Chefs’ Fridge Organizing Rules

Is there a right way and a wrong way to organize your refrigerator? At home (and working with design flaws of many residential fridges) you do what works for you. But in a professional kitchen - absolutely, there’s a right way! Keep the following rules in mind and see how many you can implement into your fridge at home.

As chefs we take care to implement and follow processes that prevent food borne illness and cross contamination.

Food Borne Illness - sickness caused by bacteria, virus, or parasites on contaminated foods. People will often say they had ‘food poisoning’. Examples are norovirus, botulism, salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, listeria, E.coli, and campylobacter.

Cross Contamination - when bacteria and other pathogens are unintentionally transferred from one substance to another. This also applies to allergens - when proteins from an allergen containing food are unintentionally transferred to a non-allergen containing food. This is especially dangerous for people with severe food allergies. Preventing cross contamination is important in every setting.

We want the people we feed to have joyful, satisfying experiences and never get sick. There are many things we do while cooking to avoid food borne illness and cross contamination but it all starts with how we store our ingredients.

The Top Shelf

Keep your ‘ready-to-eat’ items here: any items that will not be cooked before consuming: Fresh Fruits, Salads, Veggies, Beverages in open containers.

Leftovers

You should store these on the second highest shelf. Organize them so that the oldest are in front, ready to be eaten first.

Middle Shelves and Drawers

Keep your cheese, dairy, cured meats, and deli meats here. These items may develop mold so you want them stored underneath fresh produce.

Eggs

Egg shells can carry salmonella, so you want to store these near the bottom of the fridge. Store any doughs or batters that contain raw eggs on a lower shelf, too.

Bottom Shelf

Any raw meat, poultry, or seafood should be stored in the lowest area possible. These animal products hold some of the highest risks of food borne illness. Store them down low and always cook to the appropriate internal temperatures.

Refrigerator Door

This area experiences the most dramatic temperature changes as you open and close the door. It is best to stock your fridge door with condiments that have a long shelf life. Bottles of salad dressings, jams, sauces, and pickles fit great here and have a relatively low risk of causing food borne illness if handled properly. Keep the lids clean and make sure you close them tightly after each use. You can also keep sealed beverages like cans and bottles of juice, beer, and soda stored in the fridge door.

Universal Tips to Keep in Mind

Gravity is always at work.

If you have a family member with a food allergy, always store that food on a bottom shelf. This way if the bag tears open or you spill anything, the allergen doesn’t have an opportunity to contaminate the ingredients below it.

If you have any drippy ingredients - thawing meat or other juicy ingredients - make sure they are placed in a tall sided glass, metal, or plastic container. Even if the item is sealed in a plastic bag and wrapped up tight, moisture will find any little hole and escape. Keep the juices contained to prevent contaminating neighboring ingredients.

FIFO

First In, First Out inventory management is a simple standard to follow. If you need to add a ‘purchased on’ date to your items to remind yourself which is oldest, go for it! It is best to keep the older items at the front of your shelves so that they are the easiest items to grab.

Smell Test

If something doesn’t smell right, it is best to toss it and avoid accidental illness. Food waste is something we want to minimize but, sadly, sometimes it is unavoidable. If you notice that you are repeatedly tossing the same ingredient before you can use it all up, try the following suggestions:

1. Can you purchase a smaller amount of it?

2. Can you give a portion to a friend or neighbor so they can use it before it expires?

3. Search the chefate cookbook for new meal ideas and use the ingredient in a variety of recipes.

4. Write a reminder on your calendar that you need to use all of the ingredient by a certain date.

If you need to use something up before it goes bad, place it in the front of the fridge, close to where you reach most often. This will keep the ingredient top of mind and help you create a delicious, joyful meal out of it instead of creating food waste.