΒ remain so later.
So, you may not realize it, but thereΒ is a science to making the most out of your refrigeratorβnot the engineering that keeps a moderately-sized box cold enough to keep its contents fresh, but the know-how that’ll help you keep food fresher longer, get your produce performing at its best, and even help you make sneaky shifts in your dietary habits that can help you become the best version of yourself!
And with the help of GLAD, you can have these tips and tricks down inΒ no time.
One look in my cupboards showed me that it’s all too easy to collect old takeout containers, sizeable enoughΒ for storing leftovers and baked goods, while alsoΒ inexpensive, soΒ you don’t really worry if anything gets damaged, like a lid getting cracked or one melting on the stove. After all, they’re a convenientΒ bonus from someΒ food you ordered, so whyΒ not make the most of yourΒ meagre investment in fillingΒ your belly?
But you get what you pay for, and relying on cheap plastic containers isn’t onlyΒ dangerousΒ with materials that aren’t BPA-free, it also means you’re not doing all you can for yourΒ food, and with Canadian households contributing 47% of theΒ staggering $31 billion inΒ food their nation wastes each year, that’s no laughing matter!
Food doesn’t last forever, butΒ plenty of that spoilage is due more to poor storage techniques than keeping too muchΒ food on hand. While we may have a fair chunk of the world’s money, most adults know that groceries areΒ expensive, and that we should make the most ofΒ whatever we have on hand.
Which is why you’re probablyΒ long overdue for aΒ refrigerator makeover.
GLAD recently challenged me to try a bevy of their food protection products so I could see for myself how they stack up against food kept unwrapped and unpackaged in the fridge.
Now, call me naΓ―ve, but I didn’t evenΒ think people would leave food unwrapped or unpackaged in their fridges, but apparently some of y’allΒ nasty. I mean, most peopleΒ I know are a long way from the days of college dorms, and notΒ onlyΒ does money not grow on trees, but who wants to eat from a fridge where everything smells past due? The things I’ve smelled from the fridge at workβno amount of baking soda couldΒ right that amount ofΒ wrong.
But I digress.
If your fridge is failing at life, here areΒ 3 tips youΒ need to keep in mind to get the mostΒ out of all that food you putΒ in:
1) You Gotta Keep ‘Em Separated
And vegetables are typicallyΒ very ethylene-sensitive.Β The solution? Store them separately in your fridge to reduce the chance of interaction and those vegetables keeping fresherΒ longer.
And if something’s rotting in your fridge, discard of itΒ immediatelyβthe amount of ethylene that trash is giving off could ruin everythingΒ else in there!
2) A Place for Everything and Everything in its Place
- Onions and tomatoes shouldΒ never touch the fridgeβin there they lose their flavour! Instead, store them in a cool, dry place.
- You can keepΒ pears, peaches, kiwis, mangoes, apricots, melons, avocados and bananas on the counter, but once they’re ripe enough, you’d better move those bad boys to the fridge!
- You can store citrusΒ up to a week in a cool, dark place away from sunlightβor evenΒ longer in a GLAD bag in the fridge,Β especially since they retain up to 99% of food’s moisture for more than 7 days!
- You can wrap celeryΒ in GLAD Press’n Seal cling wrap and stored in the veggie crisper!
- Stop washing thoseΒ berries all at onceβwash them as needed; water promotes mould growth!
- And as for thoseΒ salad greens and fresh herbs that wilt so easily? Seal themΒ tightly in a GLAD freezer bag or storage bag with a bit of air and a piece of paper towel to keep you eating salad forΒ days.
3) Put Your Food Where Your Eyes Can See!
- Store your healthiest foods at eye-level in GLAD containers and bags so you can see what you have to eat.
- Put these on theΒ upper shelves as well:Β your drinks, any other food that’s ready to eat (think yogurt, cheese and deli meats), and leftovers, stored in shallow containers so they cool quickly in the fridge rather thanΒ raise its temperature… along with everything in it!
- And what goes on the lower shelves? Those raw ingredients you plan to use for cooked dishes! And if it’s raw meat, make sure to store it in GLADware containers to catch any drips or spills that might otherwise contaminate the crisper drawers below!
- And lastly, the doorβsince you’re always opening and closing it, it’s theΒ warmest part of the fridge, so you should fill it with condiments containing preservatives, salt or sugar to keep them safe; if you put milk or eggs in there, they’reΒ done for!
Changing Your Food Storage Game with GLAD Food Protection ContainersβWaste Less Food and Love it More!
Go with GLAD and enjoy your food that just plain tastes better!
Until the next,
–case p.
Disclaimer: GLAD fittingly compensated my family for this post with a grocery store gift card andΒ plenty of GLADware so we could see for ourselves just how well it can protect our food from everything our kitchen could throw at it!