To the question: "why are products stored in the refrigerator?" Any schoolboy can answer. Just the cold helps them stay fresh for a long time. However, the refrigerator is not a panacea and, unfortunately, sometimes the food in it spoils. According to statistics, about a third of all products are sent to the trash. And with them, and money. Do you need this? Of course not. Hence the conclusion: store food in the refrigerator correctly.

Rule number 1. Separate storage

Some dishes should in no case be stored near: they will absorb the smell of each other or accelerate mutual decay. A raw fish or meat in general can not be placed next to the ready dishes - the food will get germs, which is very bad for the health status. Also divide the fruits and vegetables, otherwise they will quickly deteriorate.

Products that can not be kept close are:

• cheese and smoked meat;
• finished and raw foods;
• salads and fish in any form;
• sausage and fruit;
• raw meat and milk.

Try to pack each product in a separate container, foil or newspaper. Ready meals in plates can be covered with food film. And remember: proper storage is the guarantee of your health.

Rule number 2. We lay out on the shelves

If you do not know how to store food in the refrigerator, use a simple principle:

• what quickly spoils - in the cold zone;
• something that can stand up - in the "warm".

In a refrigerating cabinet the cold is distributed unevenly. In the two-compartment refrigerators from below it is cold, and from above it is warmer, since all the warm air tends upward. But in the old models or small single-compartment refrigerators, the lowest temperature is near the freezer, that is, at the top. The warmest place in any models is the door.

Correct distribution of products:

• Store meat and fish in a "zero" zone or on a shelf above boxes with vegetables and fruits;
• Vegetables and fruits keep in special boxes, separately from each other. It is desirable to store each kind of fruit or vegetables in a separate paper bag;
• Milk, kefir, yoghurts and other liquid dairy products should be placed on the middle shelf closer to the wall (but not at all). You can also do with freshly squeezed juices;
• pasteurized juices can be placed on the refrigerator door;
• greens put in a jar, as in a vase, cover with a package with holes made in it, and store on the top shelf;
• ready dishes carefully wrapped in parchment paper or foil, you can also put them in the refrigerator in special containers.

All this will help your products stay fresh for a long time.

Rule number 3. Purity

In the refrigerator and freezer should always be clean. Storage of stale or expired products in the refrigerator is unacceptable. If you carefully wrap each dish and at least once a week inspect the refrigerating cabinet, taking out all unnecessary, it will not be a problem. Be sure to wash the shelves at least once every two months. To do this, you can not unfreeze the refrigerator, but simply take out the shelves one after another, wash, and then put in place.

Rule number 4. Less is better

The fewer products in the refrigerator, the less it needs electricity to cool them. Of course, this does not mean that you need to starve the family. Just pay attention to foods that do not need cold for long-term storage. Sometimes the housewives put absolutely unnecessary items in the refrigerator, which are well kept in the pantry.

Superfluous in the refrigerator will:

• closed canned food;
• home preservation;
• sunflower oil;
• honey;
• vegetables and fruits that you are going to eat in the next two days;
• bread and pastries;
• onion and garlic
• sealed juices.

These products can be safely removed from the refrigerator, so as not to make it work for nothing.

Rule number 5. Do not be wasteful.

Before you go to the store, check the contents of the refrigerator. Try not to buy anything edible "just so it is better to make a menu in advance for a week. Beautifully wrapped products on clean shelves, the number of which is exactly what you need, surely inspire you to new culinary feats. And your family will thank you.

Video: how to store food in the refrigerator