The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 80

possible that even with your temperature dial adjusted to the correct position, your fridge might be far warmer than it should be A simple dial thermometer helps you monitor things to ensure that you’re never caught in the dark • Transfer food to smaller containers I keep a stack of half-pint, pint, and quart plastic deli containers to store almost all food once it’s come out of the original packaging Air is the enemy of most foods and can increase their rate of spoilage By transferring them to smaller containers, you not only minimize air contact, but you also help keep your fridge organized and easy to navigate • Label everything As soon as you transfer food into a smaller storage container, label the container, using permanent marker on masking tape with the date of storage, as well as what’s inside As much as I promote good science, there are some things that simply aren’t worth experimenting with: creating life inside your refrigerator is one of them • Prevent drippage To avoid messes and dangerous crosscontamination, always store raw meat—no matter how well wrapped—on a plate or a tray to catch any drips • Keep fish extra cold It’s best to use fresh fish immediately, but if you must store it, wrap it in plastic and sandwich it between two ice packs on a tray to ensure that it stays at 32°F or colder until ready to use (Don’t worry —because of dissolved solids in its cell structure, it won’t freeze until well below 32°F.) Where to Store Food in the Refrigerator There are three overriding factors to consider when deciding what to store where in the fridge • Food safety is of utmost importance Fridges keep food fresh for longer, but that doesn’t mean that harmful bacteria can’t multiply to dangerous levels given enough time To minimize risk, here’s a rule of thumb: the more likely the possibility a food could make you sick and the higher the final temperature you intend to cook it to, the lower in the refrigerator it should be stored, both to keep it cooler and to prevent cross-contamination For instance, don’t store raw chicken above leftovers from the night before Juices from the bird can drip down unnoticed, contaminating your food • Temperature varies throughout your refrigerator, with, as mentioned earlier, either the very back of the bottom shelf or the back of the top shelf, near the vent, being the coldest spot, depending on the model For maximum storage life, your refrigerator should be set to hold a minimum temperature of 34°F in these spots No part of your refrigerator should rise above 39°F • Humidity plays a role in the freshness of vegetables The crisper drawers in the bottom of your refrigerator are designed to prevent fresh cold air from circulating into them Vegetables naturally emit a bit of energy as they go about their normal energy cycles, heating up the space in the drawer, thus enabling it to retain more moisture Moist air can help prevent vegetables from shriveling or drying out Most crisper drawers have a slider that controls the ventilation so that you can adjust the moisture level inside ... risk, here’s a rule of thumb: the more likely the possibility a food could make you sick and the higher the final temperature you intend to cook it to, the lower in the refrigerator it should be stored, both to keep it... the night before Juices from the bird can drip down unnoticed, contaminating your food • Temperature varies throughout your refrigerator, with, as mentioned earlier, either the very back of the bottom shelf... or the back of the top shelf, near the vent, being the coldest spot, depending on the model For maximum storage life, your refrigerator should be set to hold a minimum temperature of 34°F in these