Organizing your food storage is less about strategizing for your next meal and more about keeping your contents fresh (which is simultaneously a great strategy for your meals anyway!). Top shelf or bottom drawer - does it really matter? It actually does depending on your food's components. Some foods require humidity control while others fare better in less cooler areas of your fridge. Follow this simple guide to organizing your refrigerator to reduce spoilage and prepare fresh meals for the ones you love.
Upper Shelves It's basic science - heat rises and cold air falls, so the top shelf will naturally be warmer than the bottom shelf. Certain products, such as milk, may be more convenient for accessibility on the top shelf but actually do better in the back of the bottom shelf. Instead, the top shelf should be reserved for foods that don't require cooking. Ready-to-eat foods like yogurt and deli meats, leftovers, herbs, and drinks (but not milk!), can be stored here.
Lower Shelves The lower shelves are the coolest place in the refrigerator so they will naturally be the best place for raw meats, eggs, and dairy products. Keeping open packaged meats on the very bottom shelf is also a good idea in case there is spillage it won't ruin other foods. To keep this area as cool as possible, don't pack foods in too tight to each other. This will create pockets of inconsistent temperature and refrigerators need cold air to flow throughout it (unlike freezers that work better packed).
Drawers Crisper drawers are designed specifically for vegetables and fruits that do better with some humidity (hence the humidity control). While both need humidity, it's important to not bunch them together since fruit produces ethylene to help it ripen which can also yellow or limp vegetables. Something to consider is the fact that meat will be right above these drawers, risking contamination if there is any leakage. If this is a big concern, consider dedicating one crisper drawer for vegetables and the other for raw meats.
Door Since the door is closest to the outside of the refrigerator and experiences the most room temperature (don't act like you haven't stood with the door open for minutes, trying to will a chocolate cake to suddenly appear!), it is the warmest part of the fridge. Condiments are usually high on natural preservatives like vinegar and salt, so they are fine to store in the door. Ketchup, mayonnaise, pickles, and nut oils are fine to store here. Bottled water also do fine in the door because, well, it's water after all.
Refrigerate Or No? Just as the placement of certain foods inside the fridge matter, so does the initial need for refrigeration. Some foods you can refrigerate but aren't necessary if you're using them often. This includes nuts, nut butters, flours, and natural oils. However, other foods actually spoil faster in the fridge. In the fridge, tomatoes will actually turn mealy while onions and squash survive better in cool, dry places like a cupboard. Most fruits will do fine on the counter but refrigeration can slow down ripening.
