Many people bring food home and just toss it all into the refrigerator. Whenever they open the fridge, it's always a mess. In fact, how you arrange food in the refrigerator is a science. If the position is wrong, the temperature will be wrong, and the quality of the food will be greatly affected. Generally, the temperature is highest on the refrigerator door and lowest near the back wall; the upper part of the fridge is warmer, and the lower part is colder; the crisper drawer is rarely disturbed and is close to the bottom, so it's the coldest spot. Therefore, we might as well divide the refrigerator into 6 zones based on temperature: the door rack, the upper shelf near the door, the upper shelf near the back wall, the lower shelf near the door, the lower shelf near the back wall, and the crisper drawer.
1. Suitable for the door rack: Packaged but opened foods that won't spoil in a day or two, such as ketchup, salad dressing, sesame paste, seafood sauce, cheese, butter, jam, juice, and eggs, salted duck eggs, and other egg products.
2. Suitable for the upper shelf near the door: Ready-to-eat cooked foods, yogurt, desserts, etc. When storing these foods, the temperature should not be too low, and cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods should be prevented, so they are not suitable for the lower shelves.
3. Suitable for the upper shelf near the back wall: Leftovers, leftover soy milk, packaged bean products, etc. Because these foods are prone to bacterial growth, a temperature slightly below 0°C is most suitable.
4. Suitable for the lower shelf near the door: Various vegetables and temperate fruits such as apples and pears. They should be packed in fresh-keeping bags to prevent damage from freezing due to excessively low temperatures.
5. Suitable for the lower shelf near the back wall: Uncooked foods that need to be stored at low temperatures, such as water tofu, salted shredded kelp, and foods with airtight packaging that are not afraid of cross-contamination. It is also suitable for foods waiting to be thawed slowly, as they should be stored in the coldest place, like the lower shelf near the back wall.
6. Suitable for the crisper drawer: Aged refrigerated meat, semi-thawed fish, fresh shrimp, and other seafood. Because bacteria in seafood are often resistant to low temperatures, a slightly higher temperature can easily accelerate their reproduction. The crisper drawer can act as an isolation barrier to prevent cross-contamination and also has an insulation effect, avoiding temperature fluctuations caused by frequent opening of the refrigerator door. Additionally, if you have a dedicated adjustable-temperature crisper drawer, it is best to store meat in one set to -1°C—1°C.