Things You'll Need:
- Thermal bag
- Small containers
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Step 1
Load and maintain your refrigerator correctly. Each section of your refrigerator is designed for different types of food, based on the temperature in each area.
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Step 2
Place foods that don’t require much refrigeration--like drinks, condiments and butter--in the door, which is the warmest part of your refrigerator. Get rid of the notion that eggs must be stored in the nifty egg container provided. Keep them in their original container and store them on a shelf with the rest of the dairy products.
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Step 3
Store fresh meat and fish on the bottom shelf directly above the vegetable drawers, which is the coldest part of your refrigerator. Keep them in their original packaging, and wrap them in a plastic bag to keep the juices from leaking onto the shelf.
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Step 4
Keep eggs, dairy products, sandwich meats, cheeses and leftovers on the top and middle shelves. Be careful not to cram too much food on these shelves. These foods need to have circulating air to maintain a safe temperature.
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Step 5
Store foods properly. This boils down to one simple rule: keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
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Step 6
Use a cooler with ice or thermal bag to keep cold foods cold in your car. Drive home from the grocery store as soon as possible (make it the last stop on your drive). Put foods away immediately.
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Step 7
Transfer leftovers into smaller containers while they are still warm. Place these in the refrigerator right away. The refrigerator will be able to accommodate the warmer food, and when foods cool quicker, they have less chance of acquiring bacteria.
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Step 8
Check the expiration dates on foods regularly. Most products also state how long you can expect the food to stay fresh after opening. Toss anything that is beyond the date listed on the package.
