Tacking in the fridge: how to do it right

Every fridge has different cooling zones for different foods. We explain what goes where.

Just anywhere? No! With proper storage, food lasts longer.

Some foods like it colder, some not so cold - and others don't belong in the fridge at all. If you store your refrigerator properly, you can be sure that all your food will last longer and taste better. The most important tips on different cold zones and refrigerators can be found here:

Clearing the refrigerator properly: it depends on the type

Generally, warm air rises to the top - even in a refrigerator. You should take advantage of this, as some foods like it warmer than others. But this only applies to classic, mostly older refrigerators that have what is known as static cooling. More modern appliances usually cool dynamically. The temperature is distributed evenly in the device by air circulation.

Type 1: Refrigerators with static cooling

• The vegetable compartment: the name suggests it. In the vegetable compartment comes - unsurprisingly - vegetables. But not only: fruit such as cherries, grapes and berries also have their place here. What you should not put there, or only put there for a short time, is cold-sensitive fruit and vegetables. In the case of fruit, these are the southern and citrus fruits. These include bananas, pineapples, mangos, papayas, kiwis and melons. In the vegetable compartment equally not well: Apples, pears, peaches, tomatoes, beans, peppers, potatoes, onions and garlic.

• The lower shelf: the coldest place in the refrigerator (apart from the freezer compartment) is on the shelf above the vegetable compartment. Here, the temperature is about 2 to 4 degrees at best. Fish, meat and sausage are best placed right here. These foods spoil quickly. The temperature just above the freezing point prevents this. It is advisable to pack the food well so that no moisture can escape.

• The middle shelf: the middle shelf is intended for all dairy products. Whether curd or cream, cheese or yogurt - all these products are well kept here. For milk and eggs, you have the choice: you are free to store them in the door or in the middle shelf.

• The top shelf: it is warm at the top. Therefore, everything that is more durable anyway goes here: sauces and soups and what is left over from the day before, except for dishes with perishable food and raw eggs. You need to store these in a cooler place (lower shelf). Also pies or jam feel comfortable in the upper warmer regions, as well as smoked foods.

• The door: the compartments in the door count as the upper shelf to the warmer zones in the refrigerator. Here optimal: drinks and milk, but also butter, ketchup and mustard.

Type 2: Refrigerators with dynamic cooling and climate zones

Modern refrigerators have dynamic cooling. Air circulation inside the refrigerator ensures an even temperature on all shelves. In the best case, this is about 5 degrees. At this temperature, for example, salmonella does not continue to grow." Buying a refrigerator: You need to knowAnd what happens to food that likes it colder or warmer? There is a solution for this, too: these modern devices usually have additional separate compartments for which you can set special temperatures. And that's not all: the humidity can often be regulated as well.Depending on the manufacturer and model, different zones are available. At Siemens, for example, the system is called VitaFresh, at Liebherr BioFresh. So that you do not lose the overview, here are the most common zones:

• Zero-degree zone, dry: Meat, sausage, milk and cheese go in this compartment. Fish you store optimally at minus 2 to 0 degrees. Some manufacturers offer a special compartment for this purpose. Optionally, the zero-degree zone can be made colder.
• Zero-degree zone, humid: Comparable to the vegetable compartment - here you store cold-insensitive fruits, vegetables and lettuce.
• Cellar zone: This compartment is warmer and therefore ideal for cold-sensitive fruits such as tropical fruits.

Conclusion

Whatever refrigerator system you have: It is advisable to take to heart a few rules in everyday kitchen life. The tips for putting away the refrigerator are not difficult to follow. The added value, on the other hand, is great and is noticed at the latest when almost nothing from the refrigerator must go directly into the trash can.

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